Living With the Sony Bravia XR A80L
I finally pulled the trigger on this TV after months of debating between the A80L and the LG C3. Honestly, I went Sony mostly because I had a good experience with their headphones, and I figured their TV calibration would be solid too. Three months later, here’s what I actually think.
Picture Quality
Look, the picture is gorgeous. But I’m going to be honest - I don’t have a trained eye for color accuracy or anything like that. What I can tell you is that watching Planet Earth looks absolutely incredible, and the blacks are genuinely black, not that dark grey you see on regular LEDs.
That said, I did notice some brightness limitations when watching HDR content in my living room during the afternoon. The window glare becomes a real issue. If your room gets a lot of natural light, you might want to consider window treatments or something.
The XR Processor
Sony makes a big deal about their cognitive processor, and yeah, I think it does something? Upscaling older content looks better than on my previous TV, but I honestly can’t tell you exactly what magic is happening under the hood. Sports look smooth, movies look cinematic. It just works.
Smart TV Experience
The Google TV interface took some getting used to. There’s a lot of content suggestions I don’t care about, and finding my apps sometimes feels like a treasure hunt. I eventually customized the home screen and now it’s fine, but out of the box it felt cluttered.
One thing that bugs me - the remote doesn’t have a backlight. Who makes a premium TV remote without backlit buttons in 2026?
What I Like
- Those OLED blacks really are something else
- Dolby Vision and Atmos support works great with my soundbar
- Motion handling is smooth without looking weird
- The design is surprisingly thin
What Annoys Me
- Gets warm on the back during long viewing sessions
- The Google TV interface can be sluggish
- No backlit remote (seriously Sony?)
- Sound from the built-in speakers is just okay
Should You Buy It?
If you’re in the market for a mid-range OLED, this is a solid pick. I don’t regret the purchase at all. But if you’re expecting it to blow your mind compared to other OLEDs in this price range, the differences are pretty subtle. I’d suggest seeing it in person at a store if you can, because at this price point, personal preference matters a lot.
For me, it’s been great for movies and gaming. The PS5 looks fantastic on it, and that’s really what I wanted.
Current pricing may vary by retailer.