The Samsung QN90B offers excellent overall picture quality and brightness, making it a strong choice for a sunny room. It also has great gaming performance with a high refresh rate. However, it comes at a premium price compared to the Sony X85K.
The Sony X85K is more economical, still delivers good picture quality, and performs exceptionally well with upscaling content. Yet, it lacks local dimming, which impacts its performance in darker scenes and might not be as bright as the Samsung, making it less ideal for very bright rooms.
If budget isn't an issue and you want top-notch brightness and gaming features, go for the Samsung QN90B. If you're looking to save money and still get good quality, especially for upscaling and overall usage, consider the Sony X85K. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung QN90B (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Very good for movies & TV
Excellent for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for use as monitor
Good viewing angle
Excellent reflections
Advantages of the Sony X85K (LCD)
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.2/10
7.2/10
7.00/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the Sony X85K (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.1/10
6.4/10
7.00/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
7.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) is very good for movies & TV, while the Sony X85K (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN90B is considered very good for watching movies and cinematic content because it has excellent qualities like a high contrast with local dimming and strong black uniformity, which contribute to deep blacks and a good HDR experience. Meanwhile, the Sony X85K, while offering high contrast, lacks local dimming and has lower black uniformity, so the depth of blacks and shadow detail are not as pronounced, making it only fair for movies and cinematic TV.
Gaming
8.8/10
7.5/10
8.3/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.6/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.3/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
9.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.3/10
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the Sony X85K (LCD) is good.
News, Talk, & Other TV
9.0/10
8.2/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.4/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) is excellent for news, talk, & other TV, while the Sony X85K (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung QN90B stands out for its excellent SDR brightness, making it particularly suitable for viewing in well-lit environments such as when watching news and talk shows during the day. Although the Sony X85K also offers very good SDR brightness and better upscaling, which is crucial for watching lower resolution content, its performance is slightly overshadowed by the Samsung's superior colors out of the box and local dimming feature, which enhances contrast and provides deeper blacks.
Bright Room
9.7/10
7.4/10
7.4/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.4/10
9.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
9.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.3/10
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the Sony X85K (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90B is better suited for viewing in a bright room primarily due to its higher SDR and HDR brightness as well as superior handling of reflections. Conversely, the Sony X85K, while offering good performance, falls short in these aspects, particularly in HDR brightness and reflections, which affects its capability to deliver optimal picture quality in well-lit environments.
Cost
$1,098
$848
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) has a price of $1,098 and the Sony X85K (LCD) costs $848.
The Sony X85K (LCD) and Samsung QN90B (LCD) are both good for sports.
The Samsung QN90B is well-suited for sports due to its excellent motion processing capabilities, which minimize blur during fast-paced scenes, and its very good reflection handling which keeps the picture clear even in bright environments; however, its viewing angles are only decent, meaning the picture may not be as consistent from side seats. In contrast, the Sony X85K boasts perfect motion processing and good reflection handling, providing a smooth and sharp viewing experience, but it has poorer gray uniformity, which could slightly affect the appearance of sports fields or courts under certain conditions.
Cartoons & Animation
8.8/10
8.5/10
7.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.5/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.4/10
9.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.1/10
6.6/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.5/10
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) and Sony X85K (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The Samsung QN90B excels in reproducing vibrant and accurate colors straight out of the box, which is essential for animated content that often uses a wide array of colors. Both the QN90B and Sony X85K display a wide color gamut; however, the Samsung has superior SDR brightness and contrast, resulting in a more vivid and dynamic picture for cartoons and animations.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Samsung QN90B (LCD) and the Sony X85K (LCD) compare to other TVs
"The QN90B delivers one of the brightest pictures we’ve ever seen, showcasing HDR content better than just about every LCD/LED TV on the market. If all you’re planning on doing is watching cable TV, broadcast channels, and a fair share of streaming shows or movies, the QN90B is sure to impress. All four of the QN90B’s HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K gaming at 120fps a centerpiece feature of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5."
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN90B (LCD) or the Sony X85K (LCD)
About Samsung
Samsung, a South Korean electronics manufacturer, holds the title of being the largest global TV vendor in terms of units sold. They offer a diverse lineup of TV products that cater to various budget ranges. A notable achievement in recent years is the development of Quantum Dots, a technology that enhances color reproduction, resulting in richer and more vibrant hues. Samsung TVs are well-regarded for their high manufacturing quality and user-friendly software, making them an excellent choice for consumers seeking an intuitive viewing experience.
About Sony
Sony stands as a highly experienced and widely trusted TV manufacturer, earning a reputation that surpasses all others. A Japanese company, Sony has been making TVs for far longs than it has been making Playstation game consoles. Sony's high-end TVs are often regarded as the ultimate choice for videophiles, representing the epitome of quality, albeit at a premium price point. Renowned for their advanced and precise motion handling, as well as their cutting-edge local dimming algorithms, Sony consistently delivers unparalleled performance in these areas. They include Google TV software with all their TV sets, which grants access to the largest selection of apps available and they also include Bravia Core which is a movie streaming platform specifically for Sony TVs that offers higher picture quality by using more bandwidth.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec TVs team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest TV information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
385
TVs evaluated
33,110
TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
99,030
Recommendations made
14,855
Consumer hours saved
About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
Jaime is a Colombia-based TV expert. He is an electronics engineer with 8 years of experience in the telecom sector and has been making TV recommendations for 12 years.