The Samsung QN90B has a higher overall picture quality and performs exceptionally well in bright rooms due to its high brightness and reflection handling, making it a strong choice for sunny rooms or well-lit environments. It also excels in gaming, thanks to low input lag and fast response time.
Contrarily, the Sony X90K is less expensive and still offers good overall performance. It has better speakers out of the box compared to the Samsung, which is beneficial if you don't plan on using an external sound system.
For gaming or use in a bright room, the Samsung QN90B might be more suitable, while the Sony X90K offers a better-value option with solid performance and better integrated sound. These are the primary tradeoffs to consider between the two models. 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
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 X90K (LCD)
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Movies & TV
8.1/10
7.5/10
7.00/10
CONTRAST
7.38/10
7.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.1/10
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 X90K (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90B delivers a superior movie and cinematic experience largely due to its high contrast, effective local dimming, and excellent black uniformity, which ensures deep blacks and vibrant picture quality. The Sony X90K, while offering good performance in the same aspects, falls short in black uniformity and local dimming effectiveness compared to the Samsung model, impacting its ability to render the same level of depth and richness in dark scenes.
Cartoons & Animation
8.8/10
8.0/10
7.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.7/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.8/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
9.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.0/10
6.6/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.6/10
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) and Sony X90K (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation, though the Samsung QN90B (LCD) is somewhat better.
Both the Samsung QN90B and the Sony X90K excel in displaying cartoons and animation due to their strong performance in color reproduction right out of the box, which means they will show vibrant colors without the need for much adjustment. The Samsung QN90B has an advantage in color volume which allows it to maintain color accuracy at a wide range of brightness levels, whereas the Sony X90K features a wide color gamut ensuring a broad spectrum of colors, which is beneficial for colorful content like cartoons.
Bright Room
9.7/10
8.0/10
7.4/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.4/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
9.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.3/10
9.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.3/10
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the Sony X90K (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung QN90B is exceptional for bright room viewing because it offers excellent SDR and HDR brightness and excels in handling reflections. Meanwhile, the Sony X90K, while very good in bright conditions, falls short in managing reflections compared to the QN90B, which can affect viewing experiences in well-lit environments.
Cost
$1,600
$998
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) has a price of $1,600 and the Sony X90K (LCD) costs $998.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung QN90B (LCD) to have very good picture quality, while the Sony X90K (LCD) has good picture quality.
Sports
7.1/10
7.1/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) and Sony X90K (LCD) are both good for sports.
The Samsung QN90B delivers a very good response time and excellent handling of reflections, making it well-suited for sports viewing in brightly lit environments. Meanwhile, the Sony X90K, with good motion processing and response time, offers a solid sports viewing experience but may not perform as well with reflections when compared to the Samsung model.
Gaming
8.3/10
8.1/10
8.3/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
76.0/100
9.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
The Samsung QN90B (LCD) and Sony X90K (LCD) are both very good for gaming.
The Samsung QN90B excels in gaming due to its best-in-class input lag and response time, ensuring a smooth and responsive gaming experience. The Sony X90K is also very good for gaming, with very good response time and input lag, but it does not match the Samsung's top performance in these critical gaming aspects.
News, Talk, & Other TV
9.0/10
8.7/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung QN90B (LCD) to be excellent for news, talk, & other TV, while the Sony X90K (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung QN90B is rated excellent for upscaling and SDR brightness, which enhances the clarity and visibility of news and talk shows, and its colors out of the box are considered the best, providing vibrant and accurate hues immediately upon setup. On the other hand, the Sony X90K, while rated very good in the same categories, offers slightly lower performance in SDR brightness and its colors out of the box are rated as just good, implying that the picture may not be as bright or the colors as lively without adjustment.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Samsung QN90B (LCD) and the Sony X90K (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."
"As Sony’s next-to-flagship LCD TV, the X90K series delivers impressive performance for the price. The XR90K had fairly accurate out-of-box color. The TV’s multi-position stand lets you either set the screen flush with any stand its mounted on or elevate it to clear space for a soundbar. With the latter option, you get around 3 inches of clearance enough to accommodate most soundbars. The X90K’s excellent suite of gaming features ranks it up there with the best 120 Hz 4K TVs."
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN90B (LCD) or the Sony X90K (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
122,430
Recommendations made
18,365
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.