The Samsung S95C boasts notably better overall picture quality and gaming performance compared to the Sony A80K. It's also more suitable for brightly lit rooms and offers superior motion processing, reflection handling, and color accuracy right out of the box. However, the S95C comes at a higher cost.
The Sony A80K, while less expensive, excels in quality control, has great color volume, and performs well in sports viewing. It also supports Dolby Vision, which the Samsung model does not, potentially offering a more enhanced HDR experience in compatible content.
Consider the Samsung S95C if gaming and vivid picture quality in bright rooms are top priorities, but be prepared to invest more. Choose the Sony A80K for a balanced performance at a lower price point and if Dolby Vision support is important for your viewing experience. 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 S95C (OLED)
Excellent for bright room
Best in class for dark room
Best in class for gaming
Excellent for news, talk, & other TV
Excellent for cartoons & animation
Best in class for use as monitor
Best in class viewing angle
Best in class reflections
Advantages of the Sony A80K (OLED)
Excellent for sports
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Picture Quality
9.5/10
8.6/10
10.00/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
9.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
RGB OLED
PANEL TYPE
WOLED
QD-OLED
PANEL SUB-TYPE
WBE
The Samsung S95C (OLED) has best in class picture quality, while the Sony A80K (OLED) has very good picture quality.
Gaming
10.0/10
8.8/10
10.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
9.4/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
100.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
100.0/100
8.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
The Samsung S95C (OLED) is best in class for gaming, while the Sony A80K (OLED) is very good.
The Samsung S95C is considered the best for gaming mainly because it offers a superior response time and lower input lag, which are critical for fast-paced gaming, and supports a 144Hz refresh rate allowing smoother gameplay. In contrast, the Sony A80K is also very good for gaming but has a slightly lower response time and higher input lag compared to the S95C, and it supports a 120Hz refresh rate, which is slightly less ideal for the most demanding gaming scenarios.
Cartoons & Animation
9.4/10
8.5/10
9.2/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
8.1/10
9.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.8/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.0/10
9.8/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
9.6/10
The Samsung S95C (OLED) is excellent for cartoons & animation, while the Sony A80K (OLED) is very good.
The Samsung S95C excels in providing vibrant, accurate colors with an excellent color gamut out-of-the-box suited for animations, while also delivering a high contrast and great uniformity, essential for cartoon viewing. The Sony A80K also offers very good performance with accurate colors and a very good color gamut, but it may not match the Samsung's color volume or offer the same level of gray uniformity, potentially making it slightly less optimal for uniform colorful scenes typical in cartoons and animations.
Bright Room
9.0/10
7.0/10
10.0/10
VIEWING ANGLE
9.1/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.8/10
10.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.9/10
The Samsung S95C (OLED) is excellent for bright room, while the Sony A80K (OLED) is good.
The Samsung S95C OLED delivers a better viewing experience in a bright room due to its superior reflection handling, making it excellent for such conditions, whereas the Sony A80K OLED, while still good at handling reflections, falls short comparatively. Both TVs offer good SDR and HDR brightness which is important for bright room viewing, but the Samsung's reflection handling gives it a significant edge over the Sony in well-lit environments.
Cost
$3,300
$1,698
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
The Samsung S95C (OLED) has a price of $3,300 and the Sony A80K (OLED) costs $1,698.
The Samsung S95C (OLED) and Sony A80K (OLED) are both excellent for movies & TV.
The Samsung S95C excels in movies and cinematic TV primarily due to its impeccable contrast, effective local dimming, and superior black uniformity, ensuring deep blacks and stark contrast in dark scenes, alongside a high-quality color volume that enhances the overall viewing experience. Meanwhile, the Sony A80K also delivers exceptional performance in these areas with similar contrast and black uniformity, but provides marginally better gray uniformity and viewing angles, making it a strong competitor especially in environments where viewers are seated at different angles relative to the screen.
Sports
8.7/10
9.2/10
8.2/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony A80K (OLED) to be excellent for sports, while the Samsung S95C (OLED) is very good.
The Sony A80K excels at watching sports due to its top-tier motion processing that reduces blur during fast scenes and has excellent handling of reflections which is crucial for maintaining visibility during daytime viewing. The Samsung S95C, while offering very good performance for sports with rapid response times and wide viewing angles, does not handle reflections quite as well and has slightly lower performance in motion processing compared to the Sony A80K.
News, Talk, & Other TV
9.1/10
8.9/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung S95C (OLED) to be excellent for news, talk, & other TV, while the Sony A80K (OLED) is very good.
The Samsung S95C excels in upscaling and SDR brightness, vital for clear visuals while watching standard definition news or talk shows on a bright screen. In comparison, the Sony A80K has superior motion processing and colors right out of the box, contributing to more vivid and smoother visuals for similar content.
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How the Samsung S95C (OLED) and the Sony A80K (OLED) compare to other TVs
"It’s a high-end TV through and through something that becomes clear the moment you glance at its stunning picture. The A80K’s surgically precise contrast control is likely the first thing you’ll notice about its picture ... every piece of content looks better when this amount of precision is available. Color accuracy is another strong suit; the A80K features fantastic out-of-the-box color accuracy in the Custom picture mode."
Get a great deal on the Samsung S95C (OLED) or the Sony A80K (OLED)
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
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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.