The Samsung QN90C offers superior bright room performance compared to the Sony X90K and features a better sound system with Dolby Atmos support, which could enhance your movie-watching experience. However, the Samsung QN90C is typically more expensive. In contrast, the Sony X90K costs less, but without Dolby Atmos, its audio experience might not be as immersive. If budget is a priority and you're okay with decent performance in bright rooms and a simpler sound setup, the Sony X90K would serve you well. 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 QN90C (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Very good for movies & TV
Very good for use as monitor
Excellent reflections
Advantages of the Sony X90K (LCD)
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Movies & TV
8.0/10
7.5/10
7.38/10
CONTRAST
7.38/10
6.8/10
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 QN90C (LCD) is very good for movies & TV, while the Sony X90K (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90C is very good for watching movies and cinematic TV due to its superior contrast and black uniformity, which enhance dark scene details, and its local dimming feature aids this further. Although the Sony X90K also provides a good experience with the same level of contrast and commendable local dimming, its black uniformity and viewing angles are not as strong as the QN90C's, indicating that dark scenes might not be as richly detailed and the picture quality may vary more from side angles.
Cartoons & Animation
8.8/10
8.0/10
7.5/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.7/10
9.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.8/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
8.1/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.0/10
7.7/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.6/10
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) and Sony X90K (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation, though the Samsung QN90C (LCD) is somewhat better.
The Samsung QN90C has very good colors out of the box, meaning it can display cartoons and animations with vibrant and accurate hues immediately after setup, while the Sony X90K also displays good colors out of the box, but may not appear as rich or accurate prior to any adjustments. Both TVs offer good color gamut and volume, enhancing the variety and depth of colors in animated content; however, the QN90C stands slightly ahead in these areas, which are critical for maintaining the visual appeal of colorful and dynamic cartoon scenes.
Bright Room
9.7/10
8.0/10
6.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.4/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
8.8/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.3/10
9.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.3/10
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the Sony X90K (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung QN90C is better suited for bright rooms because it has a higher SDR and HDR brightness and reflections are handled excellently. Meanwhile, the Sony X90K, while still performing very well, offers slightly lower SDR and HDR brightness and is only fair at managing reflections.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung QN90C (LCD) to have very good picture quality, while the Sony X90K (LCD) has good picture quality.
Sports
7.0/10
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
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony X90K (LCD) and Samsung QN90C (LCD) are both good for sports.
The Samsung QN90C boasts excellent reflection handling and very good motion processing, making it suitable for sports viewership in bright rooms and fast-paced content; however, its viewing angles are not the widest, which could be limiting for group viewing. On the other hand, the Sony X90K excels with its best-in-class motion processing and very good response time that ensure smooth action during sports, but it has only fair reflection handling and may be less ideal for very bright environments.
Gaming
8.2/10
8.1/10
7.8/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
75.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
76.0/100
8.9/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) and Sony X90K (LCD) are both very good for gaming.
The Samsung QN90C and Sony X90K both excel in gaming, with the Samsung model rated best for response time and very good for input lag. These factors are crucial, as a quick response time prevents motion blur during fast-paced games, and low input lag ensures that the time between pressing a button and seeing the action on-screen is minimal.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.8/10
8.7/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) and Sony X90K (LCD) are both very good for news, talk, & other TV.
The Samsung QN90C displays an extremely bright picture for vivid clarity in news or talk shows and has great upscaling to ensure lower-resolution content looks clear, while its colors out of the box are well-balanced without extra adjustments. The Sony X90K, also delivering a clear picture with its superior upscaling, ensures even older content looks good, though its brightness isn't as high as the Samsung's, the quality of which is still sufficient for everyday viewing.
Cost
$2,000
$2,098
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) has a price of $2,000 and the Sony X90K (LCD) costs $2,098.
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How the Samsung QN90C (LCD) and the Sony X90K (LCD) compare to other TVs
"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 QN90C (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.
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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
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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.