If you often watch TV in a sunny room, the Sony X90L is a better choice as it has a higher brightness which helps to reduce glare. However, if you are looking for better sound quality straight from the TV, the Sony X85J may not be as good as the X90L which has a slightly more powerful sound system. When it comes to gaming, both TVs will provide a similar experience since they both support 4k resolution at 120Hz. If you use voice control frequently, the X90L comes with voice command capability, unlike the X85J. You'll also benefit from a full-array local dimming feature with the X90L that can provide better contrast, making it a better option for movie watching in darker environments. 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 Sony X85J (LCD)
The Sony X85J (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Sony X90L (LCD).
Advantages of the Sony X90L (LCD)
Very good for bright room
Good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Good for movies & TV
Excellent for news, talk, & other TV
Good for use as monitor
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.3/10
7.8/10
7.88/10
CONTRAST
7.125/10
7.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.8/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Sony X90L (LCD) and Sony X85J (LCD) both have good picture quality, though the Sony X90L (LCD) has somewhat better picture quality.
Movies & TV
6.5/10
7.6/10
7.88/10
CONTRAST
7.125/10
6.9/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.0/10
10.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
No
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
Yes
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony X90L (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the Sony X85J (LCD) is only fair.
The Sony X90L is better for movies and cinematic TV than the Sony X85J due to the X90L’s superior local dimming, which enhances contrast and black uniformity, making dark scenes more detailed. However, while the X85J has slightly better contrast overall, both TVs struggle with gray uniformity and have limited viewing angles, which can affect how the picture looks from the side. The X90L also offers better color volume, making images appear richer and more vivid, but its colors out of the box may require calibration to match the accuracy the X85J provides.
Gaming
7.6/10
8.1/10
7.8/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
10.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
73.0/100
7.5/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
The Sony X90L (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the Sony X85J (LCD) is good.
The Sony X85J shows good response and input lag performance, making it suitable for gaming, while the Sony X90L offers very good markings in both criteria, implying a more seamless gaming experience with smoother motion and reduced lag time during gameplay.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.2/10
9.0/10
8.5/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.4/10
10.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
The Sony X90L (LCD) is excellent for news, talk, & other TV, while the Sony X85J (LCD) is very good.
The Sony X85J performs very well for watching news and TV programs largely because of its strong upscaling capability and very good SDR brightness, which ensures that even lower-resolution content looks clear and that the TV can get bright enough for most rooms. In comparison, the Sony X90L is considered excellent due to additional features like superior local dimming and slightly better performance in out-of-the-box colors and the color gamut, which contribute to a more vibrant and consistent image, making the viewing experience even more enjoyable for those types of content.
Bright Room
7.3/10
8.6/10
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
8.5/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.4/10
7.1/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.3/10
5.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The Sony X90L (LCD) is very good for bright room, while the Sony X85J (LCD) is good.
The Sony X85J delivers good performance in a bright room with strong SDR brightness and decent reflection handling, which is suitable for watching TV in well-lit environments. The Sony X90L, however, provides excellent performance in a bright room with even better SDR brightness and reflection handling, as well as higher HDR brightness, ensuring a more vibrant picture even in bright conditions.
The Sony X85J (LCD) and Sony X90L (LCD) are both good for sports.
The Sony X85J and Sony X90L both have excellent motion processing capabilities, making them suitable for watching sports. However, the Sony X90L has a slightly better response time and might provide a smoother experience with fast-moving sports content.
Cartoons & Animation
8.6/10
8.6/10
7.3/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.7/10
7.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.8/10
8.5/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
9.4/10
9.1/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.0/10
8.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.6/10
The Sony X90L (LCD) and Sony X85J (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The Sony X85J displays colors exceptionally well out of the box, making cartoons vibrant with good color gamut and volume, ideal for animation, and has high SDR brightness with strong contrast, although gray uniformity is just good, affecting solid color scenes. On the other hand, the Sony X90L, while offering very good out-of-the-box color performance, has an excellent color volume which enhances colorful scenes in animation, superior SDR brightness for bright room viewing, and slightly better gray uniformity, but with a lower contrast than the X85J.
Cost
$1,000
$998
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Sony X85J (LCD) has a price of $1,000 and the Sony X90L (LCD) costs $998.
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How the Sony X85J (LCD) and the Sony X90L (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
Sony X85J (LCD)
Sony X90L (LCD)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$1,000
$998
Brand
Brand
Sony
Sony
Release Date
Release Date
April 3, 2021
August 1, 2023
Full name
Full name
KD-55X85J
XR-55X90L
Screen Size
Screen Size
55"
55"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
4K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
LCD
LCD
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
LED VA
LED FALD VA
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
Android TV
Google TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
7.5/10
8.3/10
NextGen Ready
NextGen Ready
Yes
Yes
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
4
4
Coax Ports
Coax Ports
1
1
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
120Hz
120Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
Yes
HDR Supported formats
HDR Supported formats
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Accessibility
Accessibility
None
Voice Commands
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
7.3/10
7.8/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
7.4/10
8.6/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
7.6/10
8.2/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
6.6/10
7.6/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
7.3/10
7.2/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
8.3/10
9/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
8.6/10
8.7/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
6.9/10
7.3/10
PHYSICAL
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
28" x 48.5" x 2.8"
27.9" x 48.2" x 2.2"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
30.9" x 48.5"
29.1" x 48.2"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
37.1 lbs
37.3 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
300 x 300
300 x 300
DISPLAY
Color Depth
Color Depth
10 bit
10 bit
Black Frame Insertion
Black Frame Insertion
Yes
Yes
Auto Low Latency Mode
Auto Low Latency Mode
Yes
Yes
Contrast
Contrast
7.9/10
7.1/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
2.5/10
6.8/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
0/100
7.3/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
7.5/10
8.7/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
8.5/10
9.4/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
7.2/10
8.4/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
8.3/10
6.6/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
6.9/10
6/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
5.4/10
5.6/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
5.9/10
6/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
10/10
10/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
10/10
10/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
7.3/10
7.8/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
7.3/10
8.9/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
7.8/10
8.1/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
7.7/10
7/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
9.2/10
8/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
8.8/10
10/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
7.5/10
8/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
2.0
2.2
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
20 W
30 W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos
Yes
Yes
DTS:X
DTS:X
Up to DTS Digital Surround, Bypass only
Up to DTS Digital Surround, Bypass only
Get a great deal on the Sony X85J (LCD) or the Sony X90L (LCD)
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
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CEO and TVs Editor
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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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
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