The Bravia 9 is an excellent mini LED TV. As Sony demonstrated at the launch event, this TV performs really close to the BVM X3110 mastering monitor in professional mode. The colours are accurate, the whites and panel uniformity are amazing, the TV handles blacks and HDR with expertise, and the Audio is remarkable.
When placed next to Bravia 8, the advantages of pixel-level control and higher contrast on OLEDs were quite clear, and not just in dark sequences. However, more often than not, you will be watching your TV in a bright well-lit room and in such settings, Bravia 9 can make everything else look dull. And unlike OLEDs, it can sustain high brightness in extended sequences, such as sports matches, without dimming the panel. And if you are not very particular about colour accuracy and prefer to enjoy content in boosted modes like Vivid and Standard, the scales further tilt in Bravia 9’s favour.
In the premium segment, I have always and unequivocally recommended OLED TVs above everything else. But this TV has certainly changed my mind. Yes, we have been testing the Bravia 9, Sony’s current flagship TV and we have been testing it next to the Bravia 8 OLED TV.
The Bravia 9 does cost an arm and a leg but finally is a capable alternative to premium OLEDs, especially if you are looking for a 65-inch or larger size.
Sony Bravia 9 Mini LED TV Review: Specifications
- Model: K-75XR90
- Display: 75-inch Mini LED backlight, XR Triluminous Pro (Quantum Dots), Local Dimming
- Panel Type: VA LCD
- Display Resolution: 3840 x 2160 – 4K UHD
- Panel Refresh Rate: 120Hz
- Supported HDR Formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
- Speakers: 70W, Acoustic Multi-Audio, Frame Tweeter, Beam Tweeter
- Audio Formats: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio, DTS Digital Surround, DTS Express, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS:X
- Software: Google TV with Sony customisations (Android TV 12)
- Screen Mirroring: Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay
- HDMI Ports: 4 HDMI ports (2 HDMI 2.1)
- Processor: XR Processor
- Storage: 32GB
- Other Connectivity Options: 2x USB ports (500mA, 900mA), Dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, AV, RF, Ethernet, headphone
- Price: Rs. 417,900 (Buy Now)
Sony Bravia 9 Mini LED TV Video Review
Sony Bravia 9 Mini LED TV Review: Picture Quality
We have the 75-inch variant ships with us which has a VA LCD panel along with Quantum dots technology. Viewing angles are not as big a problem as they were on the Bravia 7, but we did notice a slight shift at extreme angles but only when we were scrutinizingly looking for it.
The LED LCD panel is slightly reflective, but that also helps a sense of depth if you are watching in a relatively dark ambience – as is also recommended for HDR.
The colour temperature in both the Professional mode and cinema mode is close to standard D65. But first, make sure to disable the ambient light sensor, which makes the whites cooler or bluish in our normal viewing environment.
Sony’s Professional mode is similar to Filmmaker mode and is meant for purists. Another advantage is that popular apps including Netflix, Prime Videos and Bravia Core have their own calibrated modes.
The panel can reproduce almost 100% of Rec. 709 colour space used for SDR content. As for HDR, the Bravia 9 display supports almost 97% DCI-P3 coverage and 77% of BT2020 coverage in UV terms.
On a 10% Window, the Bravia 9 can be a staggering 3000 nits bright! In the professional mode with a white point close to standard D65, however, we recorded a maximum brightness of 1700 nits.
This high brightness translates to an impactful HDR experience. High APL scenes or bright scenes like scenes with snow or these bright sequences in Severence are rendered beautifully and feel better than on premium OLED TVs.
The TV supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The colour accuracy in HDR is impressive. We recorded a delta error of just 2.2 out of the box.
Contrary to what people believe, the dimming performance is not as much dependent on the number of zones but on the dimming algorithms. This again remains a Key Sony strength. Blooming in subtitles and other dimming artefacts are suppressed really well.
The Bravia 9 can render dark scenes very accurately but yes, it is still not a match for OLEDs.
Similarly, we also noticed that the Bravia 9 can not at times render the details on dark skin tones in bright scenes as faithfully. HDR scenes with both bright highlights and shadows are rendered masterfully.
Motion handling is excellent but not as fine as on OLED TVs.
In SDR, we recorded an average delta error of just 1.9 and a maximum delta error of 4.5 out of the box, which is indeed impressive. The professional mode restricts the brightness to 100 nits which is in line with mastering standards.
For watching in normal viewing environments, you can enable the high peak brightness setting or switch to Cinema mode.
Bravia 9 also does an excellent job of upscaling legacy content.
So, mini LED or OLED? We will sum up our findings at the end, so stay tuned for a bit more.
Sony Bravia 9 Mini LED TV Review: Performance and Software
Powered by XR Processor with 32GB storage, the Sony Bravia 9 is as snappy a TV as you’d expect at this price point. The content we played almost instantly switched to high-resolution settings and playback controls worked smoothly. We did not notice any unexpected jitters while switching between apps.
Casting and screen mirroring work seamlessly across Android and iOS devices since the TV supports Apple Airplay, Apple Homekit and Chromecast Built-in. The far-field microphones are excellent and the Bravia 9 could consistently respond to our voice prompts.
The software is based on Google TV and is perhaps the best version of Google TV that we have experienced. Sony has invested considerable effort in offering a wide range of customization options on the Bravia 7, with default settings optimized to provide the best experience for everyday users who may prefer not to risk toggling the wrong options. So, both casual viewers and tech enthusiasts can enjoy a tailored experience, with the flexibility to tweak further if desired.
There are several preloaded Sony apps, which are well-designed. The Sony Bravia Core app is now available in India and offers a vast selection of titles from Sony Pictures, including some with IMAX Enhanced with 80Mbps Pure Stream. Bravia 9 users will get 10 free credits to add content to their library and stream in high quality for 24 months. Additionally, you can register your Bravia TV to enjoy a three-month free subscription to Sony Liv.
Sony Bravia 9 Mini LED TV Review: Gaming and Audio
We tested the gaming prowess of the Sony Bravia 9 with Sony PS5 and games like Ghost of Tsushima, Witcher 3 and Spiderman 2. The TV has a low-latency game mode and supports HDMI 2.1 gaming features and connectivity via two of the four HDMI ports. The gameplay was perfectly smooth and HDR impact in bright sequences is once again amazing.
The audio on the Bravia 9 is hands down the best that I have experienced on a TV yet. Thanks to Acoustic Multi Audio+, the sound seems to emanate directly from the TV screen. The dialogues are clear and the soundstage is wide. Even the Dolby Atmos from native speakers is impactful, which is something we rarely get to say.
Sony Bravia 9 75-Inch Mini LED TV Review: Design and Build
This is of course an extremely premium-looking TV with Sony’s signature checkerboard pattern on the back. What I didn’t expect, however, is just how heavy it is! (42.3 Kg without stand) The bezels on the sides are quite narrow and the Sony branding on the right is barely visible. The tabletop stand has to be purchased separately for Rs. 2500 and you may also opt for wall-mount installation for Rs. 1000. The metallic stand looks premium and you get the option to adjust the height and width.
The remote design hasn’t changed—it’s still made from recycled “sorplas” plastic, and the backlit keys make it super handy in low light. This is a very comfortable remote in practical life but is also prone to scratches.
Also, you can recharge it with a USB Type-C port, and don’t worry this won’t be yet another gadget that you’d need to bother charging frequently – The battery life is amazing and I haven’t managed to drain it even after three weeks of use! At the same time, you may eventually need to get the battery replaced somewhere down the road.
Sony Bravia 9 Mini LED TV Review: should you buy it?
To sum it up, yes the Bravia 9 is an excellent mini LED TV. As Sony demonstrated at the launch event, this TV performs really close to the BVM X3110 mastering monitor in professional mode. The colours are accurate, the whites and panel uniformity are amazing, and the TV handles blacks with expertise.
When placed next to Bravia 8, the advantages of pixel-level control and higher contrast on OLEDs were quite clear, and not just in dark sequences. The effect is clearer facial details and higher contrast.
However, more often than not, you will be watching your TV in a bright well-lit room and in such settings, Bravia 9 can make everything else look dull. And unlike OLEDs, it can sustain high brightness in extended sequences, such as sports matches, without dimming the panel.
And if you are not very particular about colour accuracy and prefer to enjoy content in boosted modes like Vivid and Standard, which most people do, the scales further tilt in Bravia 9’s favour.
So, if you have OLED inhibition – concerns like potential burn-in, lower peak brightness, or doubts about longevity, or if you looking for a TV that is extremely colour-accurate out of the box, the Bravia 9 is the one to go for.
Sony Bravia 9 75-inch TV K-75XR90 Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
| Release Date: | |
| Market Status: | Launched |
Key Specifications
Screen Resolution
3840 x 2160
-
Screen size (in inches)
75
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Smart TV
Yes
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Deepak Singh
Deepak is Editor at Digit. He is passionate about technology and has been keeping an eye on emerging technology trends for nearly a decade. When he is not working, he likes to read and to spend quality time with his family. View Full Profile
