Sony released the KD-65X85L in 2023. This is a quality mid-range TV that features a Triluminos Pro 4K display, variable frequency up to 120Hz and full local dimming. The X85L will be of interest to both home theater enthusiasts and gamers.
Equipped with Google TV and HDMI 2.1, Sony KD-65X85L meets almost all modern requirements. The Sony X85L series LED TVs are available in three screen sizes. What are the X85L TVs capable of, and are they worth the money? In the Sony KD-65X85L 4K HDR review, we will try to answer these and other questions.
Sony X85L review
Design
The design of the Sony Bravia KD-65X85L TV is perfect. At the same time, it has no frills. The body of the TV is made of scratch-resistant plastic. The included metal T-legs can be attached either outside or towards the middle of the bottom of the case.
In addition, the legs can be adjusted in height so that the soundbar can fit under the TV. The back panel, with its typical tile look, also looks very nice. With a cabinet depth of 5.7 cm, the design of the KD-65X85L is not very flat. At the same time, this depth is very well suited for wall mounting.
With this mounting, you can use the appropriate mounting system Sony SU-WL450 or use the VESA mount 300 x 300 mm (for 65 inches diagonal). In some countries, the TV comes with two remote controls at once. This is a smart remote with the most important buttons and another remote for system settings.
Equipment
In recent years, Sony has been using Google TV as its operating system in most of its models, with many applications and streaming services. The interface of this OS is a bit like an Amazon Fire TV Stick with a distinct tiled look. The system is pretty easy to use. Moreover, Google TV OS has access to all known applications and streaming services.
Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ or SkyQ apps are ready to use. Many others can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. In addition to control using the buttons, you can control the TV using voice commands. To do this, press the microphone button on the remote control and say the command.
The Sony KD-65X85L TV supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. To record TV programs via satellite, cable and DVB-T2 antenna, an external hard drive must be connected to the TV. However, it is not possible to record one program and watch another program at the same time.
Sound quality
With the sound on the Sony 65X85L TV, everything is in order, but you should not expect miracles either. This model does not have such a complex sound system as the top-end TVs of the same brand. The sound is played only by two speakers. The power of each speaker is 10W. The 2.0 sound scheme can sound even better if you pre-calibrate the sound.
Automatic Acoustic Calibration reproduces test tones that are recorded by a seated viewer through the microphone on the remote control. After that, the sound automatically adapts to the spatial conditions. After calibration, the sound may become deeper and sound more natural.
In any case, this will be enough to watch TV. But this is not enough for lovers of home theater or music viewing. Multi-channel audio requires an external sound system.
Image quality
The KD-65X85L TV has almost everything you need for a good picture in this price range. It features a variable frequency panel from 40 to 120 Hz for quality images and smooth movements, FALD local dimming for quality blacks, and a Triluminos Pro display with nanoparticles for flawless and vibrant colors.
But this is not all the benefits. The 65X85L has the peak brightness needed to play HDR movies in HDR10 and dynamic Dolby Vision . When watching HDR content from most streaming services, you will notice a noticeable improvement over the SDR standard.
Even in the darkest scenes, image detail appears that is usually hidden in the traditional SDR version. The effect of spatial depth also increases markedly. Peak brightness of around 740 candelas per square meter limits the display to only the brightest lighting effects such as explosions and blindingly bright sunbeams.
But the overall impression is very convincing. As far as contrast goes, the X85L really does look black, not just dark grey. This is because the TV is equipped with a VA matrix , FALD local dimming and Quantum Dot Triluminos Pro 4K technology.
It is also worth noting that the TVs of this company have always been famous for their excellent scaling. On the Sony KD-65X85L TV screen, not only high-definition 4K movies, but also ordinary TV programs are clearly viewed. However, it is better to give preference to HD channels.
The 4K HDR X1 image processor has its own issues with low resolution SD content. When viewing such content, you can sometimes observe blurry edges on the screen and other artifacts. In addition to scaling, Sony has always been famous for processing dynamic scenes. Such scenes can be seen especially in sports broadcasts such as football matches and motorsports.
Despite the built-in VA matrix, the Sony 65X85L TV has relatively good viewing angles. If anything, they are much wider than entry-level VA TVs. Colors and brightness remain stable not only when viewed from the center and when deviated more than 40° from the center. In general, the image quality can be called very good.
Connections
Equipping the Sony X85L TV with various connections can be called quite modern. With a total of 4 HDMI inputs, the TV offers enough options for a Blu-ray player, set-top box, and game console such as the Sony PlayStation5 .
The latest HDMI 2.1 standard with 4K@120Hz, VRR and ALL is supported by two of the four ports. The manufacturer even thought of an analog composite input. Thus, it is possible to connect old game consoles or VCRs without detours.
Also pleased with the presence of a 3.5 mm jack for linear connection of headphones. Wireless communication is represented by Bluetooth v. 4.2 and Wi-Fi 5. In addition to all of the above, there are two USB connectors, antenna inputs, an Ethernet port, an optical digital output and a CI + 1.4 slot for paying channels on board.
Conclusion
The series in question is a top-tier model in the middle class, second only to TVs with Mini-LED technology . The X85L has just about everything you need for good image quality. With local dimming, variable frequency up to 120Hz and high peak brightness, the Sony Bravia X85L TV delivers impressive HDR images.
The hardware with Google TV, voice control and fast triple tuner is also state of the art. For the vast majority of users, this TV leaves nothing to be desired.
Sony X85L Specifications:
| Brand | Sony |
| Series | X85K |
| Line / variants | KD-55X85K, KD-65X85K, KD-75X85K |
| Image | |
| Standard | Ultra HD (UHD) / 4K |
| Matrix type | VA |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Permission | 3840 x 2160 |
| Matrix bit depth | 8 bit + FRC |
| Backlight | Direct LED (FALD) |
| Brightness | 500 (740) nits |
| Update frequency | 40 to 120 Hz |
| Input lag | 4 .. 11 ms (19 ms input lag) |
| HDR standards | HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG |
| 3D / Up-Scaling | No Yes |
| Video | |
| Standard TV tuner (analog) | NTSC, PAL, SECAM |
| Standard TV tuner (digital) | DVB-T/T2, C, S/S2 |
| Video codecs | AVI, DivX, H.263, H.264, H.265, MKV, QuickTime, M2TS, MP4, WebM, WMV, XvidVP8, VP9, VOB, VRO, WebM, WMV, AV1 |
| Connections | |
| HDMI | 2 x HDMI 2.0 (ARC; CEC) + 2 x HDMI 2.1 (ALLM, VRR) |
| USB | 2 x USB |
| Reception of TV signals | 1 x RF (air/satellite antenna) |
| WiFi | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Audio output | Optical (audio), 3.5 mm |
| Internet | Ethernet RJ-45 / LAN |
| Additionally | Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.2, RCA input |
| Sound | |
| Power | 2 x 10W |
| System | 2.0CH |
| Support | Bass refex speaker, X-Balanced speaker, DTS Digital Surround, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio, Room Compensation |
| Smart TV | |
| OS | Google TV |
| CPU | 4K HDR Processor X1 |
| SoC | ARM Cortex-A73 |
| Voice assistant | Google Assistant Alexa |
| Memory | 4 / 16 GB |
| Remote controller | Voice remote control |
| Other | |
| VESA 300 x 300 mm (65″) | |
| *some parameters may require clarification |
