If you're on the lookout for a 55-inch TV and are primarily concerned about price, then the LG G5 for £1499 or the Samsung S95F for £1499 are well worth a look. Both are five-star performers with flagship features.

But, if you can eke out £200 more from your budget, then we think you should get the Sony Bravia 8 II for £1699 at Richer Sounds.

We loved it so much that we awarded it top spot in our best OLED TVs guide, as well as a much-coveted What Hi-Fi? Award. We think it's worth every single penny.

At first glance, it might look like Richer Sounds is selling it for £1799, but if you add it to your basket and enter the code 'RSTV100' at checkout, you will get the extra £100 off.

The 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II is what we've called "one of the very best TVs that money can buy". And luckily, with £800 off the launch price, it's a lot more affordable.

In our full review, we said, "The Sony Bravia 8 II is a truly exceptional TV. Its combination of sizzling brightness, vibrant colours through all degrees of light, terrific shadow detail and razor-like sharpness combine to produce an image with regularly astonishing dynamism, depth and realism."

The latest QD-OLED panel combined with Sony's processing and custom heatsink results in the Bravia 8 II being able to go 25 per cent brighter than its A95 QD-OLED predecessor in terms of peak brightness.

This is such a vibrant TV, in fact, that it dazzles with colourful content, such as the Spider-verse movies, while still delivering a supremely authentic picture. And it's easy to use, thanks to Sony's presets like Dolby Vision Dark, which we recommend for Dolby Vision content, or Professional for pretty much everything else.

What's even more impressive is how all of these elements combine with Sony's new AI processing to make the image look so much more solid and three-dimensional.

Sony has done amazing work on dark gradation, too, which simply means there's more shadow detail and ensures the finest elements of dark screens aren't lost.

All this led our expert testers to say: "Overall, the key to the Bravia 8 II’s success is balance. The colours are so vibrant, highlights so bright and edges so sharp, but nothing feels exaggerated or incorrect, which means you never feel as though you’re getting anything other than the very best versions of your movies and TV shows."

Sonically, the Bravia 8 II is also one of the best-sounding TVs we've tested, and that's thanks to the same Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup as the A95L, combining directness with impressive spaciousness.

Our TV & AV editor still recommends adding a dedicated sound system, something like the Sonos Arc Ultra, for example. But, if you're happy to stick with what the Sony Bravia 8 II has to offer, it's more than good enough for basic viewing.

Feature-wise, it's packed out. Of course, the QD-OLED panel is the top tier, but there's also support for Dolby Vision and Atmos, as well as being IMAX Enhanced certified. The standard HDR10 and HLG HDR formats are also on board.

If you're a gamer, while it supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM with a Dolby Vision Game mode, there are only two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets, and one of those doubles as an eARC port. For multiple devices, you're going to have to switch up cables.

Regardless, this is a phenomenal TV at a phenomenal price – just £1699 at Richer Sounds with code, which is seriously hard to argue with.

MORE:

Read our full 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II review

Our pick of the best 55-inch TVs

We rate the best gaming TVs available right now

A new LG G series TV is always big news, so we were excited to get our hands on the LG G6 for review. It's a big moment for the range. Despite earning five stars in our review, last year's G5 was a little disappointing, finishing in last place in our big four OLED shootout. Hence we were keen to see how this year's model fared.

Of course we never test in isolation – throughout all our reviews, we keep the product's main rivals front of mind. So while the G6 impressed in our review, we're now pitting it against possibly its fiercest rival – the Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II.

Game on.

LG G6 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: price

The good news is that both the LG G6 and Sony Bravia 8 II are cheaper than their predecessors. But for the new models, there's not much between them.

As you can see, there's no clear winner. At the only sizes in which both TVs are available (55 and 65 inches), the LG is cheaper or the same price in the UK and US, but the Sony is cheaper in Australia.

However, these are launch prices, and the Sony has been available for a few months already, whereas the LG is brand new. But in a further twist, LG's TVs usually see bigger discounts than most rivals, and sooner after launch. So we would expect the LG to be cheaper across the board pretty soon.

** Winner: Draw **

LG G6 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: design

Both TVs look very similar to their predecessors, but then no recent TV has been a massive departure in the design department.

The G6 is designed to be hung on a wall with the Zero Gap wall mount, though you can buy it with a stand as well. It does still look like a picture frame, and while it's something we've seen many times before, it is well made and unobtrusive.

The stand has two height options to accommodate a soundbar, but the remote could do with some updating: it's plasticky and lacks backlighting and USB-C recharging, both of which we expect at this level.

The Sony Bravia 8 II looks quite conventional, and while it's slim for a Sony, it is still thicker than a lot of its rivals. Though unlike them, it does have an actuator-based sound system built in, which creates some pretty great audio.

Its blade-style feet can only sit at the extremities of the TV's bottom edge, so you'll need a surface wide enough to accommodate the set. Measure up before you buy.

Like the G6, these feet can also extend to fit in a soundbar without obstructing the screen. Also like the G6, the Bravia 8 II's remote control also lacks a backlight and the ability to recharge. Disappointing.

** Winner: Draw **

LG G6 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: features

The G6 has the same Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel as its predecessor. This screen tech aims for higher brightness levels (both peak and overall) without sacrificing colour volume and accuracy even during low-light scenes. But this year's model promises to reduce reflections to less than 0.5 per cent, making for better viewing in sunny conditions.

LG's Alpha 11 Gen 3 AI processor brings some improvements, like 20 per cent higher peak brightness, along with better colour accuracy, upscaling, motion handling and tone mapping.

Audio processing has also been given a boost, and the TV has Dolby Atmos FlexConnect functionality for more advanced audio skills. Though there's no Dolby Vision 2 HDR tech (you do get Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG).

LG's webOS 26 platform supports all the major streaming services in their optimum versions, and the G6 continues LG's run as a maker of TVs with peerless gaming specs: you get four HDMI 2.1 inputs offering up to 4K/165Hz gameplay with VRR and ALLM, and Dolby Vision Gaming HDR supported.

There are also more game-streaming features to play with, including a new low-latency interface and a dedicated controller developed with Razer (though this costs extra).

Phew. So how does the Sony compare?

It has Sony's 'latest QD-OLED panel’ which helps the set outdo its predecessor by 25 per cent in terms of peak brightness. It also means higher colour volume and better dark gradation.

Sony's XR Processor uses AI to analyse the scene and optimise the picture accordingly, and it has bespoke calibrated modes for the Netflix, Prime Video and Sony Pictures Core streaming services.

You get the same roster of HDR formats as the G6 (with no Dolby Vision 2 or HDR10+), along with Atmos sound (though there's no Atmos FlexConnect). The Bravia 8 II is also certified as IMAX Enhanced, whereas the LG G6 is not.

Gamers get 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, a Dolby Vision Game mode and the ‘Perfect for PlayStation 5’ functionality. But it only has two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets, one of which doubles as the eARC port. Which could leave some gamers with a separate sound system and more than one console wanting.

Google TV goes toe-to-toe with webOS on the app front, though we do find LG's platform a little slicker. That and the extra gaming chops gives this round to LG.

** Winner: LG G6 **

LG G6 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: picture

Of course this what we really came to see: which TV has the better picture quality?

The G6 impresses from the off, with its bright colours and oodles of dark detail in the murkier bits of the picture.

"Running our tried and true Civil War 4K Blu-ray, the entire screen burns brighter than any previous OLED we've tested, with the American countryside scene offering palpably higher peaks and more vibrant colours," we wrote in our LG G6 review.

"Dark parts of the surrounding foliage offer more detail, too, with every leaf and twig looking sharper and clearly visible."

The image is brighter and more eye-catching, though not necessarily more lifelike. And it does have its issues. A helicopter's flight seems a little too smooth. The extra brightness comes at the expense of some richness, sacrificing some subtle colour gradients and flattening the image somewhat. Even Filmmaker Mode can't eliminate this last issue entirely. And some colour saturation remains, especially with the greens.

Watching Sinners, we see that skin tones have a slight green tinge to them, and we find that darkest parts of the image don't quite go dark enough – they tend to look slightly grey.

The Award-winning Bravia 8 II fares better, improving on its predecessor without introducing any new issues.

While we spent quite a while tinkering with the G6's settings to get it looking its best, the Bravia 8 II is far more easy-going. For authenticity, pick Dolby Vision Dark for Dolby Vision content. For everything else, opt for Professional.

You can tweak further, but it's a case of marginal gains, and most people won't think it worth the effort.

Its picture is superb. Watching Alien: Romulus in Dolby Vision, we see brighter peak highlights with more vibrancy in the colours. "Colours maintain their natural vibrancy in low-light areas, too, such as the bunk in which Cailee Spaeny’s Rain awakens for another glorious day in the employ of the Weyland Yutani corporation," we wrote in our Sony Bravia 8 II review.

The level of shadow detail is impressive, and these elements combine with Sony's AI processing to make the image more solid and three-dimensional. Sinners has none of the skin tone issues we see with the LG G6, and the darkest parts of the picture are dark enough to really have an impact.

Civil War might not look quite as bright as on the G6, but it still looks crisp and vibrant in HDR10 – its flawless reproduction brings out the finest details of skin textures, really adding to the viewing experience.

With the G6, you face a choice between the blackest blacks and a healthy level of dark detail. But the Bravia 8 II gets the balance just right.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 8 II **

LG G6 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: sound

LG's OLEDs haven't impressed us in the audio department, but the G6 is an improvement.

It's notably fuller and more robust-sounding than its predecessors, with plucked guitar strings from a scene in Sinners having some bass, while Preacher Boy's wailing vocals are "nicely audible and separate from background noise", we noted in our review.

There's a decent sense of directionality to the sound, but the low end lacks power, and there's not enough precision. This lack of low-end composure is more evident with Blade Runner 2049, whose synth soundtrack sounds more like a child blowing a raspberry.

The Bravia 8 II is in a different league when it comes to audio. Its Acoustic Surface Audio+ system uses two actuators and two subwoofers to vibrate the screen and place the sound relevant to the picture. It's precise, spacious, and ties in beautifully with what's on screen. To cap it all, it packs bags of detail too, and plenty of dynamic nuance.

It copes much better with Blade Runner 2049's soundtrack than the G6 does, going low and staying composed. It can't match one of the best soundbars for overall impact, but you'll have to spend a decent amount of money to hear a notable improvement on its own sonic skills.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 8 II **

LG G6 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: verdict

There's only one winner here. The Bravia 8 II has a more balanced, better executed picture and a more precise, more spacious sound. The G6 certainly isn't without its charms – its picture has plenty of pop, and it's still the best TV around for gamers. But cinephiles will be better served by the Sony Bravia 8 II.

** Overall winner: Sony Bravia 8 II **

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This week, after over a year of waiting, we finally have a key bit of home cinema hardware in our viewing rooms, ready for testing.

Specifically, we’ve got the Hisense UR9, and are going to start our gruelling comparative testing process in mere hours.

Why’s that a big deal?

Hisense has a strong track record for delivering excellent-value hardware, and is responsible for some of the best UST and affordable projectors available right now. But its recent flagship TVs have generally been overshadowed by OLEDs and TCL-made rivals in the past year.

But, if you still don't get why we’re making such a big deal about the UR9, it's pretty simple This is the first TV we’ve got in for testing featuring RGB Mini LED panel technology.

This is a next-generation panel technology we first saw at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last year. It’s set to be used by numerous companies, including Hisense (obviously), Sony, Samsung, Philips, TCL and more.

Though, annoyingly, they all have their own name for and a slightly different spin on the panel tech, the fundamental idea is a simple one: improve picture quality by creating colours using independent diodes made up of individual red, green and blue LEDs that feed directly into an optical lens behind the LCD panel.

This is a very different approach to Mini LED, which creates colours by passing blue LED light through a QDEF (Quantum Dot Enhancement Film) sitting between the backlight and LED panel.

The theory is that the changed approach will let RGB Mini LED offer better colour accuracy, wider gamut coverage, improved brightness (resulting in improved contrast) and more.

In fact, the companies betting on the tech are so confident that the words “OLED-killer” have been muttered numerous times at the various demos we’ve had. This includes our look at Sony’s latest prototype last month.

And with the UR9 costing the same as a flagship OLED, it’s clear Hisense really thinks it can go toe-to-toe with our current top dog for picture quality in the TV market. But, will it actually deliver in the real world? After all, we heard the same inflated boasts about base Mini LED when it first came out many moons ago.

We’re going to find out, as we’re set to run it head-to-head with our current Product of the Year winner in the What Hi-Fi? Awards TV category, the Sony Bravia 8 II – a set our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, openly described as “the best OLED he’s ever tested” when we reviewed it.

We’ll be doing all our standard checks to see if the new, ultimately still backlit, Hisense can actually deliver a five-star OLED-beating performance, using our ever-expanding suite of test discs to check everything from peak brightness and black level to colour accuracy.

But, as ever, we want to get you, our awesome cinephile readers, involved. Do you have any questions about the UR9 or RGB Mini LED in general? Let us know in the comments section of this page, and we’ll endeavour to answer them while we have the set in our viewing rooms.

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When it comes to the best TVs we've ever tested, there's one set that stands out from the rest with top overall pick, a five-star review, and a What Hi-Fi? Award to boot – and that's the Sony Bravia 8 II.

While it would've once set you back £2499, how about £850 off? That's right, the 55-inch model can be yours for just £1649 at Richer Sounds. It's not quite the lowest price we've ever seen, dropping to £1619 just before Christmas, but it's not far off.

All you have to do to secure this tempting price is enter 'RSTV150' at checkout. It's as simple as that!

Fortunately, when we tested the Sony Bravia 8 II, it was the 55-inch model that we got hands on with and in a Daft Punk-inspired verdict, we called it: "Better, brighter, sharper, cheaper," than its predecessor, the also awesome A95L.

And with that praise, it shouldn't be all that surprising that the Bravia 8 II was awarded TV Product of the Year at the 2025 What Hi-Fi? Awards.

With a QD-OLED panel combined with Sony's processing and custom heatsink, this model is capable of going 25 per cent brighter than the A95L. Plus, with increased brightness comes increased colour reproduction and superior shadow detail through Sony's XR Processor, which features a new AI scene recognition system.

And when it comes to picture performance, our expert testers said: "The Sony Bravia 8 II is a truly exceptional TV. Its combination of sizzling brightness, vibrant colours through all degrees of light, terrific shadow detail and razor-like sharpness combine to produce an image with regularly astonishing dynamism, depth and realism."

Feature-wise, it's packed out. There's full support onboard for Dolby Vision and Atmos, and it's also IMAX Enhanced certified. As with all previous Sony TVs, it does not support HDR10+, but the standard HDR10 and HLG HDR formats are still there.

For gamers, it's quite the offering with the TV supporting 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. Plus, a Dolby Vision Game mode, as well as the ‘Perfect for PlayStation 5’ functionality, which automatically dials into pretty accurate HDR settings when connected to a PS5.

There's a minor caveat worth mentioning, though. The Bravia 8 II only has two HDMI 2.1 inputs (plus two standard HDMIs) with one of those 2.1 inputs doubling as the eARC port.

On the sound front, the Bravia 8 II has the same Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup as the A95L, with two actuators vibrating the screen itself for sound reproduction, and two subwoofers providing bass support. This led us to say in our full review: "In short, the Bravia 8 II sounds very similar to the A95L, which means it’s one of the best-sounding TVs you can buy.

"We still believe that a picture as good as this demands to be partnered by a dedicated sound system, but this is one of those rare TVs that won’t instantly be improved through the addition of a cheap soundbar."

For those seeking exceptional picture quality with minimal setup effort and outstanding (by TV standards) built-in sound, the Sony Bravia 8 II is sure to impress. And with £850 off at Richer Sounds, it's a hard bargain to pass up.

MORE:

Read our full Sony Bravia 8 II review

Check out the best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

And we rank the best soundbars on the market right now

Award-winning, five-stars and our TV editor's favourite OLED? There's a lot of reasons to love the Sony Bravia 8 II and we're about to reveal one more – a discount price.

Right now, the 55-inch model can be yours for just £1739 at Richer Sounds. And while it's not the lowest price we've ever seen, dropping to just £1619 right before Christmas, it's still a fantastic deal.

At first look, it'll seem like £1799, but by using 'RSTV60' at checkout, you'll secure that extra saving.

The Sony Bravia 8 II is the brighter, sharper and cheaper successor to the awesome A95L. And with those credentials, it shouldn't be all that surprising that the Bravia 8 II was awarded TV Product of the Year at the 2025 What Hi-Fi? Awards.

With a QD-OLED panel combined with Sony's processing and custom heatsink, this model is capable of going 25 per cent brighter than the A95L. Plus, with increased brightness comes increased colour volume.

And when it comes to picture in general, our expert testers said: "The Sony Bravia 8 II is a truly exceptional TV. Its combination of sizzling brightness, vibrant colours through all degrees of light, terrific shadow detail and razor-like sharpness combine to produce an image with regularly astonishing dynamism, depth and realism."

And behind-the-scenes, the Sony Bravia 8 II is powered by Sony's XR Processor, which, like every rival TV processor right now, uses AI, which apparently 'detects and analyses data with flawless accuracy, then optimises the picture for ultimate realism.'

Feature-wise, it's packed out. Support is onboard for Dolby Vision and Atmos, and it's also IMAX Enhanced certified. As with all previous Sony TVs, it does not support HDR10+, but the standard HDR10 and HLG HDR formats are still there.

For gamers, the TV supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, and it has a Dolby Vision Game mode, as well as the ‘Perfect for PlayStation 5’ functionality, which automatically dials into pretty accurate HDR settings when connected to a PS5.

There's a minor caution worth mentioning, though. The Bravia 8 II only has two HDMI 2.1 inputs (plus two standard HDMIs) with one of those 2.1 inputs doubling as the eARC port.

Sonically, the Bravia 8 II has the same Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup as the A95L, with two actuators and two subwoofers. This led us to say in our full review: "In short, the Bravia 8 II sounds very similar to the A95L, which means it’s one of the best-sounding TVs you can buy.

"We still believe that a picture as good as this demands to be partnered by a dedicated sound system, but this is one of those rare TVs that won’t instantly be improved through the addition of a cheap soundbar."

And to pick up something along the lines of the Sonos Arc Ultra, the £760 discount at Richer Sounds is sure to sweeten the deal.

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These are the best OLED TVs we've tested

We rank the best soundbars

Our picks of the best 65-inch TVs

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the Sony Bravia 8 II. It did, after all, take home the TV Product of the Year gong from the most recent What Hi-Fi? Awards.

To win that prize, Sony’s flagship OLED set had to defeat not only the Samsung S95F, with which it shares its QD-OLED panel, but also the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B, which both feature cutting-edge Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel technology.

All four of those TVs are utterly awesome, so for the Bravia to come out on top was quite the achievement.

But there was one rival that didn’t make it in time for our Awards-deciding flagship OLED shootout – the Philips OLED910.

This features the same super-bright Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel tech as the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B, but it combines it with super-sexy European styling, a B&W sound system, dazzling Ambilight and super-aggressive pricing.

So, is all of that enough to unseat our current Award-winner? We directly compared these two flagship sets over several days, using all of our favourite discs and streams, to find out.

Spoiler alert: it’s a mighty close contest.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Pricing

Philips went super-aggressive with the OLED910’s launch pricing, releasing it to the market for £2199 at 65 inches and £3399 at 77 inches.

Even though rival sets, including the Bravia 8 II, had been on sale a while and been discounted, the OLED910 was cheaper out of the gate.

It’s dropped in price now, too, with the 65-inch model currently available for £1799, and the 77-inch version for £2799.

The Bravia 8 II has been further discounted, too, but the 65-inch model still currently costs £2199. There’s no 77-inch version, but unlike the Philips, there is a 55 incher, which is £1799 at the time of writing.

So, in the 65-inch size in which both sets are available (and which we directly compared), there’s a big £400 price difference. That’s extremely hard to ignore, and means the OLED910 takes first blood in this face-off.

WINNER: Philips OLED910

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Design

The Sony Bravia 8 II is a smart-looking TV, but it’s barely any different in appearance to the preceding A95L, which launched back in 2023. A design refresh to match the ambitious performance upgrade would have been nice.

Still, this is a very purposeful-looking, monolithic TV that looks particularly neat when the feet are installed at their default low–profile setting, which keeps the bottom edge of the TV within about a millimetre of the surface upon which it’s placed.

Those feet can alternatively be installed in a taller setting that creates a gap of a few centimetres between TV and furniture, into which you can slot a soundbar.

The Bravia 8 II does, of course, have an integrated sound system (a good one at that), but thanks to the technology it uses, it’s completely invisible from the front, contributing further to the stylishly clean appearance of the TV.

The Philips OLED910 is a very different aesthetic proposition. The integrated sound system includes front-facing speakers, but these are incorporated into a slim bar that’s wrapped in grey Kvadrat fabric and has nicely rounded corners, giving the set a softer, more appealing appearance.

Like the Sony, the Philips OLED910 has feet rather than a pedestal, but these feet are installed further towards the centre of the bottom edge of the TV, rather than the furthest points as they are on the Bravia 8 II. In other words, while the Sony can only be placed on top of furniture that’s at least as wide as the TV, the Philips will be happy on something narrower.

And, unlike the Sony, which has a fairly uniform thickness of about 3.4cm, the Philips combines its fairly chunky 5.6cm section with super-thin panel sections at the sides and top of the chassis. To our eyes, that makes it more visually striking, but beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder.

On that note, we have to mention Ambilight here. This is Philips’s unique bias lighting system, which features coloured LEDs around four sides of the OLED910’s rear. These can dynamically extend the on-screen image onto the wall around the TV in the form of coloured light.

Ambilight isn’t for everyone and isn’t a bonus for all content, but it does look spectacular, and for bright, colourful movies and games, it can really add something special.

All told, while the Bravia 8 II’s monolithic styling will certainly appeal to many, the OLED910’s softer, more living room-friendly appearance and (at least occasionally) thrilling Ambilight mean it wins this round.

WINNER: Philips OLED910

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Features

On paper, the Sony Bravia 8 II and Philips OLED910 take notably different approaches.

The Bravia 8 II uses Samsung Display’s latest QD-OLED panel, paired with a custom heatsink and the XR processor. Sony claims this enables a 25 per cent brightness increase over the preceding A95L and a 50 per cent uplift over the Bravia 8 W-OLED, alongside improved colour volume and better dark gradation.

Philips, meanwhile, has stuck with LG Display technology but upgraded from MLA to Primary RGB Tandem OLED. Philips quotes eye-catching brightness figures of up to 3700 nits for small highlights and 350 nits full-screen – numbers that should translate into a more dynamic image than the preceding OLED909, even in restrained picture modes.

Processing is a major talking point for both sets. Sony’s XR Processor introduces a new AI scene recognition system, which analyses content in real time and adjusts picture parameters for greater realism.

Philips counters with its 9th Gen P5 AI Engine – a powerful processor packed with features including Machine Learn Sharpness, AI Smart Bit Enhancement and AI Perfect Reality, all designed to optimise sharpness, colour and contrast depending on what’s on screen.

HDR support is one area where Philips holds a clear advantage.

The OLED910 supports all four HDR formats: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The Bravia 8 II, meanwhile, supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but, as ever with Sony, HDR10+ is not supported.

The Sony does, however, boast IMAX Enhanced certification, and leans heavily into its Studio Calibrated Modes, with dedicated Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Sony Pictures Core presets designed to present content as the creators intended.

On the subject of Sony Pictures Core, the Bravia 8 II also comes with credits that can be used to ‘buy’ movies from Sony’s exclusive streaming service, which delivers content in almost 4K Blu-ray quality.

Gaming support is broadly similar. Both TVs offer 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM and a Dolby Vision game mode, though the Philips also supports 4K/144Hz, which will appeal to hardcore PC gamers with super-serious rigs (current consoles can’t go beyond 120Hz).

Frustratingly, both sets are limited to two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which doubles as the eARC socket, potentially leaving just a single 4K/120Hz input once a soundbar is connected.

Sony adds its ‘Perfect for PlayStation 5’ features, but these are a little less grand than they sound – only the HDR Auto Tone Mapping does something beyond the capabilities of other sets, such as the OLED910, and while this is useful for getting a fairly accurate HDR performance out of most PS5 games, it isn’t quite 100 per cent accurate.

Both TVs use the Google TV smart platform, which is pretty good these days, but while Sony has sought to fill in Google TV’s terrestrial catch-up app gaps through the addition of YouView, the Philips OLED910 is missing BBC iPlayer.

We’re not going to factor the two different OLED panel technologies into the round, as it’s the actual picture performance that matters, and we’ll cover that in the next section. That leaves the two TVs fairly evenly matched on the features front: the Philips has HDR10+ and 4K/144Hz support, but the Sony has IMAX Enhanced, Sony Pictures Core, and the BBC iPlayer.

Ultimately, we’re calling this a draw, but you can call it a win for one or the other TV based on which of those feature differences matters to you.

WINNER: draw

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Picture quality

Both the Sony Bravia 8 II and Philips OLED910 deliver genuinely excellent pictures, but when viewed side by side, it becomes clear that they prioritise slightly different strengths.

The Bravia 8 II sets the benchmark for balance and effortlessness. Straight out of the box, its core presets – Dolby Vision Dark and Professional – deliver a beautifully judged image with no need for tweaking.

Peak highlights are brighter and more piercing than those of Sony’s previous OLEDs, colours are richer without exaggeration, and improvements to dark gradation reveal noticeably more shadow detail.

Crucially, all of this combines to create an image with exceptional solidity and three-dimensionality: objects have weight, people feel rounded and lifelike, and backgrounds possess genuine depth.

That sense of realism holds across all content types. HDR movies benefit from punchy highlights and immaculate tone mapping, animation bursts with colour without tipping into garishness, and even standard-definition material is upscaled with impressive cleanliness, sharpness and restraint.

Nothing ever feels forced or over-processed, and the Bravia 8 II consistently presents content in a way that feels authentic and natural.

The OLED910, by contrast, can take more work to get right, but rewards that effort with a thrilling, high-impact image.

Once switched into HDR Filmmaker Mode and properly dialled in, it delivers bright, punchy HDR with excellent sharpness, fluid motion and a strong sense of vibrancy.

OLED’s perfect blacks are paired with strong shadow detail and consistent colours in dark scenes, and motion handling is a particular highlight, striking a rare balance between smoothness and cinematic integrity. In fact, we’d go as far as to say it’s a match for the Sony in terms of motion processing – something we absolutely hadn’t anticipated.

Where the Philips falls slightly short of the Sony is in absolute accuracy and subtlety. Reds can occasionally appear a touch over-emphasised, particularly in skin tones, and while this is rarely obvious in isolation, it becomes more apparent when compared directly with the Bravia 8 II’s more natural colour handling.

In HDR10 content, the OLED910 gets impressively close to the Sony overall, but the Bravia has the edge in terms of contrast control, three-dimensionality and overall image cohesion.

Dolby Vision performance on the Philips is excellent in Filmmaker Mode, though blacks can appear slightly raised in very dark scenes – again, something that’s most noticeable next to the Sony.

SDR content, meanwhile, is significantly over-brightened in all picture modes. It looks great, with oodles of punch, but having at least one preset that tracks SDR brightness accurately would have been nice.

Ultimately, the OLED910 is a superb picture performer and one of the closest challengers to Sony’s flagship. But the Bravia 8 II remains the reference, delivering a more natural, solid and consistently cinematic image across all formats, with less effort required from the viewer.

WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Sound quality

Both the Sony Bravia 8 II and Philips OLED910 rank among the very best-sounding TVs available, but they go about their audio delivery in notably different ways – and in this case, the Philips ultimately comes out on top.

The Bravia 8 II uses Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ system, with actuators vibrating the screen itself to produce sound, supported by twin subwoofers.

This creates an unusually strong sense of cohesion between picture and sound, with voices and effects locked precisely to their on-screen positions. Dialogue is clear, detailed and warm, and there’s enough dynamic subtlety to convey emotional nuance in performances, as well as enough punch to handle larger shifts without flattening out.

Spaciousness is also impressive by TV standards. Effects stretch well beyond the edges of the screen, creating a soundstage that feels wider and more immersive than most integrated systems can manage.

Bass depth isn’t class-leading, but it’s controlled and weighty enough to underpin action scenes convincingly, without unwanted distortion or boom. Overall tonal balance is excellent, making the Bravia 8 II one of those rare TVs that doesn’t immediately demand the addition of a budget soundbar.

The OLED910, though, raises the bar further. Its Bowers & Wilkins-tuned 3.1-channel system delivers a sound that’s bigger, weightier and more room-filling than the Sony’s, with excellent width, precise effect placement and impressive dynamic range.

Dolby Atmos soundtracks are handled with confidence, producing a convincing sense of scale and height, particularly when the Entertainment mode is engaged.

Low-level detail is a real strength, with subtle background sounds and musical elements placed clearly and naturally, while dialogue remains full-bodied and expressive. Dynamics are handled with assurance, too, from quiet conversational moments to louder, more demanding sequences.

Deep bass is a touch soft, but crucially remains clean and distortion-free – and there’s much more of it from the Philips than there is from the Sony. Compared directly, the Philips sounds more powerful, more immersive and more expansive than the Sony.

While both TVs will still benefit from the addition of a dedicated sound system, the OLED910 noses ahead if you’re determined not to go down that route. If you are prepared to add discrete sound, you need to be looking at something on the level of a Sonos Arc Ultra before you’ll hear a clearly worthwhile improvement on either TV.

In short, the Bravia 8 II delivers excellent, finely balanced sound with superb picture-to-audio cohesion, but the OLED910 sets a new benchmark for built-in TV audio at this level, edging ahead as the best-sounding TV of the two.

WINNER: Philips OLED910

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Philips OLED910: Verdict

This is one of the closest TV head-to-head battles we’ve seen in some time, and the fact that the Philips OLED910 gets so close to the Sony Bravia 8 II is a huge achievement – particularly given its lower price, more adventurous design and genuinely outstanding built-in sound.

The OLED910 wins convincingly on value, and edges the Sony on design flair and audio performance. It also delivers a thrilling, high-impact picture once properly set up.

If you want a premium OLED that looks and sounds spectacular, and you’re keen to avoid adding a separate sound system, the Philips makes a hugely compelling case.

But picture quality remains the deciding factor – and here, the Bravia 8 II still stands apart.

Its image is more natural, more consistent and more three-dimensional across all formats, with none of the small compromises that occasionally creep into the Philips’s delivery.

Just as importantly, it achieves this with less effort from the user, delivering reference-level results straight out of the box.

That combination of accuracy, balance and cinematic realism is why the Bravia 8 II earned its Product of the Year crown – and why it keeps it here.

The OLED910 pushes it harder than almost any rival we’ve tested, but when it comes to the overall best TV you can buy right now, Sony’s flagship remains the one to beat.

OVERALL WINNER: Sony Bravia 8 II

The Philips OLED910 really surprised me when I tested it right at the tail end of last year.

It's a TV that combines the latest and brightest Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel technology with a Bowers & Wilkins sound system, great styling, and delightful Ambilight.

It's the best-sounding TV you can buy right now, and it gets close to the awesome Sony Bravia 8 II for picture quality, all while costing a lot less.

In fact, not only did the OLED910 launch for significantly less than rivals such as the Bravia 8 II, LG G5 and Samsung S95F, but it's been discounted further, too, so you can now pick up the 65-inch model for just £1699 at Richer Sounds.

That's almost £300 less than the equivalent Bravia 8 II, which is currently £1979 at Richer Sounds.

Right out of the box, the OLED910 looks and feels like a high-end television: a slim, elegant screen framed by a clean, understated design, and finished off with Philips’ signature four-sided Ambilight.

This isn’t a gimmick – the ambient lighting genuinely enhances immersion, framing movies and games with dynamic light that dances with the action on screen. It's not necessary for all content, but with bright, colourful movies and games, it's stunning.

Under the hood, Philips has chosen a Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel (the same panel that's found in the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B) and its P5 AI processor, giving you bright, vivid images with punchy highlights and rich shadow detail.

Unlike the LG G5, Samsung S95F and Sony Bravia 8 II, the OLED910 also supports all major HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, so you’re set up for the best possible streaming, disc and gaming content.

One of the OLED910’s standout features is its built-in Bowers & Wilkins 3.1-channel sound system. By TV standards, this is exceptional: full, detailed, and spacious enough to fill a room.

A premium soundbar such as the Sonos Arc Ultra will sound even better, but if you're determined to stick with your new TV's built-in speakers, the OLED910 is the best-sounding model you can buy right now.

There are a couple of small compromises – slightly raised blacks in Dolby Vision, over-brightened SDR and just two full-fat HDMI 2.1 ports – but these are minor caveats given the overall package.

At this price, you’re getting a super-premium OLED picture, class-leading integrated audio and a stylish, feature-rich package – making the OLED910 arguably the best performance-per-pound flagship OLED available right now.

MORE:

Read the full Philips OLED910 review

And here's our Sony Bravia 8 II review

These are all of the best TVs you can buy right now, and the best TV deals

2025 has been a bumper year for reviews.

I’ve crunched the numbers, and we published more than 200 over the last 12 months, roughly half of which were in the TV/AV category that I look after.

I was involved in pretty much all of those TV and home cinema reviews, either as the primary tester or as one of the ‘second-lookers’ (we test as a team, so every review involves several What Hi-Fi? staffers).

Of those 100 or so products, these are the five that rocked my world the most.

(This would have been a list of eight, but I decided to set myself a rule of just one highlight per brand)

Sony Bravia 8 II

Yes, I know I’ve written about this magical OLED TV a lot, but it would be disingenuous for me to start this list with any other product.

This has been an incredible year for OLED TVs, with a whole new panel technology (Primary RGB Tandem OLED) stealing the early headlines, and the QD-OLED camp raising its game to compete. The result has been the closest, most competitive flagship OLED TV battle I can remember.

What’s interesting is that the Sony Bravia 8 II is, in terms of pure numbers, arguably the least impressive TV of the bunch, but it’s the best in real terms. It doesn’t go quite as bright in outright terms as its LG or Samsung rivals, and it doesn’t use its innate Quantum Dot-enhanced vibrancy to dazzle you with colours.

Instead, it uses the bright and colourful potential of the latest-gen QD-OLED panel to deliver even more natural and cinematically authentic picture quality.

This is just the most all-round appealing TV I’ve ever tested, with a balance of technical innovation and processing mastery that I don’t think will be beaten for a while.

Hisense AX5125H

One of the best things about this job is, of course, getting to test the latest super-premium kit, but there’s also a genuine thrill to discovering an incredible bargain – and that’s exactly what this is.

The Hisense AX5125H was just £249 when we tested it, and it can now be bought for an even lower price of £199. That’s about half the price of most decent entry-level solo Dolby Atmos soundbars, yet this is a Dolby Atmos soundbar with a wireless subwoofer and two wireless surrounds.

I don’t mind admitting that my expectations for the sound quality weren’t high, but as soon as I set the system up and ran the first movie through it, I knew we’d stumbled upon a budget beauty.

Whenever I would take a break from testing, I’d convince myself that the Hisense couldn’t be as good as I thought, but then I would return to it, put on another movie and be impressed all over again.

Without a doubt, this is the home cinema bargain of the year.

Epson EH-LS9000

While not a bargain in the way of the Hisense soundbar system above, the Epson EH-LS9000 is fantastic value for money, essentially redefining projector expectations at its price.

That price is £2999 / $3999 / AU$7299, which certainly isn’t a snip, but the LS9000 fully justifies the outlay with specs that include 4K (via pixel-shifting), a claimed brightness of 2200 lumens, substantial HDR support, and 4K/120Hz gaming, plus a performance closer to models in the category above.

The crisp, colourful and three-dimensional-feeling picture is such a joy that we took time out of our busy testing schedule to watch more movies and play more games on the Epson just for fun.

KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 Speaker System

I could (some would say “should”) be writing about the incredibly impressive, boundary-pushing XIO soundbar here, but I’m an absolute sucker for ‘traditional’ home cinema, and I just loved listening to KEF’s Q Concerto Meta speaker package this year.

It probably helped that Senior Staff Writer Lewis Empson led this review, so he had to do all of the heavy lifting and calibrating, whereas I just got to enjoy the performance.

And what a performance it is: the combination of rich warmth and crisp punch is intoxicating, and the seamlessness with which effects are passed around the room is hugely immersive.

We put this system together by picking different speakers from KEF’s range, but it’s now being offered as a complete package for significantly less than the £3146 at which we tested it.

TCL 98C7K

If I had the space, I would have bought the 98-inch TCL C7K already.

The C7K had already impressed us in 65-inch form when we wrestled the 98-inch version out of its box, but I really didn’t think that TCL’s step-down Mini LED tech would effectively stretch to this gargantuan size.

Oh, how wrong I was.

This TV is an absolute joy to watch, delivering blacks, brightness and colours that projectors can only dream of. Like TCL’s other 2025 models, it’s nicely tuned, too, delivering a satisfyingly authentic home cinema experience.

It’s also now available for under £2000. That’s unbelievable value for money. If 100 inches was my limit, I would absolutely buy this TCL TV over a projector.

With any deal event, whether it’s Black Friday or Cyber Monday, our review team doesn’t just have a duty to point you towards the best tech deals, but also to steer you away from savings that look pretty tempting on paper, but deep down, we just know there’s a better alternative elsewhere.

It might be the same price, or, if you’re lucky, even cheaper. Or, it might also be a tiny bit more expensive but we’d still recommend spending a tiny bit extra to get the added performance benefits that the product brings.

This is what I’ve done below. There are still plenty of tech deals ongoing for Cyber Monday but I’ve highlighted a handful which we think are worth avoiding because we have tested something that gives you more than just a low price to admire.

Stick with these alternative recommendations, and you won’t go wrong…

Don't buy… Amazon Echo Dot Max

On paper, the Echo Dot Max looks like a good upgrade on the 5th Gen Dot – bigger, twin driver units, and a new verison of Alexa. However, in our Echo Dot Max review, we felt that the Bluetooth speaker missed its mark completely, especially when it comes to sound quality. And this is why we think you should skip this model and go for the cheaper, smaller and older Echo Dot.

Buy this instead… Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)

Don't buy… Samsung QE65S95F

In our Samsung S95F review, we described it as “the best Samsung OLED” money can buy. Now, that's high praise in itself, but we can go one better than that with a TV that boasts even better picture quality for an even better price. Movie fans need look no further than the all-conquering Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch, which just edges out the Samsung on our wish list.

Buy this instead… Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch

Don't buy… Technics SC-CX700

We love the convenience of all-in-one hi-fi systems like the Technics. They squeeze streaming smarts, a range of useful inputs and amplification into a pair of speakers. All you need to do is add power. However, in our Technics SC-CX700 review, we were left feeling slightly disappointed by the user experience and the lack of refinement in the sound quality department. Which is why we recommend the KEF alternative below.

Buy this instead… KEF LS50 Wireless II

Don't buy… Sony ULT Field 3

You'd think Sony would be able to mix it with the very best with its Bluetooth speakers, but we didn't think that was the case here. In our Sony ULT Field 3 review, we were left a little disappointed, concluding, "There’s nothing particularly offensive about how the Sony ULT Field 3 sounds, but by the same token, there’s nothing really memorable about it." For sound quality, it's easily trumped by this quality JBL alternative.

Buy this instead… JBL Charge 6

Don't buy… Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

For the past few years, we think Bose has been neck-and-neck with Sony when it comes to the performance of its flagship noise-cancelling headphones. But following our time spent testing its latest model, it would appear there's now some daylight between the two. Our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review was generally positive, but this Sony alternative is clearly more musical-sounding and just provides a better overall experience. And they're cheaper.

Buy this instead… Sony WH-1000XM6

We always maintain a reference system for our home cinema reviews. It combines a selection of Award-winning products that act as benchmarks, allowing us to accurately assess the performance of whatever we may be reviewing.

It's a collection of premium home cinema devices, with equally premium price tags to match, but if you want a reference system in your home that matches ours, then Black Friday is the best time to buy the components.

• Browse all the best deals on Amazon

Every part of our reference setup has been discounted for this savings event, meaning you can save a hefty chunk of change if you do want to replicate our system.

Now, ours is admittedly over the top (would you expect anything less?) as we always have multiple TVs and a projector set up at all times, as well as both a surround sound speaker package and a soundbar.

You may not need both a TV/soundbar and a projector/speaker system, so feel free to pick and choose what suits you best. Either way, you're guaranteed to experience the ultimate cinematic performance from these products and save a boatload of cash too.

Our projector: Sony VPL-XW5000ES

Sony's entry-level native 4K laser projector is on a What Hi-Fi? Award-winning streak, scoring its fourth Product of the Year title earlier this month.

It's still a pricey piece of kit, but this deal at Richer Sounds knocks £2000 off a supremely talented beamer that delivers seriously impressive contrast and black depths, sharp details, and rich yet balanced colours for an overall showstopping cinematic experience.

Our only gripe is the lack of motorised lens controls, but once you have the VPL-XW5000ES in place, you'll quickly forgive this minor shortcoming on account of its stellar picture.

Read our full Sony VPL-XW5000ES review

Our OLED TV: Sony Bravia 8 II

The Award-winning Sony Bravia 8 II has been the TV we've obsessed over this year, and for good reason, too.

It's served as a benchmark in our reviews for the Panasonic Z95B and Samsung S95F, beating both TVs in terms of sheer picture performance thanks to its deeply engaging and three-dimensional picture.

Sony's masterful picture processing paired with the QD-OLED panel technology makes this TV a sight to behold, and it's backed up by impressive built-in sound, a solid set of gaming features (HDMI 2.1, VRR and ALLM) and a sleek design.

Read our full Sony Bravia 8 II review

Our Mini LED TV: TCL C7K

For the times when we're not reviewing a pricey OLED TV, we find ourselves reaching for the TCL C7K.

This surprise hit of 2025 delivers a bright and punchy image when required, but it also has a trick up its sleeve to ensure it impresses during dark scenes too.

TCL's new Halo Control technology hugely mitigates blooming, and black depths are seriously impressive by backlit TV standards.

If you're not interested in OLED or want a TV that offers a stunning picture without a ludicrous price tag, then the C7K is for you.

Read our full TCL C7K review

Our AVR: Marantz Cinema 30

We've swooned over this AVR plenty of times, but we're here to do it once again.

The Marantz Cinema 30 is a handsome piece of home cinema kit, with a premium sculpted metal design, tasteful ambient accent lights, and even a gorgeous remote control; but in the grand scheme of things, none of that really matters, as we care most about sound quality.

The good news is that the Marantz Cinema 30 is a showstopper when it comes to delivering cinematic sound, with a rich, weighty and smooth performance that is guaranteed to immerse even the toughest audiophiles.

It's dynamic, can deliver huge scale sound, and features excellent connectivity; it really is the full package.

Read our full Marantz Cinema 30 review

Our speaker package: KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1

The latest addition to our reference home cinema system, the KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 was the sleeper hit from this year's Awards testing process.

It won us over almost instantly with its rich, powerful and engaging sound, complete with a subwoofer that handles bass like a champion. It's accurate and agile, yet warm and inviting, which is a surprisingly difficult balance to strike.

We're also huge fans of its dashing good looks, and the fact that it's comprised entirely of standmounting speakers means it should take up slightly less room than an equivalent floorstanding setup.

It's become our new reference system for a reason, and we're already looking forward to the next time we can watch a movie using it.

Read our full KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 review

Our soundbar: Sonos Arc Ultra

Surround sound speaker packages will always be our favourite method of achieving cinematic sound, but we can't deny the convenience of a soundbar. And this soundbar happens to be pretty fantastic.

The Sonos Arc Ultra had massive shoes to fill, but it did so with ease, delivering the punchy, big-scale sound of its predecessor with added richness and height, as well as a whole lot more bass.

This all-in-one cinematic sound solution is a perfect accompaniment to the Sony Bravia 8 II, and it's primed to be made into a full system with the Sonos Sub 4 and a pair of Sonos Era 300 speakers.

Our 4K Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB820

We tend to use the Oppo UDP 203 for a majority of our 4K disc spinning duties, but that player has been sadly discontinued.

Fret not, as the Panasonic DP-UB820 also has a permanent spot in our reference lineup, and considering it just took home yet another Product of the Year win, we don't see it leaving any time soon.

This easy-to-use 4K Blu-ray player delivers a vibrant, rich, and crisp 4K HDR image alongside powerful and spacious sound.

We've sung the praises of 4K Blu-rays over streaming countless times, and this player is one of the best ways to experience the benefits of physical media.

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB820 review

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

Worried that you've missed out on all of the Black Friday deals? Don't be!

While Black Friday proper was yesterday, the best deals are still available and will likely remain so through to Cyber Monday – as long as stock lasts of course.

That means it's still possible to get my absolute favourite TV – the Sony Bravia 8 II – for its lowest ever price of £1699 from Amazon for the 55-inch model, and £1999 at Amazon for the 65 incher.

• Check out all of the Black Friday deals at Amazon
• Richer Sounds Black Friday event
• Sevenoaks Black Friday deals
• Peter Tyson: Black Friday event

I've been reviewing TVs for over 18 years, and the Bravia 8 II is quite simply the best I've ever tested.

It uses the latest and brightest QD-OLED panel from Samsung, and combines that with the latest version of Sony's legendary picture processing to produce a stunning yet cinematically accurate picture.

It's the best-sounding TV you can buy right now, too.

I've tested both versions of the Bravia 8 II, and I've compared them side-by-side with the Samsung S95F, LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B – plus the Sony A95L I use at home – and it's better than all of them.

Today's best Black Friday Sony Bravia 8 II deals

• 55-inch Sony Bravia 8 II: was £2499, now £1699 at Amazon
• 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 II: was £2999, now £1999 at Amazon

Why I love the Bravia 8 II

The Bravia 8 II is the follow-up to the excellent A95L – the very TV I rely on at home.

That alone probably tells you how much I love the A95L, but after spending time reviewing the Bravia 8 II side-by-side with it, I have to admit my own setup suddenly feels a touch less special.

Sony’s newer QD-OLED panel pushes brightness noticeably further than the previous generation. That extra luminance doesn’t just make highlights punchier; it also deepens contrast and expands colour volume in a way that immediately stands out.

This is a wonderfully vivid TV that absolutely sings with colourful films – the Spider-Verse series is a perfect example – yet it remains beautifully restrained when it needs to be, delivering that signature Sony balance and cinematic naturalism.

Sharpness is another area where the Bravia 8 II quietly excels. Sony’s AI-based processing selectively refines fine details, but you never catch it working – you just see a picture that looks exceptionally clean, precise and almost sculpted.

Low-light performance is superb, too. Sony has clearly put effort into dark gradation, resulting in rich, true OLED blacks supported by impressively nuanced shadow detail.

What I appreciate most is how little tweaking is required. As I mentioned in my full review:

"For a supremely authentic picture, simply pick Dolby Vision Dark for Dolby Vision content or Professional for everything else.

"Should you want a little more pop to proceedings, either because you’re watching in a room with ambient light or simply because you enjoy an even more thrilling delivery, simply switch to Dolby Vision Bright or the Cinema mode."

Sound quality is another of the Bravia 8 II’s surprises. Its Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology delivers clarity and directness, but also a level of spaciousness that's rare from a TV.

I still advise pairing it with a proper sound system (the Sonos Arc Ultra is a fantastic entry point for a TV this good), but if you insist on using built-in speakers, this is yet another advantage the Sony holds over options such as the LG G5, Samsung’s S95F, and even the Panasonic Z95B.

My only gripe is connectivity. You get two HDMI 2.1 ports (plus two standard HDMIs), and one of those 2.1 inputs doubles as the eARC port. LG and Samsung both offer four HDMI 2.1 sockets on their comparable models.

For my setup – a PS5, an Xbox Series X and a Dolby Atmos sound system – that limitation is mildly annoying. But if you’re only using one or two of those devices, it’s unlikely to matter much.

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

I've been testing TVs for almost two decades, and I can't remember a year with as many amazing new models as 2025.

It's the flagship OLED arena where things have been most impressive – and competitive.

That's because we've seen the arrival of brand-new Primary RGB Tandem OLED technology, and that has coincided with a new and substantially improved version of QD-OLED panel tech.

The big players on the Primary RGB Tandem side are the LG G5 and Panasonic Z95B, while Team QD-OLED consists of the Samsung S95F and Sony Bravia 8 II.

These are all excellent TVs, and they've all been discounted, so there's one obvious question: which one should you buy?

Well, not only have we reviewed all four of the TVs, we've directly compared the 65-inch versions of each, side-by-side in our dedicated test room, so we're perfectly placed to answer that question.

These are all five-star TVs, but I, with the rest of the What Hi-Fi? reviews team, have nonetheless gone ahead and ranked them from fourth to first.

Sure, that's a bit harsh, as these are all great TVs, but if you're spending big money, you want the very, very best. So here we go...

Quick Links

• LG G5: was £3300, now £2399 at Richer Sounds
• Panasonic Z95B: was £2999, now £2199 at Richer Sounds
• Samsung S95F: was £3399, now £2299 at Richer Sounds
• Sony Bravia 8 II: was £2999, now £2199 at Richer Sounds

LG G5

To reiterate, all four of these TVs are superb, hence the five-star verdicts across the board, but there is a hierarchy, and in fourth place is the LG G5.

This is arguably the most dazzling of the test, pushing brightness to occasionally astonishing degrees. It’s sharp, too, and it delivers colours with a nice mix of vividness and realism.

The G5 also boasts the best, most user-friendly smart platform (though we could do without the homescreen ads), and the most comprehensive gaming feature set, thanks to its array of four HDMI 2.1 sockets and support for every gaming feature one could require, including a Dolby Vision game mode.

But the G5 is also the worst-sounding TV on test, and while its earlier black posterisation issues have been fixed, some crushing of shadow detail has been introduced.

Ultimately, though, this is simply an excellent TV that’s beaten by even better competition.

Read the full LG G5 review

Panasonic Z95B

In third place, we have the Panasonic Z95B – another great TV that’s pushed down the rankings by even greater competition.

The Z95B is a big upgrade on the preceding Z95A, not least in the design department, with the new model combining Panasonic’s commitment to having speakers that fire in all directions with a newfound sophistication and slickness.

As ever with Panasonic, though, the Z95B’s greatest strength is its cinematic accuracy, which we find it delivers most appealingly in the True Cinema preset. This delivers a crisp and detailed picture with well-judged contrast and colours, and the shadow detail that the LG G5 misses.

Ultimately, though, while the Z95B is very good in its own right, both the Samsung and Sony are even better in the picture department, and the Panasonic’s sound, while clearly better than that of the average TV, perhaps doesn’t go quite as far as it should, given the bulk it adds and additional cost it presumably incurs.

Read the full Panasonic Z95B review

Samsung S95F

Now we get to the first of our QD-OLED models, and it’s the Samsung that misses out, though only just.

The S95F is a deeply impressive TV. It’s capable of producing awesome brightness and colours, but it’s also got an excellent Filmmaker Mode that combines those abilities with cinematic subtlety and restraint.

This is the best-looking and most stylish TV on test, too, with the excellent One Connect system reducing cable clutter and allowing the display part of the device to be awesomely thin. We feel this looks even better when wall-mounted than the picture frame-style LG G5.

The provision of four HDMI 2.1 sockets means even the most hardcore of gamers are catered for, and the Tizen operating system is packed with apps and pretty slick – though it does take some getting used to if you’re moving from a rival brand or older Samsung.

There are a few little niggles, including a little black crush and some minor oversaturation of reds, and the lack of Dolby Vision support is an ongoing frustration. The sound, too, while quite impressive for an essentially invisible speaker system, isn’t up there with the Panasonic or Sony.

Really, though, the S95F’s only significant problem is the presence of the even more accomplished Sony Bravia 8 II.

Read the full Samsung S95F review

Sony Bravia 8 II

Sony really has come up trumps with the Bravia 8 II.

It’s less of a dramatic upgrade in the brightness stakes than the other TVs here, but it’s beautifully bright in its own right, and it delivers that brightness in just the right way.

Its combination of inky blacks and shadow detail is second-to-none, too, so you get all of the dynamism you expect from OLED without missing anything you’re supposed to see in the gloomiest of movies.

But it’s the way these elements combine with Sony’s awesome processing to produce an image that’s sharper, more solid and more three-dimensional than any rival that is most impressive. And this depth and crispness doesn’t come at the expense of realism or cinematic authenticity. It really is some kind of voodoo that Sony has worked here.

The Bravia 8 II is the best-sounding TV on test, too, so while we do still recommend that you add a dedicated sound system (the Sonos Arc Ultra is a good starting point), those who are determined to use their new TV’s built-in speakers will be much better served by the Sony than any other here.

There are reasons that you might want to go for one of its rivals (two HDMI 2.1 sockets simply won’t be enough for some, for instance), but in terms of picture and sound performance, you really can’t beat the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Read the full Sony Bravia 8 II review

MORE:

Here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

The Black Friday sales in Australia are well and truly underway, and we’ve already seen a number of fantastic discounts across headphones, speakers and even hi-fi components. For all the savings we’ve seen so far, however, they pale in comparison to the insane AU$1,552 discount we’ve found on the Product of the Year Sony Bravia 8 II QD-OLED TV.

It’s not often we see Sony screens receiving a discount, in Australia at least, so for such a huge saving to arrive during the current Black Friday sales period, and direct from the maker itself no less, is one to take notice of.

2025 has seen the release of a deluge of fantastic flagship TVs. The Sony on sale here, the LG G5 and Samsung S95F all received five-star reviews from us, so ultimately, no matter which screen you want to opt for (perhaps you’re loyal to a particular brand) you’ll be rewarded with an exemplary picture.

Choosing a TV Product of the Year at this year’s What Hi-Fi? Awards was no easy task then, and on paper, the Sony screen shouldn’t have won. It’s only available in two sizes – 55in and 65in – only has two HDMI 2.1 ports and it doesn’t go as bright as either of its competitors.

What sealed the deal for the Sony was the fact that it can still go very bright – bright enough for most scenarios – and it combines punch and dynamism with superb cinematic authenticity, by way of superb processing technology, and some very subtle sharpening that makes the image look more solid and three-dimensional than its rivals can match.

To get the full saving on this exemplary screen at the Sony Store, there are a couple of steps to go through. First, you’ll need to sign up for a My Sony membership to receive a unique discount code for AU$150 off. Apply that, and then also apply the code HOLIDAYSAVE at checkout for another AU$80 off. Plus, the good news is that right now Sony is offering free shipping on its TVs, removing the standard AU$49 fee in the process.

We can’t guarantee how long this deal will last, so if you want to get the best of the best in your home in time for Christmas, now’s the time to do it.

MORE:

• View all the What Hi-Fi? 2025 Award winners

• Lots of our readers contacted me to ask why I prefer the Sony Bravia 8 II to the LG G5 – this is what I told them

• All four of the best 2025 flagship OLED TVs are on sale, and I've ranked them so you know which to buy

In all my years of testing TVs (18 and counting), the Sony Bravia 8 II is one of my absolute favourites – and undeniably the best flagship OLED you can buy right now.

We tested it against the Samsung S95F (with which it shares its QD-OLED panel), the LG G5 and the Panasonic Z95B, and our reviews team unanimously decided the Bravia 8 II was the best TV overall.

That's why it went on to win the coveted TV Product Of The Year gong at the What Hi-Fi? Awards last November.

And, despite being the best of the best, the Bravia 8 II has been the recipient of lots of lovely discounts, which is what this page is all about.

But first, some more info to help you decide if this is the right TV for you.

What makes the Sony Bravia 8 II so good?

The Bravia 8 II is the (overdue) successor to the awesome A95L.

It features the latest-generation QD-OLED panel, Sony's latest and greatest picture processing, an innovative audio system that involves the whole screen vibrating to make sound, very good gaming specs and a smart design.

Unusually, the TV is available in just two sizes, 55 and 65 inches. We've tested both: our original review was based on the 55-inch version, but we then also sourced the 65-inch model for a flagship OLED shootout

The Bravia 8 II goes slightly less bright than those other next-gen OLED models mentioned above, but it's still a very bright TV, and it combines that punch and dynamism with superb cinematic authenticity and some very subtle sharpening that makes the image look more solid and three-dimensional than its rivals can match.

It's better-sounding than those other sets, too, though we do recommend adding a dedicated sound system if you're able. Picture quality this superb demands equally superb audio.

My only additional note is that the Bravia 8 II has just two HDMI 2.1 sockets that support 4K/120Hz gaming. For most people, that will be of no consequence, but for hardcore gamers with multiple machines, it could be frustrating. Just something to bear in mind.

Got all that? Then simply scroll down for the latest and lowest prices on my favourite TV of 2025.

The best Sony Bravia 8 II deals

Sony Bravia 8 II 55-inch (K55XR8M2)

Launch price: £2499 / $3500 / AU$4195

The 55-inch Bravia 8 II is the first one we tested, and the primary basis of our full Sony Bravia 8 II review.

It is, as should be clear by now, an exemplary TV, and by going for the 55-inch model rather than the 65 incher, you get increased pixel density, which means you get an even sharper picture.

Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch (K65XR8M2)

Launch price: £2999 / $4000 / AU$5295

What you lose in pixel density by going for the larger Bravia 8 II, you more than gain in cinematic scale.

There really is no accounting for size when it comes to an immersive movie or game experience, so I almost always recommend going big to people who are torn between two sizes.

Do be aware, though, that the feet of the Bravia 8 II can only be placed at the furthest points of the TV's bottom edge, so you will need a piece of furniture at least as wide as the TV (144cm / 57 inches).

This obviously isn't an issue if you're wall-mounting the TV or are willing to buy a third-party universal stand for it.

• Our experts rate the best TVs we've tested

Can you believe there's another Amazon Prime sale? You probably can. It may seem frighteningly close to Black Friday and Christmas but Bezos and friends have squeezed in another two days of deals.

Amazon’s Big Deal Days event has of course forced other retailers to pull out the red marker and start dropping prices, too, so there are plenty of discounts to be found.

• Check out the most popular Amazon Prime Day deals

As always, there are lots of deals to ignore – uninspiring products or price drops that aren't really price drops – but our intrepid team of experts is highlighting the ones that really are worth considering.

Day Two is drawing to a close, so here is our pick of the best deals still available on TVs, hi-fi and home cinema products, all of which we've tested and recommend.

1. Sony Bravia 8 II TV

We recently spent some time comparing the best TVs of 2025 and it didn't take us long to agree that the Sony model is the best overall.

Right now, it's the most affordable of the bunch, too, thanks to Amazon Prime Big Deal Days (and adjacent) discounts.

You won't find the best Bravia 8 II prices at Amazon, though; instead, get the 55-inch model for £1749 at Richer Sounds, or the 65-inch version for £2249 at Richer Sounds.

2. Panasonic DP-UB820EB Blu-ray player

If there was ever a time to reject streaming and embrace the disc life, it's now, as the Panasonic DP-UB820EB has dropped from £350 to £285 at Amazon; a £65 saving that should cover the cost of a few 4K Blu-rays for your collection.

This player has won the coveted Product of the Year title for six years running, which should stand as a testament to how great we think it is.

3. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones have hit their lowest-ever price on Amazon, now available for £179.99 – a substantial £99 reduction from their listed £279 asking price.

The Momentum 4 Wireless earned a five-star rating from us thanks to their impressive combination of sound quality, features and remarkable battery life.

4. Sony PS-LX310BT turntable

If you’re shopping for a good, cheap turntable that will do justice to your vinyl, we have only one recommendation.

Ignore all the other cheap, no-name decks, and just buy the five-star Sony PS-LX310BT.

Thanks to a Prime Day discount you can buy the Sony PS-LX310BT for £179 right now. That's a £20 discount on the turntable's already very reasonable £200 price.

5. JBL Flip 7

The five-star JBL Flip 7 portable Bluetooth speaker has dropped to £114 on Amazon.

The Flip 7 earned a five-star rating following our extensive testing and represents the best iteration of JBL's long-running small portable speaker series.

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• LG C5 OLED: big money off this five-star TV
• Portable projector: lowest-ever price
• Richer Sounds: save on Denon, JBL, Monitor Audio and more
• Sevenoaks: save on Arcam, Audiolab, B&W, NAD
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• Sony Bravia II OLED: lowest price yet
• WiiM: save 20% on five-star streamers
• Wireless earbuds: five-star buds for £39

We have spent most of the year with our eyes glued to the latest and greatest OLED TVs – and we're certainly not complaining about it.

And in a rare occurrence, we've managed to line up the four biggest flagship models –from LG, Sony, Samsung and Panasonic – to assess which one comes out on top. The respective models – namely the G5, Bravia 8 II, S95F, and Z95B – all feature the latest advanced panel technology, including Primary RGB Tandem OLED, which made its debut this year, and the latest generation of QD-OLED.

You have probably seen our list of the best OLED TVs, so the model that has come out on top shouldn't surprise you. Yes, it's the Sony Bravia 8 II, a stunning television that offers a bright, sharp, and three-dimensional picture packed with contrast.

The Sony really is excellent, but the competition has been incredibly tough this year, meaning that while the Bravia 8 II is the agreed-upon winner among Team AV, it's not necessarily the one that we would each take home.

Each of the models mentioned above scored five stars in our reviews, and they all have something unique to bring to the table. This means that you're bound to get a sensational TV regardless of your preferences and priorities.

After a lengthy debate between Alastair Stevenson (What Hi-Fi?'s editor in chief), Tom Parsons (our TV and AV editor), and me (Lewis Empson, senior staff writer), we've agreed to come to a conclusion that appeases everyone. While we all agree that the Sony Bravia 8 II is the best of the bunch, we'd each take a different TV home.

Now, there are three of us and four TVs, so one TV must, of course, miss out. Unfortunately, that's going to be the LG G5. It is impressive in many ways, but ultimately we felt that it pushed the brightness capabilities of this new panel tech a little too far. Sorry LG, but it had to be someone.

With that out of the way, which TV would each of us choose to take the coveted spot in our respective living rooms?

Sony Bravia 8 II

We'll start with the Sony, which has been championed by Tom Parsons. It follows up on the brilliant Sony A95L, sporting a Samsung Display-derived QD-OLED panel, which it uses to boost brightness to great effect.

Pair that with some of the best picture processing on the market right now, and an effective built-in speaker system that is almost good enough to not require an external sound system, and the Sony Bravia 8 II just about edges out the competition.

Furthermore, the Bravia 8 II undercut the competition when it came to price at launch, and it continues to be the cheapest of the bunch, making it the best OLED of this roundup when it comes to that all-important performance-to-pound ratio.

That's ticking all of the boxes we look out for, so it's no wonder it's Tom's top pick. Here's what he has to say about the Bravia 8 II:

Tom Parsons, TV and AV editor

"While I most certainly want all of the picture enhancements that next-gen panel technology offers, I only want it when it’s in the service of delivering cinematically authentic movies (and TV shows and games, for that matter).

That’s why the Bravia 8 II is the clear winner for me.

It seems fair to say at this point that QD-OLED has the edge over Primary RGB Tandem, particularly where colours are concerned, and the Sony deploys this enhanced vibrancy not to turn everything up to 11, Spinal Tap-style, but to deliver more natural and consistent colours from the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows.

Add awesome contrast and Sony’s exceptional processing, which subtly sharpens specific picture elements to create a thrilling impression of three-dimensionality, and you’ve got a performance that perfectly balances dynamism and realism."

Panasonic Z95B

Now, there's no doubting that the Sony trumps the competition, especially as it undercuts the competition where price is concerned.

But it's not the best pick for everyone. Our editor in chief, for instance, prefers the Panasonic Z95B. And we couldn't possibly blame him; it's another stellar TV that delivers “rich and vibrant” colours and an overall “strikingly three-dimensional image”, as referenced in our full review.

We also find it to sound rather good, too, with its built-in Dolby Atmos sound system being tuned by legendary audio brand Technics.

But what really strikes us with this TV is how cinematically accurate it is, which is why it's Alastair's top choice. Read what he has to say about the Panasonic Z95B here:

Alastair Stevenson, editor in chief

“I’ve always valued an authentic, as the director intended, picture over one with lots of razzmatazz.

And while that sounds simple enough, in today’s market where TV makers seem hellbent on selling a high nit count as the primary metric for decent picture quality, that’s actually a pretty hard thing to find.

Which is why, for me personally, the Panasonic Z95B is the standout star of the show right now.

Sure, it doesn’t push its brightness-boosting Primary RGB Tandem OLED screen as hard as rivals, but its consistency and focus on control won me over during our group tests, letting me focus on the movie, not what it was doing, more than any other flagship OLED this year."

Samsung S95F

Rounding out our picks is the Samsung S95F, which we called the “very best all-round TV that Samsung has ever produced, and a strong candidate for TV of the year”. We complimented its “stunningly bright, vibrant and sharp” picture, and the overcooked colours of previous Samsung TVs have been reined in for a more natural look.

The Sony takes the edge where shadow detail is concerned, but the Samsung's feature-set is what makes it my favourite of the bunch. The gaming features are second to none on this TV, and Tizen is an extremely comprehensive operating system when it comes to app support.

We feel that the Samsung offers a picture performance that is characteristically very close to the Sony, and what it lacks in the picture department is made up for in the features; which is why it's my top pick.

Here's why I would take the Samsung S95F out of this crop of excellent OLED TVs:

Lewis Empson, senior staff writer

“After spending a considerable amount of time with the Panasonic and Sony sets, I was convinced that Samsung had to pull off some sort of miracle to take my personal top spot. Which is why I am both surprised yet very impressed to be writing exactly why I love this TV so much.

The S95F ticks all of the boxes for me. Its picture performance is truly brilliant, with a crisp and dazzlingly bright presentation that drew my eye during our side-by-side testing. Samsung has clearly taken a more mature approach with this TV, as it features a surprisingly natural and engaging picture, which puts it remarkably close to the Sony in pole position.

While it doesn't quite beat, or even match the Sony (which also uses a QD-OLED panel) in the picture department, it does crush the Sony where features are concerned.

As an avid gamer with multiple consoles and a Dolby Atmos soundbar hooked up to my TV, it's safe to say that HDMI 2.1 sockets are precious commodities. The S95F has four of them, all of which support VRR and ALLM – very nice indeed.

The only drawback is the lack of Dolby Vision, which is something I'd have to adjust to; but with HDR10+ being picked up by a raft of streaming services, it's a compromise that stings slightly less nowadays.”

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best OLED TV

And find the best OLED TV deals here

As well as our overall picks for the best TVs overall

The What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025 are fast approaching which means as well as our usual review testing, we’re also taking a fresh look at all the five star products we’ve currently reviewed that are still on sale.

Why? So we know the Best Buy winners we announce in October are actually the best, having run them head-to-head will their latest and greatest rivals in our dedicated viewing and listening rooms – rather than just relying on memory.

As a part of that, the process means I’ve spent the last few months with constant back pain, in and out of our windowless TV testing space, swapping a multitude of OLED TVs along with the rest of the home cinema team.

And while I’m very glad I’ve been granted a reprieve and allowed back upstairs into the daylight, one big benefit of the experience is that the team and I have identified three completely new OLED TVs worthy of a place in our best OLED TV buying guide.

Here’s what you need to know about them.

The Sony Bravia 8 II is the ultimate option for cinephiles

The flagship OLED TV market is a very interesting place right now, with LG Display’s new Primary RGB Tandem OLED replacing MLA as QD-OLED’s main rival.

Both of these have the same goal – boosting brightness levels while simultaneously improving colour volume and accuracy.

It’s also in a state of flux because a new top-end rival, in the shape of RGB Mini LED, is set to taking OLED on next year – and based on senior staff writer Lewis Empson’s experience looking at early prototypes and samples at the IFA tradeshow, that will be a very interesting fight…

But if you’re shopping right now, the Sony Bravia 8 II is our new recommended premium OLED. Featuring a QD-OLED panel, while its colours can very occasionally look a little cool for our liking, the set offered the best holistic performance of any of the top end sets we’ve tested.

In fact its stellar motion processing, incredible ability to retain dark detail lost on rival sets and punchy, but never overused, peak brightness let it offer one of the most immersive movie watching experiences we’ve had on an OLED, period. Hence our verdict:

“Several little improvements combine to make the Bravia 8 II significantly better than the awesome A95L, and that makes it one of the very best TVs that money can buy.”

The LG C5 continues the firm’s hot streak – at least at 55- and 65-inches

The LG C-series of OLEDs have been a common sight both in our best TV guide and yearly list of Award winners.

Last year alone the 42-inch LG C4 and 48-inch LG C4 picked up a total of three Awards in the TV category.

Which is why it’s kind of funny that this year it’s actually the larger 55- and 65-inch LG C5, not its smaller 48-inch LG C5 sibling, that impressed us the most.

The larger options offer the best mid-range performance for any step-down OLED we’ve tested this year.

Despite not having a heatsink, or an upgraded Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel, like the one sported on the LG G5, the 55-inch C5 we tested was noticeably brighter than its sibling and rivals.

But, despite this, it manages to offer warm, authentic colour temperatures, even during low light scenes – an area many modern OLEDs struggle with.

Add to this its stellar gaming specifications, which include four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs, excellent app and HDR support and competitive price, and it’s an easy five-star recommendation.

We have a new recommended small OLED TV

But why not the smaller LG C5? Cards on the table, it is a very impressive small-ish OLED – hence the reason we gave it a five-star rating.

But, as we’ve said before, smaller TVs, even ones from the same series, perform differently to larger ones. There are a lot of reasons for that, including pixel density, the size of the drivers used in the sound system and more.

And while the smaller C5 retains a lot of its larger siblings’ strengths, it also exacerbates a lot of its weaknesses.

Its colours aren’t quite as accurate and it was a little aggressive with its brightness during certain scenes when we tested it. These issues were particularly noticeable thanks to a key rival we tested it against, the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B.

Where the 48-inch LG C5, and to be fair to it 48-inch Samsung S90F we also tested recently, have an overt focus on going very bright, the Z90B goes in the other direction, valuing consistency and balance above all else.

This meant that, though it doesn’t have the oomph you find on rivals when it comes to certain test scenes, its colours always maintain a pleasing authenticity and it never distracts from what’s playing out on screen by aggressively raising its peak brightness, the way its rivals do.

This made it a fan favourite among every member of the test team helping review this year’s 48-inch sets. It’s also why the Panasonic Z90B is our new recommended small OLED and we reported in our review:

“Thanks to its ongoing focus on colour accuracy and delivering an 'as the director intended' experience rather than razzmatazz, the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B is the best TV at its size that we have tested.”

If you have any questions about any of the TVs mentioned in this feature drop them in the comments section below and one of our testers will do their best to answer them ASAP! Otherwise, happy OLED hunting!

MORE:

These are the best 65-inch TVs we’ve tested

We rate the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Our picks of the best 40-inch TVs

In all my years of testing TVs (18 and counting), no single model has prompted as much correspondence from our readers as the Sony Bravia 8 II.

In fairness, that's probably got a lot to do with how much I keep banging on about how good Sony's latest QD-OLED model is.

But I think it's also because accepted wisdom tends to be that someone looking for a flagship-grade OLED TV should buy LG's latest G-series model.

And that is indeed what has formed the basis of the majority of emails I've received on the subject. To paraphrase, what most readers are asking me is, "Is the Sony Bravia 8 II really better than the LG G5?"

In my personal opinion, it is. And, having recently done some additional side-by-side testing of the two TVs (as well as two others, as you can see from the photo above) with my esteemed colleagues Alastair Stevenson and Lewis Empson, I can now confirm that's also the consensus of the What Hi-Fi? TV/AV team in general.

The LG G5 is a superb, five-star TV (now that its initial Dolby Vision posterisation issues have been fixed), and there are some ways in which it's better than the Sony Bravia 8 II.

It's capable of producing even brighter highlights, for one, thanks to its cutting-edge Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel.

It's a better TV for gamers, too, primarily thanks to its array of four HDMI 2.1 sockets.

This means there's none of the connection congestion that those with multiple gaming machines and possibly a Dolby Atmos sound system might have to contend with if they buy the Bravia 8 II, which has just two HDMI 2.1 inputs.

There's also a greater seamlessness to the G5's operating system, which is bespoke to LG's TVs.

Yes, there are more adverts than there should be on a TV costing thousands of pounds/dollars (many would argue there should be no adverts at all, and I'm inclined to agree), but there's a consistency to all of the pages and menus that the Sony lacks on account of its melding of Sony's own menus with the Google TV platform.

I expect the G5's design will appeal more to those going down the wall-mount route, too. The picture frame-style design really does look fab held flush against a wall by the bundled mount.

The Bravia 8 II advantages

But the Bravia 8 II is the better TV where it really counts – picture quality.

Yes, the G5 is capable of going outright brighter, but the Bravia 8 II is superbly bright in its own right, and it combines that brightness with a colour vibrancy and consistency that the G5 can't quite match.

The Bravia 8 II is better in the darkest parts of the picture, too

Sony has put a huge amount of effort into dark gradation, and it's really paid off: the Bravia 8 II can produce the perfect, inky blacks for which OLED is renowned, but it also digs up more shadow detail than other models, particularly the G5, which slightly crushes near-black picture elements.

Where the Bravia 8 II really stretches its lead, though, is in the sharpness, solidity and perceived depth of its image.

This is in part down to the strengths mentioned above, but also some exemplary processing that subtly sharpens some picture elements to make them appear more three-dimensional, all while adding nothing in the way of artificiality.

Watching the two TVs side-by-side, using a variety of our favourite test scenes, we all found the Bravia 8 II more appealing than the G5 overall.

The G5 is excellent, and its extra brightness can be dazzling, but the Bravia 8 II achieves a near-perfect combination of punch, vibrancy, crispness, consistency, authenticity and naturalism.

It also takes very little effort to get it looking that great, thanks to some excellently tuned presets: for ultimate accuracy, simply pick Dolby Vision Dark for Dolby Vision content and Professional for everything else.

If you want a bit more pop, either for daytime viewing or just for fun, switch to Dolby Vision Bright or the Cinema mode.

So, not only is the Bravia 8 II capable of being great, it can be great for everyone. The LG G5's presets are very good, but certainly not as good.

Then there's audio quality.

To me, that matters less, because any TV of this calibre (heck, any TV) really has to be partnered by a dedicated sound system, but if you're determined to use your TV's own speakers, there's just no contest: the Sony Bravia 8 II is one of the best-sounding TVs available, and the G5... isn't.

Don't forget that the G5 is still great

As I've said several times already, the LG G5 is still a great TV, and it will better suit some people than the Bravia 8 II will (the Sony only comes in 55- and 65-inch sizes, for starters), but for me and my colleagues, there's a fairly clear winner between these two new flagship OLEDs.

Does that make the Bravia 8 II the best premium TV you can buy right now? The Samsung S95F, which we're reviewing right now, might have something to say about that, but Sony has certainly set a very high bar for it.

MORE:

Read the full Sony Bravia 8 II review

Here's our complete Sony Bravia 8 II vs LG G5 comparison

These are the best TVs and best OLED TVs you can buy right now

It is finally July, which as well as a heatwave in our native shores, also brings a fresh entry into our regular Pick of the Month column.

Here, we once again detail all the products to earn five-star ratings from our team of hi-fi and home cinema experts over the past month.

It was another incredibly busy period for the team, which reviewed more products than they care to count including top-end TVs, affordable headphones, premium turntables and more.

But, in this frenzy of testing, only six products emerged with a five-star rating. Here’s everything you need to know about them.

1. BenQ W2720i

The home cinema in a box, or coffee table projector as it’s sometimes called, is a growing category. And while many home cinema aficionados still sniff at the idea of using one, favouring much more expensive long throw units paired with an AVR and proper surround-sound package, we found plenty to like about the BenQ W2720i.

Though our checks revealed its inbuilt sound system to be distinctly middling, the unit more than makes up for it with its stellar app support and excellent, all-round picture quality – which our reviewers described as more than good enough to power a “proper” home cinema experience.

Score: 5/5

Read our BenQ W2720i review

2. Ruark Audio R610

After weeks of testing, we’re pleased to report Ruark Audio’s latest R610 is a fantastic example why just-add-speakers systems are becoming such an enticing option for music fans.

Featuring the firm’s iconic retro, wooden design, the amp is otherwise a stellar piece of modern hi-fi with excellent connectivity, cutting edge streaming support and, most importantly, stellar sound quality.

We were especially delighted with how well it paired with its four-star Sabre-R bookshelf speaker siblings, which helped it deliver an engaging dynamic sound across every genre we threw at it.

Score: 5/5

Read our Ruark Audio R610 review

3. Sony Bravia 8 II (K55XR8M2)

The Sony Bravia 8 II is the Japanese tech giant’s latest flagship OLED. That means, despite the confusing naming, it’s actually a successor to the A95L, not the Award-winning original Bravia 8 sitting at the top of our best OLED TV buying guide.

Running the two models head-to-head, there’s no denying the Bravia 8 II is an incredible OLED. Brighter than its predecessor, but retaining wonderfully controlled colours and true-to-life three dimensionality the Bravia 8 II is one of the best flagships we’ve tested this year.

But be warned, with the Samsung S95F sneaking into our test rooms soon, that verdict may change in the not too distant future…

Score: 5/5

Read our Sony Bravia 8 II (K55XR8M2) review

4. PMC Prophecy 7

The PMC Prophecy 7 are a pair of surprisingly compact floorstanding speakers designed for enthusiasts who are short on space.

Despite their dimensions, PMC’s loaded the speakers with a number of impressive features. Highlights include the latest version of PMC’s Laminair vent, which aims to reduce harmonic distortion, and an atypical 55mm midrange dome that uses a petal-shaped waveguide to control dispersion.

As well as proving remarkably unfussy with their placement, during testing they delivered a solid performance. Matched with price appropriate hardware they offer music fans exceptional clarity and impressive low-end heft for their size.

Score: 5/5

Read our PMC Prophecy 7 review

5. Lindemann Limetree Bridge II

The Lindemann Limetree Bridge II is a bit of hi-fi from a category we don’t see in our listening rooms that often. Specifically, it is a network bridge, sometimes referred to as a streaming transport. This is a fancy term for a streamer that doesn’t have a DAC included.

Does that make it a niche product? Yes. But, after putting it through its paces we can confirm, for its target audience, it is a fantastic piece of hardware. Pairing it with a Chord Qutest DAC, the unit delivered stellar results, offering a precise, clean and crisp presentation regardless of what genre we threw at it.

Score: 5/5

Read our Lindemann Limetree Bridge II review

6. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation)

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) is a video streamer designed for buyers on a budget.

The idea behind is simple; plug the tiny stick into any screen with an HDMI and you’ll be able to access Fire OS, which includes pretty much every streaming service under the sun.

Based on our testing, while it won’t dethrone the Apple TV 4K as our recommended single box solution at the top end of the market, for its intended audience it’s a fantastic option thanks to its consistent picture quality and robust HDR support.

Score: 5/5

Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) review

MORE:

These are the best floorstanding speakers we’ve reviewed

We rate the best TVs money can buy

Our picks of the best projectors

The Sony Bravia 8 II is one of – if not the – most exciting new TVs of the year. Not that you would know that from the name.

The TV is exciting because it’s the successor to the A95L QD-OLED, a model so good that it’s still one of the very best TVs you can currently buy, despite being nearly two years old.

But the name is weird. ‘Bravia 8 II’ suggests it’s the successor to the Bravia 8 W-OLED TV, but the Bravia 8 is continuing in the range, with the Bravia 8 II sitting above it.

Why not call the new model the ‘Bravia 9’? Because Sony’s flagship Mini LED model already takes that name. It can’t be called ‘Bravia 10’, either, as that would suggest it sits above the Bravia 9, which isn’t the case. Besides, that name is likely being saved for the company’s upcoming RGB LED TV.

What’s in a name? Well, the worry is that the name is rather confusing and possibly undersells this new Sony QD-OLED. And it would be a real shame if potential buyers were put off by it – because the Bravia 8 II, here reviewed in 55-inch form, is an extraordinarily good TV.

How much does the Bravia 8 II cost?

Sony promised that the Bravia 8 II would be ‘more affordable than the A95L’, by which it meant that the new model would launch for less than the outgoing model did.

That has turned out to be true for the UK and Australia, but unfortunately not for the US.

Here’s a full launch price comparison between the Bravia 8, Bravia 8 II and A95L:

Thankfully, discounts have come early for the US, so while the TV is still full price in the UK and Australia, it has already dropped to $2500 and $3000 in the US for the 55- and 65-inch versions respectively.

More important than how the Bravia 8 II's pricing compares with that of its fellow Sony TVs is how it compares with rivals such as the LG G5, Samsung S95F and Panasonic Z95B.

You can see the launch pricing for all four models here:

Of course, launch pricing is just the start of the story, and we always recommend waiting for discounts before making a purchase.

History suggests that the LG G5 will be the most heavily discounted model over time, closely followed by the Samsung S95F. Sony and Panasonic TVs, particularly flagship models, are usually less aggressively discounted.

That said, it feels as though we’re in a fairly unprecedented period of volatility, so there’s no guarantee that pricing history will repeat with these models.

What are the key design features of the Bravia 8 II?

The Bravia 8 II looks very similar to the A95L it replaces. One suspects that Sony decided to reuse as much of the chassis as possible to reduce costs so that it could sell the new model for less than its predecessor.

Compared with the flagship OLEDs that Sony produced before the A95L, the design is relatively conventional, but it is also quite smart and premium compared with many rivals.

Sony points to the Bravia 8 II as the slimmest TV in its lineup. At 3.4cm, though, it is the same thickness as the outgoing A95L and significantly thicker than rivals such as the Samsung S95F (1.1cm) and LG G5 (2.4cm). At least some of that comparative thickness is probably due, as with the A95L, to the actuator-based sound system and custom heatsink.

Like the A95L, the Bravia 8 II has blade-style feet that can be positioned only at the furthest extremes of the TV’s bottom edge. Sony claims that’s great for preventing reflections, but it also means the TV can’t be placed on furniture narrower than the set's width, which is 122cm (48 inches) for the 55-inch model and 145cm (64.5 inches) for the 65-inch version.

While the feet can’t be positioned closer to the centre of the chassis, they can be extended to lift the TV a few centimetres so that a soundbar can be positioned in front of the TV without obstructing the screen.

One big disappointment on the design front is that the remote control has been downgraded from the rechargeable, backlit number of the A95L, Bravia 9 and even the Bravia 8, to one that requires AAA batteries and doesn’t light up in the dark. That seems an odd decision.

What are the key features of the Bravia 8 II?

The big thing here, of course, is that the Bravia 8 II uses what Sony refers to as ‘the latest QD-OLED panel’. This, combined with Sony’s processing and custom heatsink, results in the new model apparently being able to go 25 per cent brighter than its A95L QD-OLED predecessor in terms of peak brightness, and 50 per cent brighter than the Bravia 8 W-OLED.

• Read more: W-OLED vs QD-OLED

With this increased brightness comes increased colour volume, and Sony claims to have also engineered big improvements to dark gradation (essentially very dark shading).

As you would expect, the Bravia 8 II is powered by Sony’s XR Processor which, like every rival TV processor right now, uses AI, most notably in what the brand refers to as ‘an AI scene recognition system’. This new, 2025 feature, which is exclusive to the Bravia 8 II and Bravia 5, apparently ‘detects and analyses data with flawless accuracy, then optimises the picture for ultimate realism’.

Sony has gone big in recent years on what it calls ‘Studio Calibrated Modes’. These, it says, deliver content from their respective streaming services as it was meant to be seen. So it’s no surprise to see the Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode, Prime Video Calibrated Mode and Sony Pictures Core Calibrated Mode all present on the Bravia 8 II.

The TV also supports Dolby Vision and Atmos, and is IMAX Enhanced certified. As with all previous Sony TVs, it does not support HDR10+, but the standard HDR10 and HLG HDR formats are, of course, on board.

Unfortunately, precious little has changed on the gaming front. Yes, the TV supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, and it has a Dolby Vision Game mode. The ‘Perfect for PlayStation 5’ functionality remains, too, which means the TV will automatically dial in pretty accurate HDR settings when connected to a PlayStation 5.

The problem is that there are still just two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets, and one of those doubles as the eARC port, so it will be taken up by your soundbar or other sound system, should you choose to add one. That will leave just one top-specification input for your console or gaming PC.

That’s fine if you have just one such device, but if you have more, you’re going to have to do some irritating cable swapping or accept the extras running at less than their full capabilities.

As expected, the Bravia 8 II features the Google TV platform, which is gradually gaining ground on LG’s slicker webOS.

The app selection is excellent, with no significant absentees. That includes all of the UK's catch-up services, which can be missing from some Google TV devices.

Every app delivers its content in the expected formats, too, and an initial issue we had with Netflix delivering content in 5.1 rather than Dolby Atmos has since sorted itself out.

How good is the Bravia 8 II's picture quality?

For our testing, we’ve lined the Bravia 8 II up against both its A95L predecessor and Bravia 8 sibling, feeding all sets a variety of content in 4K Dolby Vision, 4K HDR10, 1080p and standard-def.

This content includes Alien: Romulus, Sinners, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Alex Garland’s Civil War, Pan, The Fall Guys, and even an episode of Rowan Atkinson’s fairly forgotten The Thin Blue Line from 1995.

To cut to the chase, the Bravia 8 II is a significant upgrade on both models, and no flaws have been introduced. It’s all gain and no pain, and the results are glorious.

One of the Bravia 8 II’s greatest strengths is how easy it is to get looking its best. For a supremely authentic picture, simply pick Dolby Vision Dark for Dolby Vision content or Professional for everything else.

Should you want a little more pop to proceedings, either because you’re watching in a room with ambient light or simply because you enjoy an even more thrilling delivery, simply switch to Dolby Vision Bright or the Cinema mode.

We’re not saying that small tweaks won’t result in an even better picture, but the presets are so spot on, the vast majority of owners won’t deem that extra effort necessary.

We kick things off with Alien: Romulus in Dolby Vision, and the upgrades offered by the Bravia 8 II are clear and appreciable.

The first of these is predictably the noticeably brighter peak highlights, with the pin-prick stars glistening that little bit more piercingly against the foreboding blackness of deep space.

But there’s more to it than that. The Bravia 8 II’s bright colours are more vibrant than they are from the Bravia 8 and brighter than they are from the A95L, which makes the steadily illuminating orange and red buttons in the cockpit of the recovery craft all the more impressive.

Colours maintain their natural vibrancy in low-light areas, too, such as the bunk in which Cailee Spaeny’s Rain awakens for another glorious day in the employ of the Weyland Yutani corporation.

The work that Sony has done on dark gradation has really paid off as well, in that there’s far more shadow detail from the Bravia 8 II than either of the other sets.

All of the folds and wrinkles in Andy’s (David Jonsson) grey jacket are clear as he and Rain walk through the dystopian streets of the Jackson’s Star Mining Colony, whereas the finest elements are lost on the Bravia 8 and A95L.

But what’s most impressive is how all of these elements combine with Sony’s new AI processing to make the image look so much more solid and three-dimensional. There’s volume and roundedness to objects and people (Rain and Andy as they eat breakfast in front of a daylight-style window, for example), and backgrounds have depth and purpose (the street behind Rain as she talks through a window to a cold corporate shill).

These traits hold true when we switch to Sinners. The incredible, dramatic sunrise skies over the cotton fields have greater shading, depth and contrast from the Bravia 8 II, and you get the feeling you could put your hand through the TV and reach towards the horizon.

The bleached white church really pops against the azure blue skies and verdant green fields, and as the movie takes its dark turn, the improved presentation of shadow detail ensures that you never miss a gory effect or creepy facial expression.

Punchy animated movie Into The Spider-Verse absolutely pops from the Bravia 8 II, particularly in Dolby Vision Bright. The bright sun over Brooklyn sizzles, original Spidey’s red suit is super-vivid, and the dimension-melding action at the start of the film crackles with colour.

Civil War, meanwhile, is such a crisp and vibrant movie (somewhat ironic given the gritty subject matter), and it too looks utterly glorious in HDR10 from the Bravia 8 II.

The flawless colour reproduction brings out the red of the near-sunburnt skin of Wagner Moura’s Joel as he awakens with a hangover in the bright sunlight, and while Kirsten Dunst’s Lee looks a little too pale and shadowy from the Bravia 8 and A95L respectively, the Bravia 8 II reveals the small amount of colour left in her cheeks and the full anguish on her face.

Unsurprisingly, the bright tracer fire and explosions during the battle for Washington, D.C. leap from the screen, providing stunning contrast against the dimly lit streets.

As you would probably imagine, given that it’s mastered to a super-bright 4000 nits, Pan goes even further in illustrating the advantages of the Bravia 8 II over both the Bravia 8 and A95L.

Of course, even the new model can get nowhere near the 4000 nits of the source material, but the combination of greater brightness headroom and some exceptional tone mapping results in significantly more piercing highlights with precise detail and shading.

Once again, though, it’s the way that all of the Bravia 8 II’s individually small upgrades combine to make the image seem so much more solid and lifelike that is so impressive.

Right at the other end of the quality spectrum is our standard-def stream of The Thin Blue Line, and it’s certainly true that 576p material such as this benefits less from the Bravia 8 II’s upgrades than 4K HDR does, but the quality of the upscaling is still mightily impressive.

The image created by the Bravia 8 II is undeniably cleaner and smoother than the other sets can manage, but there’s also impressive sharpness and detail. It wouldn’t be too hard to convince someone that what they were watching was HD rather than SD. We do feel the need to switch from Professional to Cinema here, though, as the former looks a little too dark.

Overall, the key to the Bravia 8 II’s success is balance. The colours are so vibrant, highlights so bright and edges so sharp, but nothing feels exaggerated or incorrect, which means you never feel as though you’re getting anything other than the very best versions of your movies and TV shows.

How good is the Bravia 8 II's sound system?

The Bravia 8 II has the same Acoustic Surface Audio+ setup as the A95L. Said setup consists of two actuators and two subwoofers (the Bravia 8 features two lesser actuators and one sub) and, in the A95L, represents one of the best built-in TV sound systems currently available.

Sure enough, the Bravia 8 II sounds just as good.

The actuators vibrate the screen itself in order to make sound. This ties the audio and video spatially in a way that rival solutions can’t match. But, as with the A95L, the Bravia 8 II manages to combine this directness with very impressive (by TV standards) spaciousness, with effects stretching far beyond the edges of the screen in all directions.

There’s excellent detail, too, and enough dynamic nuance to convey the emotion in an actor’s performance. Bigger dynamic shifts are also handled well, with chapter two of Blade Runner 2049 building steadily where rival sets sound flat.

As with the A95L, the Bravia 8 II isn’t the last word in bass depth, but it’s weightier than many rivals and, more importantly, is very controlled in the low frequencies, with only the faintest hint of fuzz creeping into the uniquely deep notes of the soundtrack.

Tonal balance is very good overall, in fact, with the impressive lower midrange ensuring that there’s warmth and fullness to voices.

In short, the Bravia 8 II sounds very similar to the A95L, which means it’s one of the best-sounding TVs you can buy. We still believe that a picture as good as this demands to be partnered by a dedicated sound system, but this is one of those rare TVs that won’t instantly be improved through the addition of a cheap soundbar.

Think along the lines of the Sonos Arc Ultra as a starting point for appropriate sound quality.

Verdict: is the Sony Bravia 8 II worth buying?

The Sony Bravia 8 II is a truly exceptional TV. Its combination of sizzling brightness, vibrant colours through all degrees of light, terrific shadow detail and razor-like sharpness combine to produce an image with regularly astonishing dynamism, depth and realism.

In fact, it’s so good that it makes the awesome A95L look a bit flat in comparison.

We haven’t yet had the chance to run the Bravia 8 II side-by-side with the LG G5, but our previous experience with the G5 tells us that it will win for sheer brightness and spectacle, but that the Bravia 8 II should be more considered and consistent. We already know for a fact that the Sony sounds significantly better, too.

We will be doing that full comparison as part of our Awards judging process, and we’re predicting a tense battle. Until then, we can’t proclaim the Bravia 8 II to be the very best TV available right now – but it’s undeniably already one of the best.

SCORES:

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 4

MORE:

Also consider the LG G5, Samsung S95F and Panasonic Z95B

How about a different Sony model? Check out our Bravia 8 review and Bravia 9 review

These are the overall best OLED TVs you can buy right now

Choosing the very best TV in 2025 is a task that’s easier said than done.

With the likes of Sony, Samsung, LG, Philips, Panasonic and more all offering updated flagship models crammed with new tech and the latest features, narrowing down your choices can be tricky.

That’s why we’re comparing the LG G5 against the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Chances are that both new models are on your shortlist if you're looking for a super-premium TV in 2025. New for this year and packing different next-gen OLED panels, they both look very tempting indeed.

Before we crack on, we must point out that while we've fully reviewed the LG G5, we've only had a brief hands-on session with Sony Bravia 8 II in a controlled demonstration environment, so we can't deliver our final verdict on that model yet.

Until we conduct our full, independent review of the Bravia 8 II in our dedicated test rooms, this comparison will be based on our initial impressions and product specs.

We'll update this versus once we've fully put the Sony through its paces, though, so keep an eye out in the near future.

LG G5 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: price, sizes, and release date

The LG G5 is available now, while the Bravia 8 II is launching imminently in the US and in June in the UK.

In the UK, launch prices for the 55-inch versions of each TV are very similar, but the 65-inch Sony is significantly lower priced than the equivalent LG.

It's a very different story in the US, where the Bravia 8 II is vastly more expensive than the G5.

Of course, the launch prices are just the start of the story, and LG's TVs tend to drop in price further and faster than their Sony rivals – though we wouldn't want to assume that will be the case with these models.

It's also worth noting that the LG G5 is available in far more sizes than the Sony Bravia 8 II.

Full launch pricing for both models is in the table below, and below that, you will find the latest deals on the 55-inch versions of each TV.

LG G5 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: design and build

The LG G5 echoes the design language of previous G-series models, including an incredibly svelte body that’s just 24mm throughout and features a stylish silver trim around its edges.

LG offers the G5 in two versions, too – one with a wall mount for flush fitting (the standard G5), and one with a tabletop stand (the G5S, currently only available in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes in the UK).

The G5's stand can be set to two positions – a low-profile one or a higher position to accommodate a soundbar beneath the screen.

Sony's Bravia 8 II design closely resembles its A95L predecessor, with a relatively conventional, but smart and premium appearance. At 34mm thick, it's a little thicker than the LG G5, but we can’t imagine that being an issue for most people.

The Bravia 8 II also features blade-style feet that can only be positioned at the furthest extremes of the TV's bottom edge. Sony claims this helps prevent reflections, but it also means that the TV requires furniture that's at least as wide as the set itself – 122cm for the 55-inch model and 145cm for the 65-inch version.

While the feet can't be positioned closer to the centre of the chassis, they can, at least, also be extended upward to accommodate a soundbar.

LG G5 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: features and connectivity

Both TVs showcase the latest in their respective OLED technologies. The LG G5 features the new Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel (also known as Four Stack OLED), which comprises four individual OLED layers – two blue, one red and one green – to boost brightness and colour volume. This replaces the Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology used in previous G-series models.

Under the hood, the LG G5 is powered by the new Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen2, which drives AI-backed features such as AI Picture Pro and AI Sound Pro. The processor also supports an AI chatbot for diagnosing and solving TV issues using natural language commands.

Meanwhile, the Sony Bravia 8 II uses the latest QD-OLED panel, combined with Sony's XR Processor featuring AI scene recognition. Sony claims the Bravia 8 II is 25% brighter than its A95L predecessor and 50% brighter than the standard WOLED Bravia 8, with better colour volume and improved dark gradation thrown in for good measure.

For connectivity, the LG G5 offers four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, all capable of handling 4K/165Hz (as well as 4K/120Hz) signals with VRR and ALLM.

In contrast, the Sony Bravia 8 II has just two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets (in addition to two 2.0 ports), with one of the 2.1 ports doubling as the eARC port.

This may prove to be an annoyance for users who have a soundbar plugged into the eARC port and want to use more than one console/PC with the Bravia 8 II, as they’ll need to faff around using different cables in the remaining sole HDMI 2.1 port if they want to use the highest refresh rates possible.

Both TVs support HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision, but neither will play ball with HDR10+.

LG G5 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: picture quality

Our review found the G5 to deliver a truly exceptional picture in most scenarios, with dazzling brightness, rich colours and crisp details.

The new Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel allows for substantially increased brightness compared to previous OLED generations, particularly noticeable in peak brightness highlights.

In our testing, the G5 produced blazing bright highlights that at times compelled us to shield our eyes, such as during bright scenes in Top Gun: Maverick.

The G5 also excels in colour reproduction, with enhanced colour volume from the new panel technology. Skin tones are superbly realised, and motion handling is excellent.

When set to the Filmmaker Mode with Cinematic Movement TruMotion, the G5 delivers a smooth, judder-free image that remains natural-looking.

However, we discovered one significant flaw in our G5 review which, at the time of writing, has stopped it from earning a full five stars.

Its handling of streamed Dolby Vision content was problematic, with visible artefacts, patchy image quality, and lifted blacks that appear grey rather than true black. This issue seemed specific to streamed (rather than disc-based) Dolby Vision content.

LG is aware of the issue and has, in fact, recently shared an early version of a G5 software update, which, after some initial testing, appears to have fixed the problem. The scenes we identified as particularly problematic (from Alien: Romulus, Interstellar and No Time to Die) are all now free of the unpleasant blotchiness we uncovered when doing our LG G5 review.

Despite this, we're still holding off on updating the G5's review rating for a few reasons. Firstly, we want to fully retest the TV with the new update to make sure no new issues have been introduced. We also want that testing to be of the publicly available version of the software so we know what we experience is what buyers will also experience at home.

It's also worth noting that since we installed the unreleased software, we have found a new issue that involves grey horizontal bands appearing across content from the built-in Apple TV app. This appears to be related to a separate update applied specifically to that app, however, so we're less concerned about it than the previous problem.

As for our hands-on experience with the Sony Bravia 8 II, it appears to build on the excellent picture quality of the A95L, already considered one of the best TVs on the market.

In Sony's demonstrations, the Bravia 8 II showed noticeably better performance than the A95L, particularly in bright highlights where it maintained better detail and more natural warmth.

In low-light scenes, the Bravia 8 II also showed improved shadow detail and better low-light colour volume compared with rivals. The hues in skin tones and scenery appeared clear, consistent and natural even in the shadiest parts of the picture.

When switched to its brightest preset for HDR demo clips, the Bravia 8 II looked exceptional, with super-reflective, three-dimensional bubble effects and unmatched vibrancy in background colours without appearing unnatural.

While we need to reserve final judgment until full testing in our own conditions, the Bravia 8 II seems to retain the character of the A95L while adding extra pop, crispness and low-light subtlety.

Will that be enough for it to trump the G5 on overall picture quality? We won't know until we've tested the TVs side by side in our dedicated test rooms.

LG G5 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: sound

The LG G5's audio performance is less impressive than its picture quality. In our testing, we found the sound to be middling, even when using the Cinema preset, which offers a wider, louder and punchier sound compared to the Standard setting.

While adequate for day-to-day viewing such as news and quiz shows, the G5's speakers struggle with movies. Bass response is limited, and dialogue can sound lifeless and dull. For a sound experience that matches the G5's picture quality, external audio equipment is recommended.

We haven't had the opportunity to test the Bravia 8 II's audio capabilities, but Sony says it uses the same sound system as the A95L – two actuators and two subwoofers. The A95L's sound system is one of the best built-in TV audio solutions currently available, with the actuators vibrating the screen itself to produce sound that's spatially tied to the on-screen action.

The A95L delivers sound that's direct, detailed and dynamic by TV standards, with a pseudo Atmos effect that extends beyond the TV's physical boundaries. Its one weakness is being somewhat bass-light, which we’re hoping has somehow been remedied in the Bravia 8 II.

Based on our experience with the G5 and Sony's track record, the Bravia 8 II is likely to significantly outperform the LG G5 in terms of built-in audio quality, but we’ll have to wait for our full review to confirm that that’s the case.

LG G5 vs Sony Bravia 8 II: early verdict

Both the LG G5 and Sony Bravia 8 II represent significant advancements in OLED TV technology, each with distinct strengths and weaknesses.

The LG G5 impresses with its dazzling brightness, vibrant colours, and comprehensive gaming features, including four full HDMI 2.1 ports and 4K/165Hz support. Its slimmer design and more flexible stand options also give it an edge in terms of versatility, too.

However, its problematic handling of streamed Dolby Vision content is a significant drawback, and its audio performance is uninspiring. The latter can, of course, be remedied by picking up one of the best soundbars.

Based on our initial impressions, the Sony Bravia 8 II appears to build on the excellent picture quality of the A95L, with improved brightness, better shadow detail, and refined colour reproduction.

Its actuator-based sound system is also likely to deliver superior audio compared to the G5. However, its limited HDMI 2.1 connectivity could be restrictive for gamers with multiple devices, and its thicker design with less flexible stand options may be less practical for some setups.

For now, we can say that both TVs have their merits, with the LG G5 offering superior gaming connectivity and a slimmer design, while the Sony Bravia 8 II appears to have better sound and potentially more refined picture processing.

A definitive verdict will have to wait until we've conducted our full, independent testing of the Bravia 8 II in our test rooms – at which point we'll update this comparison with our final verdict. Stay tuned.

MORE:

Read our full LG G5 review

Check out our Sony Bravia 8 II hands-on review

See our picks for the best TVs you can buy right now

Sony's new 2025 TVs were announced in April. While the brand chose to keep the Bravia 9 Mini LED TV as its flagship set, it introduced the Bravia 8 II QD-OLED TV to sit below it.

We've now reviewed the new TV, and bestowed upon it a coveted five-star rating.

But how does it compare to the Mini LED range-topper? Join us as we explain the differences between the two TVs and help you decide which is right for you.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 9: price

While the Bravia 9 officially sits at the top of Sony's current TV range, and is therefore nominally priced above the Bravia 8 II, its longer time on sale means it's actually currently the more affordable of the two TVs when buying a 65-inch model (the only size in which both TVs are available).

So, the 65-inch Bravia 9 is currently priced at £2599 / $2800 (this size isn't available in Australia), while the 65-inch Bravia 8 II is £2999 / $3300 / AU$5295.

The Bravia 8 II is also available in a 55-inch size, which is currently available for £2499 / $2600 / AU$4195.

The Bravia 9 doesn't come in a 55-inch variant, but there is a 75-inch version, which will currently set you back £2999 / $3198 / AU$5799, and an 85-inch model, which is currently priced £3799 / $4500 / AU$6799.

As ever, these prices will change, and we would expect the new set's price to drop over time, though Sony TVs aren't usually discounted as heavily as those from LG and Samsung.

You'll see the latest and greatest deals on both TVs sprinkled throughout this page, but based on the prices of the 65-inch models at the time of writing, this round has to go to the Bravia 9.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 9 **

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 9: design

The Bravia 8 II replaces the A95L, and it looks very similar to it.

That's no bad thing – it's a smart, premium-looking chassis that's the slimmest in Sony's current line-up (and 1.4cm slimmer than the Bravia 9).

It has similar blade-like feet to the Bravia 9, but they can only be positioned at the furthest extremes of the TV's bottom edge. That means the Bravia 8 II can't be placed on furniture narrower than the set's width – 122cm for the 55-inch model and 145cm for the 65-inch version.

The Bravia 9's feet can be positioned towards the centre of the TV to help it fit on a smaller cabinet. This makes it much more versatile in terms of positioning.

Both TVs' feet can be extended to raise the TV up and accommodate a soundbar.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 9 **

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 9: features

The main difference between these TVs is the panel technology they use. The Bravia 8 II uses a QD-OLED panel, while the Bravia 9 has a Mini LED display.

Sony claims the Bravia 8 II's screen can go 25 per cent brighter than its A95L QD-OLED predecessor in terms of peak brightness, and 50 per cent brighter than the Bravia 8.

This should also mean an increase in colour volume. Sony claims it has improved its dark shading too – read the next section to see if we agree.

The Bravia 9's Mini LED backlighting system has some impressive claims of its own. Its cutting-edge drivers allow for more granular control of the backlight compared with other Mini LED TVs. This makes it better able to combine very bright and very dark elements in one image.

Sony says the Bravia 9 has three times as many dimming zones as the outgoing X95L, and is 50 per cent brighter. And all while being 30 per cent more power efficient.

Both sets use Sony's XR processor, but the Bravia 8 II has a new AI scene recognition system. This optimises the picture to what's on screen for greater realism.

Both TVs have calibrated modes for Prime Video, Netflix and the Sony Pictures Core streaming services. These aim to deliver the respective content as the director intended.

Both support the same formats of HDR (Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but not HDR10+), plus IMAX Enhanced. And both have just two HDMI 2.1 sockets, meaning gamers with more than one modern console and a soundbar/surround system will probably have to do some socket switching to get the best performance.

But otherwise, gamers are well served by both TVs, with 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM on board.

The Bravia 9 has a 70W 2.2.2-channel speaker system, while the Bravia 8 II has the same 60W 2.2-channel set-up as the A95L. The latter features actuators that vibrate the screen – that's not possible on a backlit display, so the Bravia 9's speakers are situated around the edge of the screen instead.

The Bravia 9 not only has 10W more total power than the Bravia 8 II, it also has two up-firing tweeters built into the top edge to deliver Dolby Atmos height effects. Which could make for a more immersive sound.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 9 **

• What is QD-OLED? Everything you need to know
• Mini LED: all the details on OLED's rival

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 9: picture

The Bravia 8 II has one big advantage over the Bravia 9: it's much less fussy.

That's thanks to some expertly tuned presets. Just choose either Dolby Vision Dark (for Dolby Vision content) or Professional (for everything else), and you're pretty much guaranteed a fantastically authentic picture.

Dolby Vision Bright / Cinema mode will provide a bit more 'pop' (handy for bright days), or you can tweak the settings yourself, but the vast majority of viewers will be more than happy with the presets.

The Bravia 9, by contrast, requires a fair bit of time in the menus if you want it looking its best. But as we'll see, the results are worth it.

In terms of picture quality, the Bravia 8 II is a big upgrade on the A95L that it replaces. Its peak highlights are appreciably brighter, and colours are brighter overall. Colours don't lose their vibrancy in low light either, and there's buckets of shadow detail to enjoy.

Sony's AI processing makes the image much more solid, with more depth, and objects gaining a volume and roundedness that its predecessor lacked.

Watching Sinners, "The incredible, dramatic sunrise skies over the cotton fields have greater shading, depth and contrast from the Bravia 8 II, and you get the feeling you could put your hand through the TV and reach towards the horizon," we wrote in our review.

Animated movies pose the TV no problems, as evinced by watching Into The Spider-Verse. "The bright sun over Brooklyn sizzles, original Spidey’s red suit is super-vivid, and the dimension-melding action at the start of the film crackles with colour," we noted.

The Bravia 9 earned four stars in our review. As we said, the fussing is worth it.

Watching Pan, "the highlights seen as the ship descends through space and glides into a dreamlike floating ocean are exceptional, with rich, impactful orange hues and noticeable detail in the very centre of the sun – something that we do not see in the deliveries of the LG G4 or Bravia 8," we wrote in our review.

Its contrast abilities add a real sense of depth to proceedings, with sharp outlines provoking a three-dimensional effect. Blacks might not be quite at OLED levels – inevitable on a backlit set – but they're still very impressive.

Colours are well balanced, and while skin tones could use a little extra warmth, particularly in low-light areas, they are still generally natural. Motion handling is superb, too.

Although the Bravia 9 is capable of going brighter than any current OLED, thanks to its advanced Mini LED backlight, in a comparative test, we found it to be not quite as cinematic as the Bravia 8 II's little brother, the original Bravia 8. The latter is just more detailed, sharper and cleaner. Skin tones are richer, and neon signs more vibrant.

Considering the Bravia 8 II is a real step on from that model, there's no doubt that it delivers the more authentic, consistent and crisp viewing experience.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 8 II **

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 9: sound

The Bravia 8 II has the same sound system as the A95L, and puts in the same bravura performance.

It sounds direct but spacious, with an excellent level of detail. "Bigger dynamic shifts are also handled well, with chapter two of Blade Runner 2049 building steadily where rival sets sound flat," we wrote in our review.

It's not the last word in bass depth, but it's weightier than most rivals, and remains composed. It also has an impressive tonal balance, lending voices a satisfying warmth and fullness.

And the Bravia 9? Typically for a Sony, it sounds very good indeed, especially thanks to the new up-firing drivers, which really add a sense of height. They make the sound feel more spacious, too.

The sound has great directionality, and the TV projects very well into the room. We like the Voice Zoom 3 feature too, which enhances the dialogue to make it clearer without compromising the other audio effects.

Again, it is a little bass-light and lacking in punch. But the upside is that it stays within its limits, and so doesn't distort.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 9 **

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 9: verdict

So which of these super-premium Sony TVs should you buy?

The Bravia 9 is brighter, more versatile in terms of positioning and has up-firing speakers for a more convincing Dolby Atmos effect.

But the Bravia 8 II's picture is superior. Perfect blacks and pixel-level contrast control, plus even more advanced processing, result in an image with more pop, depth and consistency. It works better right out of the box, too.

So, both TVs are great, but assuming you're not after a TV bigger than 65 inches (or one for a super-bright room such as a conservatory), it's the Bravia 8 II we recommend.

MORE:

Read our Sony Bravia 8 II review

And our Sony Bravia 9 review

Sony 2025 TV lineup: everything you need to know

The best Sony TVs you can buy

2025 is rapidly turning into a great year for TV fans. This is because TV tech is moving at an astonishingly fast pace with a wealth of new features set to appear on this year's flagship models.

Top of this next generation list are the Sony Bravia 8 II and Samsung S95F which are set to duke it out for premium buyers' attention.

The Bravia 8 II is the successor to the excellent Sony A95L, while the S95F follows on from the impressive Samsung S95D.

To help judge how the two sets compare and which you should be keeping a particularly close eye on we've penned this guide, detailing the biggest differences between the two.

But, before you go rushing to buy one, remember that, while we've had brief hands-on time with both televisions, we haven't fully reviewed them in our dedicated test rooms.

Until we do, this comparison is based on our initial experiences, and their respective specifications. We'll update this comparison once we've put both TVs through their proper paces.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Samsung S95F: price, sizes, and release date

Sony has confirmed UK pricing for the Bravia 8 II, with the 55-inch model priced at £2499 and the 65-inch version at £2999.

The new model is scheduled to start shipping from 6 June 2025 in the UK. Notably, these prices are considerably lower than the A95L it replaces, which launched at £2999 for the 55-inch model and £3699 for the 65-inch version.

Potential buyers in the US have some bad news though, as the Bravia 8 II will launch at a noticeably more expensive price than its A95L predecessor.

The 55-inch and 65-inch models will launch at $3500 and $4000, respectively, which is noticeably higher than the $2800 and $3500 launch prices for the equivalent-sized A95L.

There's no word on Australian pricing at the moment, but we'll update this article as soon as we receive more information.

As for the S95F, it is launching in the UK at £2499, and £3399 for the 55-inch and 65-inch versions, respectively. Pricing for the 77-inch model has yet to be confirmed.

That makes for a reasonable difference in pricing between the 65-inch models of both Sony and Samsung sets, which may be enough to sway you over to the more affordable Samsung at that particular size and price point.

The overall price difference is very substantial when it comes to those in the US, with the 55-inch and 65-inch S95F costing $2299.99 and $3299.99, respectively.

That opens up a massive price difference compared to their Sony counterparts that will be very hard to ignore, giving the S95F a substantial edge in the US market.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Samsung S95F: design and build

The Samsung S95F maintains the slim profile of its predecessor, largely thanks to its One Connect box system.

This handily separates the connections and processing hardware from the display, connecting to the TV via a single cable – a design that's particularly useful for wall-mounting scenarios.

It’s also a great solution for decluttering, and will be a major boon for those of us who enjoy clean finishes. For those who prefer not to wall-mount, the S95F features a centrally mounted pedestal stand, which allows it to be placed on narrower furniture.

Sony's Bravia 8 II appears to share much of its chassis design with the A95L it replaces, featuring a slim profile with a premium metal edge.

It features blade-style feet that can only be positioned at the furthest extremes of the TV's bottom edge.

While Sony claims this helps prevent reflections, it also means the TV requires furniture that's at least as wide as the set itself – 122cm for the 55-inch model and 145cm for the 65-inch version.

The feet can be extended upward to accommodate a soundbar beneath the screen, but can't be positioned closer to the centre.

While the design of a TV isn’t as important as the picture quality it offers, it’s hard to deny that the One Connect box and the dental stand make the S95F more practical in most situations compared to its Sony rival.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Samsung S95F: features and connectivity

Both TVs come equipped with impressive processing capabilities and comprehensive feature sets. But there are some notable differences between the Bravia 8 II and S95F.

The Samsung S95F, for a start, incorporates Samsung's new NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor, introducing AI Upscaling Pro to its 4K flagship for the first time.

This feature is designed to sharpen finer details and remove visual imperfections such as jagged lines and fuzzy textures. The S95F also features Samsung's Vision AI capabilities, including practical functions such as AI art generation for wallpapers and actor information access via a dedicated remote button.

The Bravia 8 II uses Sony's latest XR Processor with what Sony calls "AI Scene Recognition."

This intelligent system analyses scene data in real-time, optimising each frame for maximum realism. Whether watching dark cinematic content or bright documentary footage, the processor aims to deliver a picture that feels lifelike and immersive.

For gamers, both TVs offer impressive specs. The S95F supports refresh rates up to 165Hz (up from 144Hz on the S95D), while the Bravia 8 II supports the standard 120Hz for console gaming. Both support VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) for current-generation console gaming at 4K/120Hz.

Higher refresh rate aside, the S95F also provides a significant advantage with its four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, compared to the two seen on the Bravia 8 II.

One of the Bravia 8 II’s 2.1 ports also doubles up as an eARC connection, which means you’ll have to fiddle around swapping out devices if you’ve got a soundbar and more than one console that you want to use at those higher refresh rates. This will only irk keen gamers, but it’s still a mark against the Bravia.

As for HDR format support, Sony offers HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision on the Bravia 8 II. Samsung, meanwhile, continues to exclude Dolby Vision, instead supporting HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+.

At their core the two run on different platforms as well. The Bravia 8 II runs on Google TV, while the S95F uses Samsung's Tizen operating system.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Samsung S95F: picture quality

Both the Bravia 8 II and S95F have QD-OLED screens rather than the competing fourth generation OLED panel tech seen on the rival LG G5, Panasonic Z95B and Philips OLED950. Despite this, there are some big differences between the Sony and Samsung's screen specifications.

The Samsung S95F uses Samsung's latest QD-OLED panel, which is reportedly 30 per cent brighter than its predecessor while maintaining the same energy efficiency.

Samsung claims peak brightness figures of around 2000 nits (up from 1650 nits on the S95D). The S95F retains Samsung's glare-free technology for reducing reflections – a standout feature from the previous model.

Sony's Bravia 8 II also claims to deliver substantial brightness improvements, with Sony stating it's 25 per cent brighter than the A95L’s QD-OLED panel, and 50 per cent brighter than the standard WOLED Bravia 8.

This increased brightness, combined with Sony's XR Triluminos Max display technology, should, on paper, translate to an ultra-wide colour gamut and stunning contrast.

In our hands-on sessions, both TVs showed promising picture performance. The Bravia 8 II demonstrated significantly better brightness handling than the A95L in Sony's comparisons, with bright highlights maintaining better detail and more natural warmth.

In dark scenes, it also showed improved shadow detail and better low-light colour volume.

The Samsung S95F, in our brief viewing, showed notably enhanced brightness compared to the S95D, with highlights appearing more dazzling and colours looking richer without seeming overdone.

Samsung has also implemented a new AI gamma feature to address the slight loss of shadow detail that was occasionally noted in the S95D.

Both manufacturers are leveraging AI processing to enhance picture quality, with Samsung's AI Upscaling Pro and Sony's AI Scene Recognition both promising to optimise content in real-time for the best possible image quality.

For now, we can confirm that the picture on both sets looked great during our brief hands-on demos – but the real test will take place away from carefully curated manufacturer show room demos, and in the hallowed What Hi-Fi? Testing rooms.

Needless to say, we’re looking forward to it.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Samsung S95F: sound

When it comes to sound, we know more about the Bravia 8 II’s setup, at the time of writing. Sony has once again opted for its Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, which uses actuators to vibrate the screen itself to produce sound.

This aims to create a more immersive audio experience where sound appears to come directly from the relevant part of the image.

The Bravia 8 II includes two actuators and two subwoofers, along with Voice Zoom 3 technology to improve vocal clarity. This is all, incidentally, the same setup found in the A95L, which we found to be one of the best built-in TV speakers available.

In contrast, we’ve yet to hear the S95F’s speakers in action, and we haven’t yet been told the specs for the sound system. We presume it’ll be similar if not identical to that found in its predecessor, but we’ll have to wait and see.

We do, however, know that the S95F will debut Samsung’s new Eclipsa Audio technology.

Developed in partnership with Google, this open-source immersive audio format aims to provide creators with tools to adjust audio data, including location, intensity and spatial reflections of sounds to create an immersive three-dimensional experience.

Its effectiveness and adoption remain to be seen, but you can rest assured we’ll put it through the audio gauntlet once our review sample arrives.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Samsung S95F: early verdict

While we need to wait until we have both televisions in our test rooms for definitive assessments, each shows considerable promise based on our preview sessions with them.

The Sony Bravia 8 II appears to build meaningfully on the excellent A95L, with a brighter QD-OLED panel, enhanced processing, and a surprisingly competitive price point.

Sony's typically excellent motion handling, colour accuracy and innovative sound system could make it a compelling option for those who prioritise a cinematic viewing experience – and it’s hard to ignore its excellent tried and tested audio system.

The Samsung's S95F, on the other hand, works to build on the strengths of the S95D with increased brightness, faster refresh rates for gaming, and comprehensive HDMI 2.1 connectivity. The continuation of the glare-free technology, which was highly praised in the previous model, also gives it a potential edge in brightly lit environments.

Ultimately, your decision might come down to a few key factors. If you prioritise gaming with multiple devices, Samsung's four HDMI 2.1 ports give it an advantage. Its anti-glare screen, central pedestal, and One Connect box might tick all your boxes too.

But if those things don’t affect you, and you’re planning on relying on built-in speakers rather than snapping up one of the best soundbars, then the Bravia 8 II could be the way to go.

We’re holding off an official verdict until both models are fully tested, and will be updating this comparison appropriately.

MORE:

Our picks of the best gaming TVs

We rate the best 65-inch TVs

Best TV: flagship OLEDs and affordable flatscreens tried and tested

If you ask me, the Sony A95L is still one of the very best TVs you can currently buy – even though it's been on sale for well over a year.

The combination of a QD-OLED panel with Sony's legendary processing and one of the most capable in-built TV sound systems around makes the A95L an all-rounder of rare talent.

Needless to say, then, I leapt at the chance to check out its successor, the Bravia 8 II, in person in Tokyo ahead of its 28th April US launch and June launch in the UK.

Is it everything I hoped it would be? Mostly yes, but also not entirely. Ahead of our full review, here are all of the things (so far) that I like about the Bravia 8 II, and the few things I'm not so keen on.

The good stuff

It can go much brighter and reproduce more colours than the A95L

The biggest improvement for the Bravia 8 II is that it features 'the latest QD-OLED' panel from Samsung Display.

The capabilities of this new panel vary somewhat depending on who you ask and, of course, the specific TV in which it's used, but Sony says the Bravia 8 II will be able to hit a peak brightness level 25 per cent greater than that of the A95L.

It will also be 50 per cent brighter than the Bravia 8, which features a W-OLED panel and will continue in Sony's 2025 TV lineup.

But alongside brighter highlights, this new panel also brings with it greater colour volume.

Sure enough, in the demos I saw, the Bravia 8 II was clearly brighter than the A95L, Samsung S95D and LG G4 – but it also had more detailed highlights and more vibrant colours, particularly in the brightest parts of the picture.

Picture processing has been improved, too

The panel is only one ingredient in the picture quality recipe, and one of the reasons that so many people are drawn to Sony TVs over their Samsung and LG rivals is the Japanese brand's much-lauded picture processing.

One thing that Sony has paid particular attention to with the Bravia 8 II is its low-light performance – essentially, how it handles black depth and shadow detail.

This was demonstrated to me using a clip from Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, and the Bravia 8 II did a much better job than the S95D and G4 of revealing the details in the murky scene and maintaining natural colours.

Was the Bravia 8 II digging up details that the director intended to be hidden? The Sony BVM-3110 mastering monitor that was supplied for reference suggested not. In fact, even the Bravia 8 II was less revealing than the monitor.

Sony has also beefed up the AI chops of its XR processor, and the Bravia 8 II (and Bravia 5) will benefit from a new 'AI scene recognition system' that, according to Sony, "detects and analyses data with flawless accuracy, then optimises the picture for ultimate realism".

As good as Sony's processing generally is, terms such as 'flawless accuracy' and 'ultimate realism' seem a bit overly ambitious. Instead, I'm expecting a bit of an upgrade to the A95L's depth enhancement feature, which gently increases the three-dimensionality of an image without making it seem enhanced.

Useful tweaks to how the Professional and Cinema modes work

Sony has never boarded the Filmmaker Mode train, arguing that its Professional mode does a similar thing, and this year, that and Cinema mode are getting some useful tweaks.

The Professional preset is now designed to look more like the brand's BVM mastering monitor than ever before, with little to no active processing or enhancement.

In a dark room, the Cinema preset will look very similar to Professional, but the ambient light sensor will be switched on by default.

This means that when you turn the room lights on, the Bravia 8 II will compensate both in terms of colours and brightness so that you still get a perceptually accurate picture.

If done correctly (this wasn't demonstrated to me in Tokyo), this should work very similarly to how LG's current OLEDs do when you put them in Filmmaker Mode and enable their ambient light sensor.

In other words, for many people, it could be the only picture setting they ever need.

Unchanged audio system should still sound very good

The A95L is pretty much the only TV that I feel I could live with from an audio point of view. That isn't to say that it's not fairly easily beaten by a soundbar – but it's much more capable than the insipid sound systems of almost all of its rivals.

So, it's broadly good news (I'll get to the negative aspect shortly) that the Bravia 8 II sports the same sound system as the A95L.

That sound system features two actuators that vibrate the whole screen with two subwoofers to add weight and depth. The step-down Bravia 8, in comparison, has just one woofer, and its two actuators are smaller and less capable.

The key benefit of the actuator approach is that the sound literally comes from the screen, so the audio and visuals are tied together in a way that other TVs can't match.

But what's most impressive about the A95L is how this focus and directness combine with spaciousness and a sense of three-dimensionality to deliver a fairly impressive (by TV standards) Dolby Atmos delivery.

If the Bravia 8 II merely sounds as good as the A95L, it will still almost certainly be the best-sounding TV in its class – though the Panasonic Z95B might give it a run for its money.

More affordable than the A95L in the UK

Sony promised that the Bravia 8 II would be more affordable than the A95L was when it launched, but I had imagined we would be looking at a drop of something in the region of 10 per cent.

Well, the prices have now been announced, and in the UK (we'll get to the US prices later) the 55-inch Bravia 8 II is 17 per cent cheaper than the equivalent A95L was at launch, and the 65-inch model is 19 per cent cheaper than its equivalent.

That will make the Bravia 8 II much more competitive with its rivals than the A95L was. We don't yet have UK pricing for the Samsung S95F, but the LG G5 is, at launch, £100 cheaper than the Bravia 8 II at 55 inches, but £300 more expensive at 65 inches.

Here's a full comparison of the UK launch prices of the Sony Bravia 8, Bravia 8 II, A95l and the LG G5:

The feet can be extended to accommodate a soundbar

While the Bravia 8 II's feet aren't perfect (more on which below), they can be positioned either flush with the bottom of the TV or extended to create a space for a soundbar.

Because there is also a big distance between the feet, there's plenty of space for said soundbar and no awkward plate to get in the way.

The exclusive Sony Pictures Core app is still a great value-added treat

While not a new thing for the Bravia 8 II, the Sony Pictures Core app remains a compelling selling point for Sony's TVs.

For those not already in the know, Sony Pictures Core (formerly known as Bravia Core) is a streaming service that is exclusive to Sony TVs.

What's special about it is that it streams movies in much higher quality than rival services. We're talking about bitrates of up to 80Mbps, whereas Apple TV maxes out at around 40Mbps and Netflix and Prime Video are down at around 25Mbps.

The result is cleaner, crisper picture quality, particularly with the IMAX Enhanced content that is available.

Buyers of the Bravia 8 II will get 10 tokens that can be spent on premium movies, plus 24 months of streaming from the general catalogue.

The bad stuff

Much more expensive than the A95L (and the LG G5 and Samsung S95F) in the US

While the UK is getting the Bravia 8 II for much less than the launch price of the A95L, it's the opposite story in the US, where Sony appears to be factoring in the costs and potential costs of tariffs.

The 55-inch Bravia 8 II is a whopping 25 per cent more expensive than the A95L was at launch, while the 65-inch version is 14 per cent more expensive.

Inevitably, that means it's much more expensive than the launch prices of the LG G5 and Samsung S95F. Here's the full comparison:

Still only two HDMI 2.1 sockets

It seems almost unbelievable – and yet so wearily predictable – that Sony's flagship TV in 2025 still has just two HDMI 2.1 sockets.

LG has been producing models with four such ports since way back in 2019, for heaven's sake.

We know the reasoning, of course: while LG and Samsung produce their own HDMI boards, most other brands, including Sony, have been relying on MediaTek for their HDMI boards.

MediaTek does now produce an HDMI chipset with four HDMI 2.1 ports (the Pentonic 800), but that is in other ways a downgrade on the Pentonic 1000 found in many flagship TVs, including the A95L, Bravia 8 and Bravia 9, and it seems that Sony is reluctant to compromise in order to get those extra sockets.

Still, if feels as though Sony, in particular, should have found a way around this issue by now.

Of course, for many, two HDMI 2.1 sockets are plenty, but as someone with an Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and gaming PC, it's not enough for me.

No option to add a subwoofer

This is a bit of a niche one, and certainly isn't something that other TVs offer, but I really feel that Sony should have made it possible to connect one of its wireless subwoofers to the Bravia 8 II.

As great as the A95L sounds by TV standards, it's relatively lacking in terms of bass weight and depth. The addition of a subwoofer, though, would make it a real force to be reckoned with – and could in fact sound better than most soundbars.

Sony already produces three wireless subwoofers, and I imagine it wouldn't be too tricky to make them compatible directly with a TV.

I imagine Sony is simply too interested in selling soundbars such as the Bravia Theatre Bar 9 and systems such as the Bravia Quad to want to give people a less expensive alternative sonic route to go down.

I just think that's a bit of a shame.

There's no 77-inch model

As you may have spotted from the pricing graphs above, there is no 77-inch version of the Bravia 8 II. In fact, the 77-inch version of the A95L will continue in the Sony range instead.

This seems like an odd decision. We know that 77 inches is an increasingly popular screen size, and we know there's a 77-inch version of the latest QD-OLED panel, as it's being used in the 77-inch Samsung S95F.

It feels as though a lot of people will essentially be forced to go with that Samsung, the LG G5 or the Panasonic Z95B if they want a flagship 77-inch TV with the latest and greatest screen technology.

The feet are too far apart for a lot of furniture

As mentioned, the Bravia 8 II's feet can be extended to make room for a soundbar, which is great, but they can only be positioned at the very extremes of the set's bottom edge.

That means that the TV won't stand atop furniture any narrower than the TV's overall width, which is 122cm (48 inches) for the 55-inch model and 145cm (57 inches) for the 65-inch version. That's going to be a problem for some buyers.

Of course, it is possible to simply buy an inexpensive third-party stand that connects to the TV's VESA mounting points, but no one really wants the additional cost and hassle involved in that when they've just spent thousands on their fancy new TV.

You would expect the Bravia 8 II to be the follow-up to the Bravia 8, right? But no; it actually succeeds the A95L, one of the finest TVs of recent years.

Like its predecessor, the Bravia 8 II is a QD-OLED model (whereas the Bravia 8 is a W-OLED), but with several small yet notable improvements that make it an even better proposition.

But with the A95L currently discounted, could it prove the wiser buy? Let's find out more about these improvements…

Sony Bravia 8 II vs A95L: price

The Bravia 8 II has a lower launch price than the A95L. But given that the A95L has been out since 2023, its price has inevitably come down a fair bit. So it is still the cheaper of the two.

This table shows their launch prices only.

Whereas the below widget shows each TV's current retail price. At the time of writing, the A95L goes for around £1800 at 55 inches and £2750 at 65 inches – that's £700 cheaper than the Bravia 8 II at the smaller size, though only £150 cheaper at the bigger size.

The A95L price has fallen lower before, though – we have seen it at £2199 at 65 inches. Which makes your decision considerably tougher…

** Winner: Sony A95L **

Sony Bravia 8 II vs A95L: design

There's not a lot of difference in the two models' designs – Sony has effectively reused the A95L's chassis for the Bravia 8 II.

It has the same 3.4cm thickness as the A95L, which is actually quite chunky for a modern OLED TV. But then it does contain an actuator-based sound system (more on this later) and a custom heatsink.

The blade-style feet are back as well. They look undeniably cool, but they can only be positioned at the outer edges of the TV. Which means you'll need a pretty wide TV cabinet to accommodate it – at least 122cm (48 inches) for the 55-inch model and 145cm (64.5 inches) for the 65-inch version.

You can simply add a third-party universal TV stand with a narrower footprint, though this won't look as stylish as Sony's own solution.

The feet might not move inwards, but they can be made taller to accommodate a soundbar without it obstructing the screen.

There is one quirk of the design: the remote control. The Bravia 8 II's remote is a downgrade on the A95L's – it's powered by AAA batteries and isn't backlit, whereas the A95L's is rechargeable and lights up in the dark.

It might be splitting hairs, but with the rest of the design identical, this tips the round in the A95L's favour.

** Winner: Sony A95L **

Sony Bravia 8 II vs A95L: features

The A95L came out in 2023, so you would expect a few new features from the Bravia 8 II. And that's exactly what you get.

There's a new screen, for starters. Its 'latest QD-OLED' panel, combined with the heatsink and Sony's processing skills, makes it 25 per cent brighter than the A95L in terms of peak brightness, and 50 per cent brighter than the Bravia 8 W-OLED.

This brings with it an increase in colour volume, while Sony also claims big gains in terms of dark shading.

Sony's XR processor is on board, and this time it uses AI to detect and analyse scene information and optimise the picture accordingly.

The A95L uses Sony's Cognitive Processor XR, which is an earlier variant. It lacks the AI scene-recognition system of the Bravia 8 II, but does have XR Clear Image, which cleans up source material so it looks better on screen.

Otherwise, the feature sets are very similar. The Bravia 8 II has Studio Calibrated modes for Netflix, Sony Pictures Core and Prime Video, but the A95L is lacking the last of these. Both TVs have Dolby Atmos and Vision (alongside the HDR10 and HLG formats of HDR), as well as IMAX Enhanced certification.

They have the same gaming specifications, too, though these are bettered by TVs from other manufacturers. They both support 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, have Dolby Vision gaming and the ‘Perfect for PlayStation 5’ functionality. But they each have only two HDMI 2.1 sockets, whereas four is standard with OLEDs from Samsung and LG.

Google TV comes on both TVs. While the A95L lacked UK terrestrial catch-up apps at launch, they arrived via a subsequent firmware update.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 8 II **

• HDR TV: what is HDR? How do you get it?

Sony Bravia 8 II vs A95L: picture

Our first impressions of the Bravia 8 II were very good indeed, and now that we have given it the full review treatment, we are happy to confirm that these were on the money. Its picture quality is fantastic.

It's a significant upgrade on the A95L, which, if you're aware of that set's quality, you'll know is really saying something.

Unlike some of the fussier TVs around, it's a doddle to get it looking its best – just pick Dolby Vision Dark for Dolby Vision content or Professional for everything else, and you are guaranteed a fantastically authentic picture.

Peak highlights are brighter, while colours keep their natural vibrancy in low-light areas. The extra shadow detail (what Sony refers to as "dark gradation") is plain to see.

"But what’s most impressive is how all of these elements combine with Sony’s new AI processing to make the image look so much more solid and three-dimensional," we say in our review.

"There’s volume and roundedness to objects and people… and backgrounds have depth and purpose."

But the A95L still holds its own against more modern TVs. That's because it was a little ahead of its time – its rivals have been playing catch-up ever since.

The A95L picks out plenty of detail within highlights, giving surfaces lots of shading and texture that rival TVs miss. But the black elements are just as impressive, with lots of depth and a similar abundance of detail.

"What's more," we add in our review, "the A95L also reproduces colours expertly in these darkest parts of the picture so that skin tones remain accurate and lifelike where other TVs allow them to go a bit pale.".

It all makes for a more solid and three-dimensional image.

** Winner: Sony Bravia 8 II **

Sony Bravia 8 II vs A95L: sound

The Bravia 8 II has the same actuator-based sound system as the A95L. Two actuators vibrate the screen in order to create sound that comes from the corresponding part of the picture. It's a remarkably effective way of tying the audio to the visual.

But its audio expands far beyond the confines of the screen, adding a nice degree of spaciousness to proceedings.

"There’s excellent detail, too, and enough dynamic nuance to convey the emotion in an actor’s performance," we say in our review. "Bigger dynamic shifts are also handled well, with chapter two of Blade Runner 2049 building steadily where rival sets sound flat."

We describe the A95L as sounding direct, detailed and dynamic. Its pseudo Atmos effect is quite impressive, though the lack of up-firing drivers preclude it from having true height channels.

Despite the two built-in subwoofers, both the A95L and Bravia 8 II are a bit bass light.

Like all TVs, they would benefit hugely from one of the best soundbars or best surround sound systems – but unlike most TVs, a budget soundbar won't provide a notable improvement. You'll need to spend a bit more for any appreciable difference.

** Winner: Draw **

Sony Bravia 8 II vs A95L: verdict

The Bravia 8 II is clearly the better TV. It is brighter, has more shadow detail and is an absolute cinch to get looking its best. Its processing is more advanced too, and the sound quality is just as brilliant as the A95L.

But, despite the Bravia 8 II's lower launch price, the A95L is still the cheaper set. And it's still a fantastic performer. Its price is only going to drop further now that it's being replaced. So you really have to weigh up how much these improvements are worth to you.

MORE:

Read our Sony Bravia 8 II review

And our Sony A95L review

Sony 2025 TV lineup: everything you need to know

The best Sony TVs you can buy

The competition for the best OLED TV is more fierce than ever, with Sony’s 2025 TV lineup entering the fray. The headline model, the Bravia 8 II, promises to deliver significant improvements over the awesome A95L, particularly in the brightness department.

But how will it fare against last year’s five-star-rated Bravia 8, which it will sit alongside in the 2026 range?

Before we dive into the detailed comparison, it's important to note that while we've fully reviewed the Bravia 8, we've only had a comparatively brief hands-on session with the Bravia 8 II.

Until we put the new model through its paces in our test rooms, this comparison will be based on our experiences to date and the respective specs of the two TVs. Naturally, we’ll update this piece once we've conducted our full review of the Bravia 8 II.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 8: price, sizes, and release date

Despite the Sony Bravia 8 II being positioned at the more premium end of Sony's 2025 lineup, it surprisingly comes in at a more competitive price point than we initially expected.

In the UK, the 55-inch model is priced at £2499, while the 65-inch version costs £2999. Both versions are set to start shipping on 6th June 2025.

This pricing is particularly noteworthy when compared with that of the A95L that it replaces, which launched at £2999 for the 55-inch model, and £3699 for the 65-inch version – making the Bravia 8 II around £500-700 cheaper than its predecessor at launch.

It's not good news for everyone, though. In the US, the Bravia 8 II will launch at a noticeably more expensive price than its A95L predecessor, with the 55-inch and 65-inch models costing $3500 and $4000, respectively. For context, the A95L launched at $2800 and $3500. The reason for this increase could be due to the uncertainty created by US tariffs, though that's just speculation on our part. There's no word on Australian pricing at the time of writing either, but we'll add it in as soon as we have it.

The Bravia 8, which is the subject of today's comparison, officially sits below the Bravia 8 II in Sony's range. It launched at £2199 / $2000 / AU$2995 for the 55-inch model, £2699 / $2800 / AU$3995 for the 65-inch version, and £3999 / $3900 / AU$6495 for the 77 incher.

Having now been on sale for around a year, the Bravia 8 has also been on the receiving end of a fair few discounts so is now available for significantly less than it was at launch.

Here's a table with the launch prices of the Bravia 8 and Bravia 8 II, and below that you will see the latest and lowest prices for the Bravia 8.

How do the Bravia 8 II and Bravia 8 designs compare?

The Bravia 8 II appears to share much of its design with the A95L. It features a slim profile with a premium metal edge, and the same two-way stand that can be positioned to either sit the TV directly on your furniture, or raise it slightly to accommodate a soundbar underneath.

At 34mm in thickness, the Bravia 8 II is 3mm thinner than the Bravia 8 (not that you’d notice), despite housing the Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology that uses actuators to vibrate the screen itself to produce sound. More on that later.

Both TVs use blade-style feet, but the Bravia 8 II's can only be positioned at the furthest extremes of the TV's bottom edge. This means that it can't be placed on furniture narrower than the set's width (122cm for the 55-inch model and 145cm for the 65-inch version).

While the feet can't be positioned closer to the centre of the chassis, they can be extended to lift the TV a few centimetres to accommodate a soundbar.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 8: what are the differences in features and connectivity?

Both models are powered by Google TV, which offers a slick and user-friendly experience, with access to all the major streaming services you’d expect.

As for connectivity, both sets include four HDMI ports – two of those are HDMI 2.1 spec with support for 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM for next-gen gaming, while the other two are 2.0 affairs.

Unfortunately, one of those HDMI 2.1 ports also doubles as the eARC connection for external audio systems.

This means that if you have an eARC speaker connected along with multiple gaming devices (such as a Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X), you'll need to choose which one gets the full-fat HDMI 2.1 connection – or resort to cable swapping.

That's a limitation compared with competitors such as LG, which offers four HDMI 2.1 ports on its OLED models, including the new LG G5 and LG C5.

Both TVs feature Sony's 'Perfect for PlayStation 5' features, which allow the TV to automatically adjust settings when connected to a PS5 console. This is handy for getting a pretty accurate HDR game performance with zero effort, but we generally find that these automatic settings are just shy of spot-on.

HDR format support on both TVs includes HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision, but as with all Sony TVs, neither supports HDR10+.

Elsewhere, the Bravia 8 II benefits from an updated version of Sony's XR Processor, which includes what Sony calls "AI Scene Recognition" – a feature that analyses scene data in real-time for optimised picture performance.

Is the Sony Bravia 8 II's picture quality a big upgrade?

This is where things get interesting, and where the two models are really set apart. Despite the similar naming convention, the Bravia 8 II uses a latest-generation QD-OLED panel, while the Bravia 8 employs a standard WOLED panel.

The Bravia 8 II's QD-OLED panel, combined with Sony's XR Triluminos Max technology, promises significant improvements in brightness and colour volume over both the Bravia 8. In fact, according to Sony, the Bravia 8 II is 50% brighter than the Bravia 8.

This increased brightness should allow the Bravia 8 II to push highlights higher without compromising colour purity – a traditional limitation of WOLED technology. The result should be punchier highlights and more vibrant detail while maintaining the perfect black levels OLED is known for.

While we’ve yet to properly put the Bravia 8 II through its paces in our testing rooms, our hands-on session at Sony's Tokyo HQ revealed better brightness handling than the A95L and competing models, with bright highlights maintaining better detail and more natural warmth. In dark scenes, the Bravia 8 II also showed improved shadow detail and better low-light colour volume.

The Bravia 8, which we've fully tested, delivers excellent picture quality in its price bracket, with the typically perfect blacks and infinite contrast that OLED technology is known for. In our review, we praised its natural, authentic picture quality and excellent motion handling, though we did note it's not the brightest OLED on the market – something the Bravia 8 II specifically aims to address.

Both TVs benefit from Sony's excellent motion processing and colour accuracy, but the QD-OLED technology in the Bravia 8 II should provide a punchier, more vibrant picture, particularly with HDR content. Watch this space.

Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 8: which TV has better sound?

Both Sony models feature the company’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, which uses actuators attached to the screen itself that vibrate the panel to produce sound, effectively turning the entire display into a speaker.

This creates a more immersive audio experience where sound appears to come directly from the relevant part of the image, unlike conventional TV speakers that fire downward or from the rear.

There are, however, differences between the two sets. The Bravia 8 II inherits the audio system from the A95L, with two actuators and two subwoofers, while the Bravia 8 uses a similar, but slightly less advanced version of this tech, featuring two smaller actuators and only one subwoofer.

If the Bravia 8 II does indeed sound the same as the A95L, it will be weightier, more enveloping and more dynamic.

Both TVs support Dolby Atmos, and both feature Sony's Voice Zoom technology for enhancing dialogue clarity, with the Bravia 8 II specifically sporting Voice Zoom 3.

If paired with compatible Sony sound systems such as the Bravia Theatre Bar 9, both TVs can also use Acoustic Centre Sync, which allows the TV and soundbar to work together for a more unified soundstage (at least in theory).

Early verdict: Sony Bravia 8 II vs Bravia 8 – which should you buy?

While we'll need to wait until we have the Bravia 8 II in our test rooms for a definitive assessment, the early signs are promising. With a significantly brighter QD-OLED panel, enhanced processing, and a surprisingly competitive price point, the Bravia 8 II appears to build meaningfully on the excellent A95L.

As for the Bravia 8, it remains an excellent OLED TV in its own right, offering Sony's typically accurate picture processing and natural colours at a lower price point. It remains a solid choice if you're looking for a premium OLED experience without stretching to the higher price of the Bravia 8 II.

We look forward to putting the Bravia 8 II through our rigorous testing process to see exactly how it stacks up against not only the Bravia 8, but also 2025's other flagship OLED contenders from the likes of LG, Samsung and Panasonic. Stay tuned.

MORE:

Here are all the new Sony 2025 TVs

And these are the best TVs we recommend

Check out the best OLED TVs available right now

Sony has announced its 2025 TV range. And like all good Hollywood blockbusters, there's a surprising twist…

Sony is keeping its existing 2024 range on sale. That's right, instead of wiping the slate clean and replacing each model, Sony is using its 2025 offerings primarily to fill in the gaps in its existing range.

Its three new TVs – the Bravia 3, Bravia 5 and Bravia 8 II – will complement its existing TVs (which we have included below).

So if you want a new Sony TV, what are your options? We'll explain all…

What's new?

Existing models stay on sale

Sony's existing models will stay on sale for another year. That means you will still be able to buy the Bravia 9, Bravia 8, A90K, Bravia 7, X85L and W800.

The new models complement these.

The Bravia 3 launched in the US and Australia last year, but comes to the UK in 2025. It's an LED model that will sit above the W800.

The Bravia 5 Mini LED TV will sit below the Bravia 7 but above the X85L. It replaces the X90L, which was a standard LED TV.

The final new model is the Bravia 8 II QD-OLED TV, which sits above the Bravia 8.

Finally, a replacement for the A95L

Sony has finally replaced the A95L. This second-generation QD-OLED TV launched in 2023 to rave reviews – we gave it five stars, calling it "very special indeed".

We had expected the new model to be called the Bravia 10, but it's actually the Bravia 8 II.

This promises to be more affordable than the A95L, but with a peak brightness that is 25 per cent higher. It uses the latest generation of QD-OLED panel.

We've already seen this new model in action. Click here to read our Sony Bravia 8 II hands-on.

No new small OLEDs

Unfortunately, Sony hasn't launched any new small OLED TVs, which means its only OLED under 55 inches remains the A90K.

It's still a great TV – we called it "exceptionally good" in our five-star review – but given that it launched in 2022, it is getting on a bit, much to the dismay of our TV & AV Editor, Tom Parsons, who has likened the A90K to Mr Meeseeks from Rick and Morty.

It wasn't the brightest OLED TV when we tested it three years ago, and OLEDs have made big strides in this area since then. So next to today's rivals it might look a little drab.

RGB LED, but not until 2026

The only brand new TV technology that Sony has announced is RGB LED, but that won't arrive until 2026.

Still, it shows what a landmark technology it could be that Sony feels compelled to talk about it a full 12 months before it is implemented.

We have seen it in person in Sony's Tokyo headquarters – and we're impressed.

Consider it an evolution of Mini LED. It too uses shrunken LEDs grouped into zones that can be brightened or dimmed independently, but its LEDs are coloured rather than white.

With colour coming directly from the backlight, it produces brighter, more accurate colours without the ‘blooming’ issues associated with backlit TVs.

For more information, check out our first impressions of Sony's RGB Mini LED prototype.

• What is Mini LED TV? How does it differ?

Sony 2025 TV range breakdown

That's the broad brush changes explained. Now we'll dig into more detail on each model.

We will also include older Sony models that are staying on sale.

Sony Bravia 9 Mini LED TV (2024)

Sony's 2024 flagship model remains for 2025. Its Mini LED panel can go 50 per cent brighter than the X95L it replaced, with three times as many dimming zones.

And it's a very good TV – but not a brilliant one.

Its picture lacks the same solidity of an OLED model, while not exhibiting quite the same degree of 'pop'. The sound is a bit underwhelming, too, and the user interface can be sluggish.

All of which cost it a fifth star.

In terms of specification, we are looking at an advanced LED Acoustic Multi-Audio+ sound system, with a 70W 2.2.2 channel audio.

It includes drivers that vibrate the frame of the TV in order to create sound, which emulates the actuator-based system on Sony's OLED models which instead vibrate the screen itself.

There are four HDMI sockets, but only two are HDMI 2.1 which will be disappointing for hardcore gamers.

Those ports will support 4K/120Hz gaming, VRR and ALLM though – to be expected considering Sony also manufactures the PlayStation 5.

The Bravia 9 also features the Google TV operating system.

Read our Sony Bravia 9 review

• HDMI 2.1 explained: everything you need to know
• What is Google TV? Apps, features, compatible TVs...

Sony Bravia 8 II QD-OLED TV (2025)

A new model for 2025, the Bravia 8 II is Sony's latest flagship OLED TV.

It's a step up from the A95L QD-OLED, which it replaces. The Bravia 8 II sits between the flagship Bravia 9 and lower-tier Bravia 8 from 2024 (see below).

Sony says it has a peak brightness that is 25 per cent higher than the A95L, and 50 per cent higher than the Bravia 8.

It also promises to be more affordable than the A95L.

Coming in 55- and 65-inch sizes, it has a new design, which Sony refers to as the Slim One Slate. This fuses the screen and bezel into a single slate, making for a more consistent and seamless design.

It is also the slimmest of Sony's new TVs – but it's still thicker than rivals such as the Samsung S95F and LG G5.

Under the hood, Sony's XR Processor detects the scene and analyses it in order to optimise the TV's picture performance.

XR Triluminos Max improves the colour accuracy and vibrancy, while XR Contrast Booster enhances the difference between light and dark parts of the picture, creating greater depth.

Sony stresses the Bravia 8 II's wide colour spectrum, and puts a big focus on its dark gradation.

And on the audio side, Sony's excellent Acoustic Surface Audio + tech vibrates sections of the screen to create sound with pinpoint accuracy.

Its system comprises two actuators and two subwoofers (the same as the A95L), which is superior to the 2.1 system of the Bravia 8.

Read our Sony Bravia 8 II hands-on

Sony Bravia 8 OLED TV (2024)

The Bravia 8 remains on sale. Which is good news: it's an Award winner.

It is 10 per cent brighter than its predecessor the A80L, and features the same Bravia XR processor as the Bravia 9.

It also features the OLED Acoustic Surface Audio+ audio system, which vibrates the screen to create a lifelike centralised sound that comes directly from the centre of the screen.

One thing we are glad the Bravia 8 doesn't share with the 9 is the range of available sizes. This OLED set comes in a much more conventional range of screen sizes: 55-, 65- and 77-inch versions.

In our five-star review, we praised the Bravia 8's balanced, immersive picture, sublime motion handling and decent audio (for a TV).

Read our Sony Bravia 8 review

Sony A90K OLED TV (2022)

The Sony A90K launched back in 2022, but that hasn't stopped Sony from squeezing yet another year out of it.

This TV soldiers on in both the 42- and 48-inch sizes.

If you want a small Sony OLED TV, it remains your only choice for 2025.

It's a standard WOLED panel with a 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate on both sizes.

Once again there are four HDMI sockets, with two rated to support the full 48GB bandwidth of HDMI 2.1, one of which doubles as HDMI eARC.

Sound is achieved via the Acoustic Surface Audio+ system and we considered it to be a strong, if not game-changing performer in this regard.

What truly won us over with this TV is its excellent picture performance. It bears the usual marks of a Sony OLED TV, including crisp details and deep contrast that results in a stunningly natural image.

While competition from LG in the small OLED TV category is tough, this is still a solid TV, even if it is rather aged at this point.

Read our Sony XR-48A90K review

• 4K 120Hz: what is it? Why should you get it?

Sony Bravia 7 Mini LED TV (2024)

The Sony Bravia 7 is another carry-over from 2024.

It has a Mini LED panel with quantum dots – albeit not the same advanced backlight found on the Bravia 9.

It offers a 30 per cent higher brightness and eight times more dimming zones than the X90L.

And it has a similar Acoustic Multi Audio system to the Bravia 9, but without the upward-firing beam tweeters.

It also inherits an identical gaming specification as its more expensive siblings, with two HDMI 2.1 sockets with 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM gaming support.

• VRR explained: what is variable refresh rate?
• Everything you need to know about ALLM for gaming

Sony Bravia 5 Mini LED TV (2025)

Another new model for 2025, the Bravia 5 takes the place of the X90L.

It's a Mini LED set that offers up to six times the number of dimming zones of the X90L (though it depends on screen size).

It is less bright than the Bravia 7, and has fewer dimming zones than that model.

The XR Processor is once again on board, complete with XR Backlight Master Drive for precision backlighting control. The same core technology is used in Sony's professional monitors.

It will come in five sizes, ranging from 55 inches to 98 inches.

Read our Sony Bravia 5 hands-on

Sony X85L LED TV (2023)

This is a further step down in Sony's backlit lineup and a continuing model from 2023.

It earned five stars from us thanks to its excellent contrast and backlight control, balanced colours and excellent motion handling.

It's a winner in the picture category, despite the fact it uses a full-array LED backlight. It does feature local dimming which accounts for the enhanced contrast and HDR performance.

We find that the X85L plays it too safe with sound at times, but we appreciate that it knows its limitations to avoid distortion. It sounds clear, detailed and fairly well-refined for built-in TV speakers, although we wish it had a touch more bass.

That all being said, we find it to be a solid performer by TV-sound standards.

The X85L is also specified very similarly to the other TVs on this list, with two HDMI 2.1 sockets for 4K/120Hz gaming with VRR and ALLM. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos immersive audio over HDMI eARC.

Read our full Sony XR-55X85L review

• Dolby Atmos: what is it? How can you get it?

Sony Bravia 3 LED TV (2025)

This LED model spans sizes from 43 to 85 inches. It's new for the UK in 2025, but launched in the US and Australia last year.

It takes the place of the X75WL, and offers 4K upscaling, Sony's Triluminos Pro tech, and audio courtesy of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

The Google TV operating system brings all the streaming apps you would expect, and PS Remote Play makes it ideal as a bedroom TV.

But as its panel is only 60Hz, and its HDMI sockets are only 2.0 certified (not 2.1), your games won't look or feel their best.

This also means it carries the basic ARC standard, and not the more advanced eARC; so audio quality over HDMI may not be as crisp as the other sets on this list.

• HDMI 2.1 explained: features, specification and more
• HDMI ARC and eARC: what's the difference? Why does it matter?

Sony W800 LED TV (2021)

This 32-incher is ancient. A mainstay of the Sony lineup since 2021, it's basically part of the Sony furniture.

It is the smallest TV in Sony's current lineup, and offers comparatively little in the way of features.

You get HDR support (HDR10 and HLG only), a 60Hz refresh rate and the Android TV operating system. But not much else.

It is currently not sold in the US or Australia.

Read our Sony W800 review

MORE:

Check out the full LG 2025 TV lineup

Should you buy a Hisense TV in 2025? Find out here

And our pick of the best TVs

It's a sad fact of life that even some of the best TVs have terrible sound quality. Some, but not all.

Because, thankfully, a few of them sound pretty good. Not as good as one of the best soundbars or best surround sound systems, certainly, but miles better than the competition.

They're not one-trick ponies, either. As well as sounding great, they look pretty stunning too, with excellent picture quality. Because what good is great sound quality if the picture is an insult to your eyes?

So if you don't want a separate sound system for reasons of space, budget, aesthetics or principle, check out the best-sounding TVs below. Your ears will thank you.

Sony Bravia 8 II

The Bravia 8 II has the same actuator-based sound system as the A95L, which is, in a word, fantastic.

It features two actuators that vibrate the screen in order to create sound, along with two subwoofers on bass duties. On set up, the Acoustic Calibration exercise helps make the sound more spacious, making it closer to a virtual surround sound effect.

Considering the sound is coming from the screen, the results are stunning. It's a proper room-filling sound, with the audio and picture linked in a way that rival systems can't match.

"There’s excellent detail, too, and enough dynamic nuance to convey the emotion in an actor's performance," we wrote in our review. "Bigger dynamic shifts are also handled well, with chapter two of Blade Runner 2049 building steadily where rival sets sound flat."

It's not the last word in bass, but it is sufficiently weighty and – crucially – remains composed where others flounder.

This is one of the few TVs that won't be improved by a cheap soundbar – you'll need to spend a bit more to better this set's audio.

Read the full Sony Bravia 8 II review

Philips OLED909

The 909 'only' scored four stars in our review, but for sound, it's a five from us.

Like the OLED908 before it, it has a sound system designed by British hi-fi stalwarts Bowers & Wilkins – a 3.1 channel 81W arrangement comprising a front-firing speaker bar arrangement and a subwoofer.

It supports a range of audio formats, too, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

The results are a cut above most OLED TVs we review.

Sound is clear and punchy, with surprisingly solid dynamics. It verges on the lean side from time to time, but it's still impressive for a TV.

The bass is impressive too. While not on a par with a separate subwoofer as part of a surround sound system, it still provides pulsating low-end effects with ample depth.

The Dolby Atmos spatial effects also work. "It’s not as directional as an external sound system, but we can hear the B&W speakers attempt to shift the sound around in a fairly organic fashion in order to replicate a sense of space," we wrote in our review.

And the sound is pleasingly musical, as you would expect from B&W. Vocals are clear and timing is on point. Which can't be said of most TVs that grace our test rooms.

Read the full Philips OLED909 review

• Dolby Atmos: what is it? How can you get it?
• What is DTS:X? Which devices have it?

Panasonic Z95A

Panasonic's second-gen Micro Lens Array OLED TV is one of the best the brand has ever made, not just visually, but sonically too.

True, it has the same 5.1.2-channel 160W, speaker system as its predecessor, the MZ2000. But Panasonic promises improved audio thanks to Technics' '360 Soundscape Pro' tuning and the TV chip's enhanced processing.

There's also a Space Tune feature, which optimises the sound to your room.

It works a treat. Audio has plenty of attack, with low-end rumbles pleasingly free from distortion. The audio also provides a slight sense of height on occasions, though it's minimal compared to a decent Dolby Atmos soundbar.

It can lack directionality at times, somewhat compromising the spatial effect. Against a decent soundbar, it will struggle. But compared to most TVs? It's head and shoulders above.

Read the full Panasonic Z95A review

Panasonic Z95A vs MZ2000: how new and old flagship OLED TVs compare

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How to improve your TV's sound: options for better audio

Find out how to choose and set up a soundbar

The best Dolby Atmos soundbars