I'm all about value. As a reviewer, I obviously love getting my hands on the latest TVs, but when it comes to offering buying advice, I always recommend going for a previous-gen model as the savings are too big to ignore.
This is different, though.
The brand-new Sony Bravia 8 II QD-OLED is the successor to my previous favourite TV, the A95L, and it's a significant upgrade. So much so that I can pretty safely say that it's the best TV I've ever tested.
And despite having only just come out, it's already available with a £300 discount. That takes the 55-inch Bravia 8 II down to £2199 at Amazon, and the 65-inch version to £2699 at Amazon.
Yes, those are still very premium prices, and yes, the previous A95L is available for significantly less, but I feel this is one of those rare occasions when it's worth spending the extra for something truly exceptional.
I have a 65-inch Sony A95L as my TV at home, which goes to show how highly I rate it – but now I've tested the Bravia 8 II alongside it, my home TV looks a little less special.
The newer-generation QD-OLED panel is capable of going quite a bit brighter than the previous one, which makes highlights all the more impressive, but this extra brightness also brings with it increased contrast and colour volume.
This is such a vibrant TV that dazzles with colourful content, such as the Spider-verse movies, but it's also beautifully balanced, boasting Sony's trademark approach to cinematic authenticity.
You won't find a sharper, more solid TV, either. The Bravia 8 II has clever AI-based processing that subtly sharpens certain picture elements. You never see the processing in action – you just see an incredibly crisp and three-dimensional-feeling picture.
Sony has done amazing work on dark gradation, too, which simply means there's a great combination of perfect OLED blacks and spot-on shadow detail.
Best of all, you don't have to work at all hard to get this supreme performance out of the Bravia 8 II. As I wrote in my 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."
The Bravia 8 II is also one of the best-sounding TVs you can buy, thanks to an Acoustic Surface Audio+ system that combines excellent detail and directness with surprising spaciousness and atmosphere.
I still recommend adding a dedicated sound system (the Sonos Arc Ultra is a great starting point), but if you're determined to live with your TV's built-in speakers, this is another reason to choose this Sony.
My only real issue with the Bravia 8 II is that it has just two HDMI 2.1 sockets (as well as two 'standard' HDMIs), one of which is also the eARC port.
That's a bit of a pain for someone like me who has a PS5, an Xbox Series X and a Dolby Atmos sound system, but if you have only one or two of those devices, it will not be a problem at all.
All told, this is an amazing TV at a very good price, considering its newness. Yes, it will probably be available for less in a few months, but if you want a few hundred pounds off the best TV I've tested, this is the deal for you.
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