Sony XH95/ X950H (KD-65XH9505) 4K LCD TV Review & Comments

Great review thanks Phil. I too find it strange that Sony did not put HDMI 2.1 on these TVs to match the PS5. I assume they did not think it needed it or are there cost implications?
 
65" can be had for £1499 from RS and Currys among others from the end of September.
 
Phil ,what would you pick this or the AG9 ?
 
Having just come from a Philips oled 804 which had better black detail than the LG oled I had before , the Sony xh9505 black detail is incredible and none of that horrible jarring stutter you get with 1080 i programmes and considering I always have Philips hue lights on when watching tv black levels are never a problem and of course the constant fear of the dreaded burn in , rare but it can happen .
 
its hard I got a used panasonic TV S11 50 inch and the black level is insane on this.
watching the walking dead last night on hear.
was looking at the XH95 65 inch great size.
if I went oled it would be 55 inch due to money and be the A8 or CX. but have the plasma blacks.
I watch tv and movies don't game.
 
For me after having 2 oleds and now the Sony xh9505 I have no regrets , the ABL on oleds is another thing I didn’t enjoy , but if your a massive movie fan in dark room go for oled
 
worth £1200 extra though?
He didn't mention price in his question.
At the end of the day, it depends on what you value in terms of picture quality. You have two different technologies each with their pros and cons.
 
Sony have pulled it out of the bag with the XH95. I've got a 65" and the blacks are jet black, hardly any blooming at all, upscaling is amazing, and UHD/HDR is just phenomenal. I thought UHD was superb and HDR very good on my XF9005 but with the extra brightness of this set it seems to be in another league! Motion is very good as always and the operating system is so fast and slick. I can't fault it so far. I also like the fact there is a bright DV mode and a Netflix mode (although personally I find the Netflix mode too dark). This is probably as close as you can get to an Oled for angles and blacks without the worry of screen burn.

I downloaded the extra Calman pro 1 and 2 settings and use the former.

The viewing angles are definitely much, much better than the XF9005, but I have noticed a tiny rainbow effect due to the wide angle filter, especially from the ceiling lights, which isn't an issue at all, but is definitely a thing so you wouldn't want this set under a room full of spot lights! The build quality of this set just feels so much more solid it's taking me back to my XE9305 only this is much better. I don't know if I've got lucky but my panel has no DSE or banding that I can see (I don't run test pages though) and no clouding.

I'm very surprised at the quality of the built on speakers on this set, they can take the volume very high indeed and the sound is also crisp and clear, but it just lacks base. I don't use it but if I didn't have a soundbar I'd be very happy just using the television and we have quite a large living room.

The remote on the 65" is a premium back lit design that is excellent and easy to use.

I'm scraping the barrel for negatives but if I had to find some they are poorly designed feet, no cable tidy at the back and quite a short power cable, although this is removable and without a power brick.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the XH95
to anyone, it's the best I've owned and can't see me needed or wanting to upgrade for many years to come.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for a great review, as a tv that would only be used for general viewing (no films or gaming) in a lighted living room is this a better proposition than any of the Samsungs.
 
Thanks for a great review, as a tv that would only be used for general viewing (no films or gaming) in a lighted living room is this a better proposition than any of the Samsungs.

The top end Samsung's are very good on paper but they can't match Sony's motion and I find their colours to be over saturated. Plus take a look at the current threads on this site regarding issues with marks on the screens and also motion issues. Each to their own though as lots of people love Samsung's. My living room is very bright but we also watch alot of television in the evening with low lighting and the XH95 performs very well in both settings.
 
He didn't mention price in his question.
At the end of the day, it depends on what you value in terms of picture quality. You have two different technologies each with their pros and cons.
I have a 65 AG9 already ,but getting a bit sick of avoiding Sky sports new etc for fear of burn in etc ,plus my 13 year old has a habit of pausing it and just leaving it paused ,I’m considering getting the 75” Xh
 
Still difficult to choose between oled or this sony or a samsung qled.... As I don't watch movie with black bars and always have lights on.. And mostly sdr 1080i.. Only youtube 4k (hdr)..
 
Still difficult to choose between oled or this sony or a samsung qled.... As I don't watch movie with black bars and always have lights on.. And mostly sdr 1080i.. Only youtube 4k (hdr)..

The issue you'll have with any is top end large screens will show superb picture quality in UHD/HDR but will show up poorer quality source content in all its "glory". From what you use it for I don't think you'd see the benefits of oled so save your money and go for an LCD. Qled is just lcd technology but Samsung have given it a jazzy name to try and make people think it's somehow better.
 
The issue you'll have with any is top end large screens will show superb picture quality in UHD/HDR but will show up poorer quality source content in all its "glory". From what you use it for I don't think you'd see the benefits of oled so save your money and go for an LCD. Qled is just lcd technology but Samsung have given it a jazzy name to try and make people think it's somehow better.
I see what you mean. I hesitate agains oled because of it's thin weak screens in handling/moving.. and the pixel-retention.. etc.
But I can always see a better image in the shops with cable tv in the faces.. and faces get the most close up attention in most cable tv programs.
And there's not much difference in the better lcd tv's and cheaper oleds.. Lg Oled CX is now to get for 1.300 euro's.. and the sony xh9505 is at the same price !! sony oleds are a 100 or 200 euro's more expensive.
 
Still difficult to choose between oled or this sony or a samsung qled.... As I don't watch movie with black bars and always have lights on.. And mostly sdr 1080i.. Only youtube 4k (hdr)..
I had the same dilemma, having kids and never watching in pitch black, I got this TV. I've seen OLEDS and no way are they worth the £1000+ difference and the worry you'll have . Oleds looks better aesthetically but the motion and HDR quality on this TV blows it out of the park.
 
Thanks for review Phil. Sony stated they plan to update some TVs to be “ready for PS5” - I take it from your comments about HDMI 2.0 the update is not for this model?
 
Thanks for review Phil. Sony stated they plan to update some TVs to be “ready for PS5” - I take it from your comments about HDMI 2.0 the update is not for this model?

Only the XH9005. According to some spurious rumours lacking any evidence this set may have the hardware, but equally others have posted that it definitely doesn't, so best to assume it will never have hdmi 2.1.
 
Only the XH9005. According to some spurious rumours lacking any evidence this set may have the hardware, but equally others have posted that it definitely doesn't, so best to assume it will never have hdmi 2.1.
Seems a bit limiting and unfortunately now off my list.
 
Seems a bit limiting and unfortunately now off my list.

It really wont be. 2.1 is being over played by some at the moment. If it were needed then Sony would have it on all of their sets. There isn't going to be much content that requires such high bandwith for a long time yet. Just seen a link to a very good article below.
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom