Sony KD-55X7055 Review, A Deep Dive into this 4K TV's Strengths and Weaknesses
by Samuel Kalenga on Sep 15, 2024
Key Features: A Glimpse into the Tech
Some of the Sony KD-55X7055's features that make it a great TV are the most eye-catching feature, its visuals. Let's explore some of the specs that make it stand out:
- 4K Resolution As befits a high-end Smart TV, the 55-inch screen in the KD-55X7055 has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, which is, of course, four times the number of pixels in Full HD. Picture details are rendered with unprecedented sharpness and clarity, a visual experience that’s light years ahead of what conventional TV broadcasting can match when it comes to drama, fantasy, action, and other television genres. You’ll wonder why you never noticed that a swatch of clothes could have so many intricate patterns or that an actor’s face could have as many nuances and gradations of facial expressions.
- HDR Support: High Dynamic Range (HDR) is the future of TV. It boosts contrast and colour range over standard dynamic range TVs by providing a wider pool of brightness values and colours to work with in your content. The KD-55X7055 supports the HDR10 format, which is the most widely mastered format for HDR content. By supporting HDR10, this set can play back content with a greater dynamic range of brightness levels and more vibrant colours. The result is more dramatic contrast in landscapes and greater shadow detail for more consistent and realistic renderings of action scenes. Once you watch HDR-mastered content on this set, you will notice the stunning difference in the greater brightness and contrast vs regular dynamic range content.
- X-Reality PRO: One major advantage you get with the Sony TV is its Sony-designed image processor, dubbed the X-Reality PRO. Even for content well-below full-4K streaming compression and resolution, this amazing censor improves sharpness, detail and overall picture quality to within an inch of its true 4K quality. If you’re still stuck on a cable TV station that broadcasts signal designed for yesterday’s higher-resolution 1080i sets, you’re going to be very excited and impressed with the detail pops that X-Reality PRO allows, even if your content is crammed into a 720p stream. Even without 4K native content, the X-Reality PRO will truly make the leap to 4K viewing a more realistic experience. You’ll definitely get more for your viewing dollar than just a good home hearth fire.
- Motionflow XR: Blur in fast-motion scenes can really bring down the enjoyment levels, leaving you with slightly substandard watching conditions. Motionflow XR aims to reduce this blur, and enhance smoothness and realism in action sequences by analysing motion in the frame and adding extra frames to smooth out the action. This is especially good for those who love sports, enjoy action films or just like to experience fast paced frenetic gameplay on a screen, as it allows such motion to be more easily witnessed and enjoyed. The more able we are to use our TV to display movement in a natural way, the better the viewing experience is likely to be.
- Android TV: Powered by the vast and versatile Android TV platform, you have access to a plethora of apps, streaming services and gaming options at your fingertips. You can also access specialised apps, such as those for music, sports and more. With Android TV, you also have access to a library of content from all the leading platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and more.
- Voice Control: No more searching for the remote! The KD-55X7055 comes with Google Assistant connectivity, letting you control your TV with your voice. Want to change channels? Tell it. Want to search for a programme? Ask. Voice control makes controlling your TV easier, so you can find what you want to watch with ease.
Performance Analysis: Putting it to the Test
Ultimately, a TV is only as good as the screen it produces. Here, we assess the Sony KD-55X7055 both in terms of its triumphs and its flaws across a range of attributes designed to give you an idea of its strengths and weaknesses.Sound Quality: A Realm of Improvement
While the picture quality is compelling, casual viewers might wish there was more to the sound quality. The KD-55X7055's in-built speakers are merely good enough for casual viewing, but they would not likely please someone yearning for more substantial audio, with the power, depth and clarity required for a truly enchanting on-screen experience. They are suitable for dialogue and sound effects, but that's about it – as far as humanly possible, the audio seems to lack the full-bodied and atmospheric sound required by avid viewers.
If you aspire to more, you might want to look at an external soundbar or home theatre system. A good sound system would be a game-changer, improving upon the already good video quality of the KD-55X7055. After all, what is the delight in recreating a visual depiction that doesn't transport you into a full-bodied experience of the characters and the surrounding action? Working together, an immersive picture and sound would allow for an incredible experience at home.
Smart Features: A Gateway to Content
The Android TV platform in the KD-55X7055 makes for a slick and easy-to-use smart TV experience. Everything is laid out in a very straightforward and simple-to-navigate manner. It has a strong selection of apps (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and hundreds more), which allows you to add whatever apps and content you want to favourite lists on the home screen, making customisation feel easy.
Voice control adds ease, for instance if you want to search for specific programmes to watch, turn the volume up or down, or take voice control beyond the TV to use Google Assistant to control smart home devices such as lighting control. The inclusion of Google Assistant turns this into a truly smart TV, since it will let you use it as the de facto place where you control your viewing and smart home.
Pros and Cons: Weighing the Benefits
Every TV has its advantages and disadvantages. Here is an analysis on the Sony KD-55X7055: a balanced view of the pluses and minuses of this TV set. The Sony KD-55X7055 advantages: The Sony KD-55X7055 disadvantages:Pros:
- Dynamic X-Reality PRO Image Processing: 4K ProcessingThe advanced Dynamic X-Reality PRO image processing engine analyzes lower-resolution content, such as unconverted 1080p or upscaled SD, and enhances it to near-4K quality, providing a crisp picture with natural-looking colours and new clarity. You can enjoy your non-4K entertainment content with high appreciation of the creative scenes, even in the higher resolution.
- Handling of Motion: Motionflow XR reduces motion blur when watching fast-moving action sequences in sports or action movies, enhancing the smooth appearance of fast-moving scenes.
- User-Friendly Android TV Platform: Android TV offers access to thousands of apps, a customisable home screen, and easy navigation. By using voice control through Google Assistant, it’s easy to control the TV or find content.
Cons:
- Average Sound Quality: The speakers built into the TV clearly aren’t powerful, detailed or full-bodied enough provide an audio experience at all. For sound quality, you need to upgrade to a soundbar or full home theatre system.
- No Dolby Vision Support: Though the KD-55X7055 supports HDR10, it does not support Dolby Vision, a competing HDR format with a wider colour gamut and dynamic metadata. This might be a dealbreaker for those who prioritise the extreme HDR experience.
- Limited Viewing Angle: picture quality will be compromised if you view the KD-55X7055 from an extreme side angle ? This is an important point to note if you have widespread seating.
Conclusion: A Solid Choice for 4K Enthusiasts
If 4K TVs are on your radar, you won’t regret buying the Sony KD-55X7055. It’s a great-looking TV: its pictures have punch, blacks are deep, and thanks to HDR10 support, it’s sharp. Sony’s Android TV platform is easy to use, highly customisable and has an app store that has most bases covered, plus its voice control via Google Assistant neatly complements the rest of a smart home. The sound could do with an upgrade, but if you’re into glorious pictures and a smart TV in one affordable bundle, Sony’s KD-55X7055 deserves your attention.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the screen size of the Sony KD-55X7055?
A: The Sony KD-55X7055 has a screen size of 55 inches, which is quite large.Q: Does the Sony KD-55X7055 support HDR?
Q: Does the Sony KD-55X7055 television support the HDR standard?A: Yes, it supports HDR10, the de facto standard for today’s HDR content, which provides a much wider range of contrast and colour that really makes HDR video look almost like the real world.Q: What operating system does the Sony KD-55X7055 use?
A: The Sony KD-55X7055 runs on the Android TV operating system with access to a wide variety of apps, streaming services and games, and also featuring voice control.Q: Is the Sony KD-55X7055 compatible with voice control?
A: Yes, it has Google Assistant built in for voice control so you can operate your voice features, find content using your voice, and control your smart home features too.Q: Does the Sony KD-55X7055 have built-in speakers?
A: Yes. Combining it with an external soundbar such as the Sony HT-Z9F or any other home theatre speakers would also help.Q: Is the Sony KD-55X7055 suitable for gaming?
A: All things considered, the KD-55X7055 is moderately good for gaming. Motionflow XR makes for smooth motion handling, and input lag is good, making it suitable for most console or PC gaming.Q: What are the alternative models to consider?
A: If you’re looking for the same spec and similar price point models, there’s the Sony KD-55X80J and the Sony KD-55X85J, all of which utilise backlighting for the same picture quality levels and potentially adding features such as Dolby Vision compatibility and better sound.In Conclusion: A Solid Choice with Room for Growth
Don’t have time to read the full review? TL;DR: This is a very good TV, but unless you specifically want an objectively good experience for a stunning visual image and operate inside Sony’s Android TV smart TV ecosystem, you’re probably better off with something else. The sound is serviceable at best The Sony KD-55X7055 is a great 4K smart TV. This television can’t really be accused of any major failings in any particular area; there is nothing that makes the KD-55X7055 a bad TV.
Picture quality is excellent; the onboard HDR10 support does very well for itself without Dolby Vision compatibility; and the user interface for Android TV is very nice. Sound quality is serviceable at best, which would likely encourage the average consumer to bite on a Sony soundbar upsell, but that’s the worst you could say for it. It’s a very good television. Unless you specifically want an objectively good TV-watching experience for stunning, HDR-infused visuals and inside Sony’s ecological niche for Android TV smart TV hardware (or, if you for some reason wanted to specifically avoid those ideas for any reason).
As much as high-end 4K TVs, the KD-55X7055 bear the marks of their first-generation status. If you’re willing to spend just a little more, there are other sets on the market that can be better at either the highest highs or the lowest lows. If you must have the most high-end, bleeding-edge HDR experience, choose something with Dolby Vision support, and similarly for sound quality, you might be better off with a TV that has something other than real-time limited dynamic range forward masking.
