Sony AF9x / A9F (2018) Series

Superlative image quality ; Above average audio performance ; Premium design and finish

Prepare to pay a high price

With the AF9, Sony has created something epic.

Powerful performance from a new X1 Ultimate picture processor ; Great sound from Acoustic Surface Audio+ ; Oreo TV OS is the best Android smart TV offering yet

No Freeview Play ; 'Lean back' design is still a bit Marmite

Nuanced UHD HDR images ; Impressive upscaling ; Audio+ sound system ; Android Oreo smart platform

Lean back design ; Reworked image presets ; Black level crushing

A shiny new X1 Ultimate image processor, and the arrival of the Android Oreo TV OS, makes this a panel every 4K enthusiast will be lusting after. Even better, as it's coupled with an enhanced version of its Acoustic Surface Audio technology, it sounds...

It's impossible to draw firm conclusions from manufacturer-controlled demonstrations at an event such as this. But on first acquaintance the AF9 is very impressive, and almost certainly a step up from the much-loved A1.

Outstanding sound quality for a TV ; Class-leading upscaling, motion and gradation ; Excellent HDR10 presentation due to dynamic tone-mapping

Dolby Vision looks too dark ; Tilt-back design divides opinion ; Youtube app doesn't support HDR

The Sony AF9 is a very worthwhile upgrade over the AF8. Offering four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.0b ports, lower input lag, a more responsive Android TV interface and some dramatic picture quality improvements, the AF9 shows just how far OLED technology has...

Excellent dark room performance ; Near-instantaneous response time ; Image remains accurate when viewed at an angle

Could experience permanent burn-in ( ; ) ; Brightness is limited in white scenes.

Rich OLED color and deep blacks ; Excellent HDR with more than 750 nits ; Great sound (for a flat-screen)

Some slight moiré during detailed pans ; Significantly more expensive than the competition

The A9F is an excellent TV—one of the best out there. You could buy it and never suffer a minute of buyer’s remorse; unless of course, you looked around at the significantly cheaper competition, which includes a couple of TVs from Sony.

The Sony screen delivers masterful image quality, and invisible speakers you can really hear. With the upgraded smart solution added on, this is a near complete high-end TV.

The picture quality is very good, but you can say that about many of the competitors.