If you want better response time
Choose Hisense U65QF. It scores 5.0 vs 1.0 for response time, with a 4.2 overall score.
Sony Bravia 9 II TV Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for exceptional bright-room HDR, accurate color, strong processing and unusually capable built-in sound. Skip it if you prioritize OLED-perfect blacks, four HDMI 2.1 ports, high-refresh PC gaming or maximum value.
Best for
Bright-room viewers and movie fans who want reference-minded color, huge HDR impact, strong processing and unusually capable built-in sound without moving to OLED.
Not for
Value-focused buyers, high-refresh PC gamers, or dark-room purists who prioritize perfect blacks, four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports or the lowest possible price.
Verdict
Sony’s Bravia 9 II is a showcase for how far premium LCD can go. Its True RGB backlight combines immense HDR brightness, wide color, strong black levels and unusually refined processing, while the anti-reflective screen makes it especially convincing in bright rooms. Built-in sound is another standout, with a large, immersive presentation that reduces the urgency of adding a soundbar. The tradeoffs are meaningful: it is expensive, only two HDMI ports deliver full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and blooming or color shifts can become more visible off-axis. Gaming is capable rather than class-leading, with low input lag but weaker high-refresh motion in some testing. OLED remains more consistent for perfect blacks and dark-room precision, but this Sony makes a compelling case when brightness, color volume and mixed-room versatility matter most.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
96 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.046 (48%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.431 (32%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.42 (2%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.411 (11%)
-
Very negative below 1.56 (6%)
Pros highlights
-
Overall satisfaction is very high, with the TV repeatedly described as outstanding, spectacular or among the best LCD/RGB LED sets available. The strongest reservations center on price and OLED competition.
-
Image accuracy is one of the TV’s signature strengths, especially in Professional mode, with natural color and reference-like tonal balance. A few mode-specific quirks keep it from perfection.
-
Gaming performance is mixed. Console play can look excellent with low lag and strong HDR, but limited HDMI 2.1 connectivity and weaker high-refresh motion keep it from class-leading status.
-
Sony’s image processing is a major strength, producing natural, refined images and strong cleanup across a wide range of sources.
-
Bright-room viewing is one of the TV’s clearest advantages. Huge light output and the anti-reflective screen keep the picture readable, colorful and punchy in daylight.
-
Sony’s True RGB implementation is widely praised as one of the most convincing RGB-backlit LCD designs yet. The technology still carries LCD limits such as blooming and imperfect blacks.
Cons highlights
-
Value is the biggest sticking point. The flagship price is difficult to justify against cheaper OLEDs and the Bravia 7 II, though a few comparisons felt the performance gains could merit the premium.
-
Bass is the weakest part of an otherwise strong audio system. It has useful punch for a TV, but several accounts wanted more depth or found an external subwoofer transformative.
-
A handful of software and connection problems—including HDMI handshakes, eARC and Dolby Vision issues—raise some reliability concerns despite updates resolving at least one problem.
-
Remote layout is mixed: the basic arrangement is friendly and intuitive, but the oversized Sony Pictures Core emphasis drew criticism.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other TVs, this product is above average in advertising intrusiveness, tuner support, maximum volume, near average in overall satisfaction, overall image accuracy, below average in high-refresh-rate gaming, response time, voice control accuracy.
Comparison summary
94 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher44 (47%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts28 (30%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower22 (23%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| high-refresh-rate gaming | 1.0 | 4.3 | -3.3 |
| response time | 1.0 | 3.9 | -2.9 |
| voice control accuracy | 1.0 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
| refresh rate | 2.0 | 4.4 | -2.4 |
| eARC support | 2.0 | 4.4 | -2.4 |
| advertising intrusiveness | 5.0 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
| Dolby Vision support | 2.0 | 4.3 | -2.3 |
| audio passthrough | 1.0 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better high-refresh-rate gaming
Choose LG G6. It scores 4.8 vs 1.0 for high-refresh-rate gaming, with a 4.4 overall score.
If you want better stutter handling
Choose TCL QM8L. It scores 5.0 vs 2.0 for stutter handling, with a 4.4 overall score.
If you want better voice control accuracy
Choose TCL QM7L. It scores 4.8 vs 1.0 for voice control accuracy, with a 3.9 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
- Worse: blooming control Blooming control is described as tighter than on the already strong step-down model.
Bravia 8 II QD-OLED
- Cheaper: price The Bravia 9 II launched at a higher price than Sony’s Bravia 8 II QD-OLED.
BRAVIA 9
- Older model: color gamut and peak brightness The Bravia 9 II is described as improving on its predecessor with wider color and higher brightness.
FAQ
Is the Sony Bravia 9 II especially good for bright rooms?
Yes. Its very high brightness and unusually effective anti-reflective screen are repeatedly praised for keeping contrast, color and visibility strong in daylight.
How many HDMI 2.1 ports does it have?
It has two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, and one also handles eARC. That can be restrictive if you use multiple current-generation consoles or a gaming PC plus an eARC sound system.
Is it good for gaming?
It is strong for mainstream console gaming with 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM and low input lag, but high-refresh motion results are mixed and the 120Hz ceiling is less appealing for demanding PC gamers.
How good are the built-in speakers?
They are unusually capable for a TV, with clear dialogue, a large soundstage and convincing height effects. Bass is the main limitation, and Sony’s wireless subwoofer and rear-speaker expansion can add substantially more impact.
Does it beat OLED for movies?
It can outperform OLED in full-screen brightness, color volume and bright-room usability, while getting impressively close on blacks for an LCD. OLED still has the advantage for perfect blacks, pixel-level precision and the widest viewing angles.
Is the Bravia 9 II worth its premium price?
The performance can justify the premium for viewers who specifically need its brightness, anti-glare screen and flagship processing, but several comparisons point to cheaper OLEDs or the Bravia 7 II as stronger value choices.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - Max M Chambliss II
- Review score
- 3.5
YouTube - Justin Tse
- Review score
- 4.4
YouTube - Digital Trends
- Review score
- 4.4
Article Reviews
ecoustics.com
Sony's flagship True RGB TV for 2026 offers excellent performance for an LCD TV, but can it challenge OLED where it matters?
- Review score
- 4.2
expertreviews.co.uk
Sony’s premium True RGB TV delivers a spectacular showcase of what this new technology can do
- Review score
- 4.0
tomsguide.com
The Sony Bravia 9 II True RGB TV is one of the top LED TVs of 2026, but the step-down Bravia 7 II is more affordable. Here's how they compare...
- Review score
- 4.5
whathifi.com
The Japanese electronics giant has matched the Bravia 9 II’s outstanding image quality with exceptional sound reproduction, world-class...
- Review score
- 4.5
trustedreviews.com
The Bravia 9 II isn’t perfect, but it’s a contender for the best TV of 2026 with its fantastically authentic picture quality and great sound
- Review score
- 3.7
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