The Samsung S90C excels in gaming performance and has a higher overall picture quality, which makes it suitable for gamers and those looking for a visually impactful TV. It also does slightly better in bright rooms compared to the Sony A80K. However, Sony's A80K offers excellent motion processing, making it a strong choice for watching sports. It also has better built-in speakers and any sound quality. Both TVs offer OLED display technology, ensuring deep blacks and impressive contrast in dark environments. They come at a premium price and are similarly priced, so choosing between them depends on whether you prioritize gaming performance and a slight edge in bright room viewing (Samsung S90C) or motion handling for sports and better sound (Sony A80K). Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung S90C (OLED)
Very good for bright room
Best in class for gaming
Excellent for news, talk, & other TV
Excellent for cartoons & animation
Excellent for use as monitor
Best in class viewing angle
Best in class reflections
Advantages of the Sony A80K (OLED)
Excellent for sports
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Picture Quality
9.4/10
8.6/10
10.00/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
9.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
RGB OLED
PANEL TYPE
WOLED
QD-OLED
PANEL SUB-TYPE
WBE
The Samsung S90C (OLED) has excellent picture quality, while the Sony A80K (OLED) has very good picture quality.
Gaming
10.0/10
8.8/10
10.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
9.4/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
100.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
100.0/100
8.4/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
The Samsung S90C (OLED) is best in class for gaming, while the Sony A80K (OLED) is very good.
The Samsung S90C is considered best for gaming because it has the highest response time and input lag performances, which are crucial for fast-paced games and provide a seamless gaming experience. In contrast, while still good for gaming, the Sony A80K has slightly lower response time and input lag, which might not be as optimal for the most competitive or reaction-time sensitive gaming scenarios.
Cartoons & Animation
9.3/10
8.5/10
9.2/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
8.1/10
9.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.8/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.0/10
9.8/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
9.6/10
The Samsung S90C (OLED) is excellent for cartoons & animation, while the Sony A80K (OLED) is very good.
The Samsung S90C is considered excellent for watching cartoons and animation because it offers superb colors right out of the box and an excellent color gamut, ensuring vibrant and various shades are displayed accurately. The Sony A80K, while also very good in these aspects, does not quite match the Samsung's performance, meaning colors may not be as consistently rich or accurate straight out of the packaging.
Bright Room
8.5/10
7.0/10
10.0/10
VIEWING ANGLE
9.1/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.8/10
10.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.9/10
The Samsung S90C (OLED) is very good for bright room, while the Sony A80K (OLED) is good.
The Samsung S90C has better SDR and HDR brightness along with the best performance in handling reflections, making it very suitable for bright rooms. On the other hand, the Sony A80K, while still good in SDR brightness and reflections handling, doesn't get as bright in HDR content, so it's considered merely good for bright room viewing.
Cost
$2,444
$2,799
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
$4,500
The Samsung S90C (OLED) has a price of $2,444 and the Sony A80K (OLED) costs $2,799.
The Samsung S90C (OLED) and Sony A80K (OLED) are both excellent for movies & TV.
Sports
8.7/10
9.2/10
8.2/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony A80K (OLED) to be excellent for sports, while the Samsung S90C (OLED) is very good.
The Sony A80K is excellent for watching sports due to its slightly better motion processing and reflection handling, which improves the viewing experience during fast-paced scenes and in rooms with many lights. In contrast, the Samsung S90C also offers very good quality for sports with comparable response time and viewing angles but falls slightly short in those specific areas when compared to the Sony A80K.
News, Talk, & Other TV
9.1/10
8.9/10
7.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung S90C (OLED) to be excellent for news, talk, & other TV, while the Sony A80K (OLED) is very good.
The Samsung S90C excels at watching news and other TV programs with its superb upscaling of lower resolution content and strong SDR brightness, which is important in various lighting conditions. The Sony A80K, while very good for similar content, has slightly better colors straight out of the box, which could enhance the viewing experience without the need for further calibration.
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How the Samsung S90C (OLED) and the Sony A80K (OLED) compare to other TVs
"Samsung S90C is the company's attempt at making its QD-OLED technology more affordable. You get high-end pictures, great processing, top gaming tech, and a sharp design."
"It’s a high-end TV through and through something that becomes clear the moment you glance at its stunning picture. The A80K’s surgically precise contrast control is likely the first thing you’ll notice about its picture ... every piece of content looks better when this amount of precision is available. Color accuracy is another strong suit; the A80K features fantastic out-of-the-box color accuracy in the Custom picture mode."
Get a great deal on the Samsung S90C (OLED) or the Sony A80K (OLED)
About Samsung
Samsung, a South Korean electronics manufacturer, holds the title of being the largest global TV vendor in terms of units sold. They offer a diverse lineup of TV products that cater to various budget ranges. A notable achievement in recent years is the development of Quantum Dots, a technology that enhances color reproduction, resulting in richer and more vibrant hues. Samsung TVs are well-regarded for their high manufacturing quality and user-friendly software, making them an excellent choice for consumers seeking an intuitive viewing experience.
About Sony
Sony stands as a highly experienced and widely trusted TV manufacturer, earning a reputation that surpasses all others. A Japanese company, Sony has been making TVs for far longs than it has been making Playstation game consoles. Sony's high-end TVs are often regarded as the ultimate choice for videophiles, representing the epitome of quality, albeit at a premium price point. Renowned for their advanced and precise motion handling, as well as their cutting-edge local dimming algorithms, Sony consistently delivers unparalleled performance in these areas. They include Google TV software with all their TV sets, which grants access to the largest selection of apps available and they also include Bravia Core which is a movie streaming platform specifically for Sony TVs that offers higher picture quality by using more bandwidth.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec TVs team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest TV information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
385
TVs evaluated
33,110
TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
118,530
Recommendations made
17,780
Consumer hours saved
About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
Jaime is a Colombia-based TV expert. He is an electronics engineer with 8 years of experience in the telecom sector and has been making TV recommendations for 12 years.