Sony’s Premium RGB LED TV Impresses with Stunning Visuals
The Sony Bravia 9 II is generating a lot of buzz as one of the most exciting new TVs in recent years. This RGB LED TV truly impresses. I recently watched *Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves* on the Bravia with my son, who’s just starting to explore the world of roleplaying games but hadn’t seen the film before. The landscapes of Faerûn appeared incredibly lifelike, and the magic from the Red Wizards of Thay was bursting with color. The HDR specular highlights were striking, especially during scenes like Xenk’s glowing sword battles in the Underdark, the explosive action in *Mad Max: Fury Road*, and the sun glinting off the waves in *The Meg*.
The Bravia 7 II, which I reviewed earlier, was already a standout RGB LED TV. The Bravia 9 II takes it up a notch with more dimming zones, an anti-reflective screen, and increased brightness, but it comes at a premium—$1,000 more for the 65-inch model, with the price gap widening for larger sizes. So, is the flagship Bravia 9 II worth the extra investment?
Sony showcased an early prototype of its RGB LED backlight technology back in early 2025, and even then, it was impressive. Whenever new display tech emerges, Sony’s top-tier TVs often lead the pack, thanks to their advanced processing and upscaling capabilities. The Bravia 8 II continued this trend as the latest in Sony’s QD-OLED lineup, while the original Bravia 9 was the top mini-LED model upon its 2024 launch. With RGB LED TVs becoming the focal point of 2026, expectations for the Bravia 9 II are sky-high.
The Bravia 9 II utilizes RGB LEDs for its backlight, moving away from the traditional blue backlight used in older LED TVs. This model features clusters of individual red, green, and blue LEDs that blend their light, resulting in a broader color spectrum than its predecessors.
It shares the same processor as the 7 II and boasts the same stylish lenticular stand—one of the coolest TV stands I’ve seen in a while. However, it only has two of its four HDMI ports supporting HDMI 2.1. Hopefully, next year, Sony will catch up and offer four HDMI 2.1 ports across the board.
In terms of grayscale and color performance, the Bravia 9 II matches or even surpasses the 7 II, although it still struggles with oversaturated reds in SDR mode. In Professional mode, the gamma and EOTF tracking are improved, providing detailed shadows and depth in images. Colors like sky blue, foliage, and skin tones look fantastic. While the grayscale may appear slightly blue, it didn’t detract from my viewing experience.
The brightness of the Bravia 9 II is impressive, with HDR highlights measuring at 3,800 nits and a full-field white screen at 885 nits. The Bravia 7 II maxed out at 2,200 nits for highlights, with a similar full-field brightness of 848 nits. For most content, the 9 II is sufficiently bright in both HDR and SDR modes, especially if you adjust it from its default settings meant for darker rooms.
Sony’s picture processing algorithms enhance brightness and color usage, setting its image quality apart from competitors. I watched several World Cup games through an ATSC 3.0 antenna with sunlight streaming in, and the detail on the Bravia 9 II was impressive.
Beyond picture quality, the Bravia 9 II has several features that set it apart from the 7 II. The standout upgrade is the anti-reflective screen, which is the best I’ve encountered. Bright lights and windows are reduced to a faint glow, making them nearly invisible during playback. Even when the TV is off, reflections don’t draw attention. While the effect diminishes at extreme angles, it remains non-distracting until about 70 degrees off-axis, which is quite a severe viewing angle.
The Bravia 9 II also has more dimming zones than the 7 II, allowing for better control over backlight transitions and reducing blooming, where bright light spills into dark areas. This is mostly true for the 9 II, which handles blooming well from straight on or slightly off-angle. However, there’s a slight glow around subtitles and a faint haze around fireworks. Blooming is more noticeable from the far ends of my couch, but it still outperforms the Bravia 7 II and other RGB LED TVs, though it doesn’t quite match the TCL X11L mini-LED TV. As an LED TV, some blooming is inevitable.
From more extreme angles, the blooming becomes more pronounced, with colors bleeding into one another. For instance, I noticed white from a Peanuts screensaver extending into the yellow background when viewed from the side. I wouldn’t recommend the Bravia 9 II for large gatherings, as viewers on the edges will have a different experience than those in the center. This blooming issue wasn’t as apparent on the Bravia 7 II, leading me to wonder if it’s related to the new anti-reflective coating.
Despite these minor off-angle issues, the Sony Bravia 9 II stands out as the best RGB LED TV on the market. Its excellent color accuracy, high brightness, and anti-reflective screen make it ideal for bright rooms. However, the 65-inch model I reviewed is priced at $3,600, while the Bravia 7 II is $2,600 for the same size and is available in smaller options. Even the 65-inch Bravia 8 II OLED is priced at $3,000.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Sony Bravia 9 II, and I believe anyone would appreciate having one in their home. However, I still have other favorites, even within Sony’s lineup. The Bravia 8 II, with its pixel-level control that only OLED can provide, would be my top pick. Contrast remains crucial, and OLEDs excel in that area. If you’re set on an RGB LED TV but want to save some cash, the Bravia 7 II offers much of the same experience (minus the anti-reflective screen). The Bravia 9 II is a fantastic choice for spaces where reflections are a concern, but I’d still recommend an OLED for most users.
