LG vs. Sony OLED TVs: Which is Better?
Sony has just jumped in to the OLED TV market that has been the sole domain of LG for years, when the electronics giant announced their first model in the CES 2017 earlier this year. How do the new releases from both companies stack up today?
LG has been the undisputed leader when it comes to OLED TVs, until Sony came along to announce the XBX-A1E, their first Bravia OLED TV, in their CES 2017 press conference all the way back in January this year, according to Digital Trends.
It's now the month of September, and there's a growing body of consumers that had their first impressions of the flagship TVs from both LG and Sony, despite their high price. Will Sony be able to beat LG at their own game?
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The Sony A1E OLED has a visually arresting easel-style design, which lets the relatively thick panel rest securely on a flat surface. The result is like having a huge, borderless canvas resting on top of the floor or a table, which is very striking. Owners who prefer their TV flush against a wall may have to look elsewhere, though.
Sony's OLED display looks a bit cleaner than LG's when it comes to compressed cable TV content, with less noise noticeable, as reviewed by Digital Trends. Their panel makes brightly-lit details pop, too.
Sony opted to try something new with their sound system by having some of the audio played by vibrating the panel itself. The effect is pinpoint accuracy of sound direction, although the effect is lost from a bit of a distance.
The LG E7 opted for a more classic design, refining it by making the panel razor-thin as a huge section of the unit is actually thinner than an iPhone. It sits better against a wall, too, and the very thin layer of glass makes it seem like the image is being projected to the air.
This OLED TV comes with its own soundbar, which is helped by the Dolby Atmos surround sound feature. There may be better aftermarket sound setups available, but out of the box, the LG has great range and good fidelity.
Both Sony and LG produce clean, sharp images, but the LG E7 unit displays a better separation between bright areas, especially for HDR content. For now, LG's refinements make their OLED TVs stand out just a bit from Sony's bold offer, but buyers won't go wrong with either one, with both of them selling for about the same price.
