Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K: 43-inch 4K Ultra HD LCD TV Sony - Review 🏆

The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K is a 43-inch 4K Ultra HD LCD TV that was released in 2022 as part of Sony's mid-range X80K series. This TV combines a sleek minimalist design with impressive display and audio capabilities powered by Sony's cognitive processor XR.

Key features of the KD-43X80K include:

• 43-inch LCD panel with 3840 x 2160 4K Ultra HD resolution and support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) content
• Edge-lit LED backlight system
• Sony's Cognitive Processor XR for optimizing picture and sound
• Google TV smart platform with voice control support
• Built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity
• Slim profile with narrow bezels

This mid-range model sits below Sony's flagship XR series but still aims to deliver an immersive viewing experience and intuitive smart TV features at an affordable price point. The following sections will examine the KD-43X80K's design, display quality, audio, smart features, connectivity, remote, performance, pros and cons, and overall value as a 43-inch 4K LCD TV option.

Design

The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K has a thin and minimalist design that looks great in any living room. It has an attractive wedge-shaped stand that angles the TV slightly upwards for better viewing. The TV itself is slim with very narrow bezels around the display, giving it a sleek, modern aesthetic.

Despite the thin profile, the build quality feels sturdy and durable. The back of the TV is plain black plastic, keeping things simple and unobtrusive. There are no flashy embellishments or accents, just a clean industrial design.

Setup is easy with the included stand that screws securely into the bottom of the TV. The stand has a small footprint, so the TV can fit on most media cabinets and tables. Overall, the pared back yet premium design of the Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K allows it to blend nicely into your living space.

Another excellent option to consider is the Sony KD-50X75WL: 50-inch 4K HDR LED Smart TV. This model offers a larger 50-inch screen with stunning 4K HDR resolution, enhancing your viewing experience with vibrant colors and sharp details. As a smart TV, it provides access to all your favorite streaming apps and services. The stylish design and modern technology make it a perfect addition to any home entertainment setup.

Display Quality

The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K features an impressive 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) resolution display that delivers crisp, detailed images. The high resolution allows you to see even the finest details in content. It uses Sony's X1 4K HDR picture processor to upscale lower resolution content to near 4K quality.

This 43-inch TV supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) including HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision formats. This results in a wider color gamut and greater brightness range. HDR content looks incredibly vibrant and lifelike, with bright, accurate colors and deep blacks. Highlights like sunlight glinting off water or sparks from an explosion really stand out.

Overall, the display produces natural, accurate colors and excellent contrast. Even in bright rooms, the screen remains viewable thanks to Sony's X-tended Dynamic Range technology that boosts brightness in highlights. Fast motion looks smooth and blur-free, so action scenes and sports are a pleasure to watch.

The Sony BRAVIA KD-50X80K: 50-inch 4K Ultra HD LCD TV offers a similar stunning experience but with a larger 50-inch display. This model also boasts 4K Ultra HD resolution and utilizes the X1 4K HDR picture processor for breathtaking picture quality. The larger screen size makes it perfect for bigger living rooms or home theaters, delivering cinematic visuals with vivid colors and deep contrasts. This TV also supports HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision, ensuring an immersive and lifelike viewing experience.

Sound Quality

The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K comes with decent sound quality thanks to its two 10W speakers that provide clear audio for most content. The speakers are downward firing, which helps project sound directly towards the viewer.

While the speakers deliver good audio quality for TV shows, movies and gaming, there is no support for more advanced sound formats like Dolby Atmos. The lack of Dolby Atmos means the TV may not provide a fully immersive audio experience on its own for formats that support it. If highly cinematic audio is a priority, connecting the TV to a soundbar or speaker system that supports Dolby Atmos is recommended.

Overall, the built-in speakers offer satisfactory audio performance for everyday TV viewing and most content types. But audiophiles or home theater enthusiasts may want to pair the TV with a more capable external audio system.

Smart TV Features

The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K comes with Google's smart TV platform, Google TV. This provides easy access to popular streaming apps and services like Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and more.

The Google TV interface is smooth and intuitive. When you first set up the TV, you can sign in with your Google account which allows you to get personalized recommendations based on your viewing history and subscriptions. The home screen shows curated content picks from across your apps and services. There's also a dedicated "For You" tab with customized recommendations.

Chromecast is built-in, making it easy to cast content from your mobile device or laptop directly to the big screen. This allows you to share videos, photos, music, and more in up to 4K quality.

The TV works with Alexa, allowing you to control certain functions like powering on/off, changing channels, and launching apps using Alexa voice commands. This requires pairing the TV with an Alexa-enabled device like an Echo speaker.

Ports and Connectivity

The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K comes with a good selection of ports and connectivity options.

For video and audio connectivity, it has 3 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports. The HDMI ports support HDMI 2.1 and allow you to connect devices like Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, cable/satellite boxes etc. The USB ports allow you to connect external storage devices or peripherals like keyboards.

For wired network connectivity, there is an Ethernet port that supports fast and stable internet connection. For wireless connectivity, it comes with built-in WiFi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2. The WiFi allows you to access internet and streaming services wirelessly and Bluetooth enables you to pair devices like headphones and speakers.

Overall the ports and connectivity options are quite good for a TV in this price range. The HDMI 2.1 and USB ports provide seamless device connectivity. The WiFi, Ethernet and Bluetooth give you multiple options for accessing internet and connecting peripherals wirelessly or via cable.

Remote Control

The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K comes with a simple and easy-to-use remote control. It has all the standard buttons you'd expect, plus dedicated buttons for popular streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and Google Play. This makes it easy to launch these apps directly instead of having to navigate through the menus.

The remote is comfortable to hold with a curved shape that fits nicely in your hand. The buttons have a soft rubberized coating which makes them easy to press without looking. There's also a microphone button at the top to speak voice commands into the Google Assistant.

Overall the remote is functional and intuitive for controlling the TV and navigating through the menus and apps. The dedicated streaming service buttons are convenient for quickly launching Netflix or Prime Video. It covers all the basics you need in a remote without unnecessary complexity.

Performance

The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K delivers smooth, fast performance whether you're watching movies, shows, or gaming. It has a quick response time and low input lag, making it a great choice for gaming.

The TV utilizes Sony's X1 processor that helps optimize picture and sound quality. This results in crisp, clear visuals with vibrant colors and excellent motion handling. Fast-moving action sequences in movies, sports, and games appear smooth and blur-free.

Input lag measures how long it takes for a TV to process and display image data received from a source device. For gaming especially, lower input lag leads to more responsive gameplay. The KD-43X80K has an impressively low input lag of just 8.5ms when gaming in 4K at 60Hz. This minimizes delays between pressing buttons on a controller and seeing the action happen on screen.

Overall, the fast response time and low input lag allows this TV to deliver a very smooth, lag-free experience whether you're watching fast-paced movies or playing video games where timing and responsiveness are key. This level of performance makes the KD-43X80K a great choice for gaming and dynamic video content.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Great picture quality: The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K delivers excellent 4K picture quality and vibrant, accurate colors thanks to Sony's X1 4K HDR processor. The 43-inch screen shows off 4K content beautifully.

• Smart OS: This TV comes with Google TV, which provides quick access to popular streaming apps, personalized recommendations, and Google Assistant voice control. The intuitive interface makes finding content easy.

• Slim design: Weighing just 16.8 lbs without the stand, the KD-43X80K has an incredibly slim profile that looks great mounted on a wall or placed on a TV stand. The minimalist design blends into any living room.

Cons:

• No Dolby Vision/Atmos: While the TV supports basic HDR10, it lacks more advanced HDR formats like Dolby Vision. It also doesn't support Dolby Atmos surround sound.

• Only 2 HDMI ports: With just 2 HDMI inputs, you may need to swap cables frequently if you have multiple devices. More ports would be preferable for connecting game consoles, Blu-ray player, etc.

Conclusion

The Sony BRAVIA KD-43X80K is a great mid-range 4K TV option that provides good value for money. It has a sleek and minimalist design that will look good in any living room. The 43-inch screen size is a nice compromise between price and immersive viewing.

The X80K delivers vibrant and accurate colors with deep blacks thanks to Sony's XR Triluminos Pro technology and support for major HDR formats. Motion handling is also solid with fast response times and Sony's XR Motion Clarity feature.

The Google TV interface is intuitive and offers access to plenty of apps and streaming services. Gaming connectivity is also good with HDMI 2.1 ports and input lag that should satisfy most gamers. The remote is functional and voice control works well.

For the price, it's hard to find another 43-inch 4K TV that provides such strong picture quality and features. If you want better smart TV software or more HDMI ports, you'll have to spend more. But overall, the X80K hits a sweet spot for shoppers wanting an upper mid-range 4K TV without breaking the bank.