Sections
- Page 1 Sony KDL-40W605B Review
- Page 2 Picture Quality Review
- Page 3 Sound Quality and Verdict Review
Sony KDL-40W605B: Sound Quality
The 40W605B is not as accomplished sonically as it is with its pictures – a situation not helped, we suspect, by the set’s lightweight build quality. Any half decent action scene quickly uncovers some pretty unpleasant harshness in the upper register that all too readily overwhelms the set’s rather perfunctory bass attempts.
The audio isn’t a total dead loss. The mid-range is open enough to handle dialogue quite nicely, especially if you activate the Sound Boost feature when watching films, and credit must also be given for how far the set’s soundstage spreads out beyond the TV’s frame without losing cohesion.
You can also boost the bass situation by adding the optional wireless subwoofer Sony has available. Though our suspicion is (having not been able to try one for this test) that a dedicated subwoofer would somewhat overwhelm a soundstage as ultimately average as that produced by the 40W605B – a wholesale upgrade to one of our best soundbars or surround sound systems might be a better bet.
Other things to consider
With its approachable price, manageable size and glorious pictures, the 40W605B clearly has enormous potential as a gaming monitor. Happily our input lag tests merely underlined this potential, as the set recorded just 33ms of delay between a signal arriving at its inputs and the image appearing on the screen. This is a low enough figure to deny you any excuse for being rubbish at Titanfall.
Should I buy a Sony KDL-40W605B?
This one’s a no-brainer, really. The Sony 40W605B produces the finest picture quality we’ve seen on any half-way affordable LCD TV, so why would you not want to get your hands on that?
We guess it’s possible some people may have their heads turned by the sleeker designs of some rival sets, and it’s definitely the case that the 40W605B isn’t nearly as accomplished with its sound as it is with its pictures. But being able to get pictures as good as those of the 40W605B for so little money looks pretty damn irresistible to us.
Verdict
The 40W605B sets a new picture quality benchmark for the affordable mid-range LCD TV market. So much so that even though it’s only April we already have doubts about whether any rival brand’s mid-range 2014 TVs will be able to top it.
ROUND-UP: Best Value TVs
How we test televisions
We test every TV we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Trusted Score
Score in detail
-
Features 8
-
Value 9
-
Smart TV 8
-
Image Quality 10
-
Design 7
-
Sound Quality 6
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
