Sony Z9D

mantis
mantis Posts: 17,194
in Electronics
Hello everyone,
I decided to pull the trigger on the Z9D from Sony. I wanted to get the A1E or the new A8F but the peak brightness and possible reliability issues scared me away. Nothing I have seen looks better then the OLED Tv's but the Z9D had a strong argument.
The Z9D in my opinion is the very best overall TV on the market today. Even with the short comings of LED technology vs OLED I still found the Z9D to be the best overall choice.
The Blacks are damn near as good but the white levels are un matched but anything I have seen today.
4K HDR and Dolby Vision is just outstanding. What a good time we live in.

Now I will confess. Inside I'm a little heart broken about taking my Pioneer Elite Kuro off the wall. That was a heart breaking time for me. It's sitting in my basement wrapped in a moving blanket and I feel all kinds of ways about it. That TV was the old King of TV's and in some ways I still feel it's even better then my brand new Z9D.

Time moves on technology keeps getting better and now I'm on a venture of HDR and Dolby Vision.

After I figure out my new receiver and Blu ray combo I'm strongly considering getting a Kaleidescape Video Server. We have one in the showroom and it even looks better then 4k Blur ray. It's crazy impressive. Check it out
https://www.kaleidescape.com/
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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Comments

  • dolbyd
    dolbyd Posts: 430
    Good choice. It is a great set. The crazy thing is that it is a 2016 model and still is the top TV today. The price coming down is the only change in 2 years.
    Love my 940E but I know it’s still a step behind your Z.
    Enjoy
    Main room- RTiA9 x4, CSiA6, in ceiling Atmos RT-70 x4, SVS PC 4000 x2, Marantz 8805A, OPPO 203, Emotiva DR3 G3, Emotiva XPA-2 G3, Emotiva XPA-5 G3, Emotiva X300, Sony 75" 940E, Panasonic Plasma VT50, PS Audio Power Port X2, PS Audio AC-5 x8, AQ Rocket 33 Biwire speaker cables, AQ King Cobra XLR IC, Furman PFi20 W/Cullen cable, SoildSteel S4-4 rack, Gik room treatments

    Office- Legend L600, in ceiling Polk RC80i, Marantz 7704, OPPO 203, Pioneer Elite PDF-59 CD, PSA Stellar 300, Sony 55" 800B, Gik room treatment

    Master BR- Signature ES60, Signature S35 Center, Signature S15 Dolby Height, LSI700 in ceiling, SVS-SB4000, Marantz 5012, Emotiva XPA5 G2, OPPO 203, Pioneer DVL-919 Laser Disc, Sony 55" OLED

    Patio- SDI Atrium8 x3, Emotiva A-100 amps x3
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  • honestaquarian
    honestaquarian Posts: 3,186
    As much as I love me some OLED. I will admit the Sony Z9's do one hell of a job! Even off axis they do not wash out much, which is one of my pet peeves about LCD's.
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  • rpf65
    rpf65 Posts: 2,127
    Just an FYI, Panasonic is supposed to release their lower end BD players soon, and the upper end ones in late fall.
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,079
    Congrats Mantis. Always a cool adventure when you get a new HDTV!
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    I have a 75" Z9D I bought in November 2016, along with an Oppo 203, and I love it. To me, it is like being at the movies, but my HT sound is better than the movies. I recently added a Sony 65" 900F along with another Oppo 203. This is also a great setup, but not quite as good as the Z9D.

    To be honest, I wonder if at some point Sony could issue a firmware upgrade that coaxes more performance from the 900F.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,396
    Only choice for a player is an Oppo 205 if you can get yourself in line for one. I would not settle for less than the best on that TV. Congrats!
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    There is no difference in video between the 203 and 205. The 205 has better two channel audio, and I don’t use a BRP for audio.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited May 2018
    dolbyd wrote: »
    Good choice. It is a great set. The crazy thing is that it is a 2016 model and still is the top TV today. The price coming down is the only change in 2 years.
    Love my 940E but I know it’s still a step behind your Z.
    Enjoy
    We had a 940E in our show room and I have probably 7 hours of testing time on it. Yes it's close to the Z9D in performance. I almost took that home.
    I did take home the 930E and ran it for a week. Another TV that is just a step behind the Z9D. What a wonder TV the 930E is. In the Industry they call it the baby Z9D.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    honestaquarian wrote: »
    As much as I love me some OLED. I will admit the Sony Z9's do one hell of a job! Even off axis they do not wash out much, which is one of my pet peeves about LCD's.
    OLED is unmatched in off axis viewing but your right, the Z9D does a better job them most if not all other LED Tv's on the market even today.

    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    rpf65 wrote: »
    Just an FYI, Panasonic is supposed to release their lower end BD players soon, and the upper end ones in late fall.
    I wish Panasonic would release their TV's here. I haven't seen a Panasonic TV in a few years now. When Panasonic Stopped making Plasma it was a sad day but when they released their 4K LED's they where IMO just as good as the Sony's and better then all others. Shame how the world has changed.
    I'm looking forward to finding a rock solid 4k Blu ray player. Cheap player are not my thing. The Cheapest player I owned is my current Pioneer Elite BDP62FD. It's a nice player and it served me well.
    I'm probably gonna bring home a Sony 1000ES 4K player which currently is Sony's best player. The new X700 looks cheap, if you need to go wifi it's only 2.4 which in todays market is a huge mistake. They got rid of SACD and DVD AUDIO not that I use those formats much anymore but I have a small collection of discs and like to spin them when I'm bored or just want to listen to that music.
    I do have a few SACD and DVD AUDIO players laying around and I could keep my 62FD just for that purpose. I don't see any reason to sell it unless someone wanted that player I'd let it go.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    DSkip wrote: »
    But you're not a videophile or anything... o:)

    Nice TV man. Obviously it wasn't available when I got my 940c but I would've jumped on one if it was. The flagship TVs from Sony are hard not to like regardless of technology.

    LOL I can't not own a regular anything. It's just not in my blood. Especially coming from a Elite Kuro buying a new Tv was amazingly hard. Even despite the fact the Kuro was not 4k, it's picture quality was so damn good I felt it was so much better then just about every single TV I tried to replace it with. My desire for a new TV started a few years after Pioneer Stopped making TVs and Panasonic was king. The 65 inch Models then I almost pulled the trigger on a flagship Panasonic. They where 95% or so as good as the Elite and 5 inches bigger which was really attractive until I studied both sets and felt the Kuro just was a better set.
    The 940C is a great set. I don't think it does HDR or Dolby Vision if I recall correctly. Might be time to move it and check out the 900F which is an amazing TV for the money. You can't get a new 940F they haven't come out yet. Unless you can find a 940E or a Z9D.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    BlueFox wrote: »
    I have a 75" Z9D I bought in November 2016, along with an Oppo 203, and I love it. To me, it is like being at the movies, but my HT sound is better than the movies. I recently added a Sony 65" 900F along with another Oppo 203. This is also a great setup, but not quite as good as the Z9D.

    To be honest, I wonder if at some point Sony could issue a firmware upgrade that coaxes more performance from the 900F.
    Sony Can not. The 900F motion chip is what you see and is better then the Z9D only there. I really like the 900F, I wish it had a Master Drive full array backlight then it would be a better set then the Z9D.
    Sony is coming out with a Z9F which I'm gonna strongly consider as I believe it's going to have HDMI 2.1 standard for future tech. I went to a Sony Training a few weeks ago and they where talking about it. The Price drop on the Z9D is why I jumped on it over the OLED even though in many ways the OLED is a better picture over the Z9D but not by much. Side by side in the training along with the 900F you can see good better best with the exception of the 900F was more smooth like the OLED. They had both the A1E and the A8F. Man I really like those sets.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Only choice for a player is an Oppo 205 if you can get yourself in line for one. I would not settle for less than the best on that TV. Congrats!
    I signed up on the Oppo waiting list. If I can get one I will. Probably grab the 203 but I'll take a 205 and spend the extra cash if it becomes available.
    Cambridge Audio also makes a Dolby Vision player and it's much like the Oppo. I had a Cambridge Audio Blu ray player years ago and I picked it over the Oppo then.
    They are also out of stock on that player.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    BlueFox wrote: »
    There is no difference in video between the 203 and 205. The 205 has better two channel audio, and I don’t use a BRP for audio.
    I hear him, Flagship is Flagship and I feel some kind of way when buying the model right under the flagship. I feel like I left something on the table that I should have for the little bit of price difference why not have the reference player?
    But your also right for video there is no difference and over HDMI for audio no difference there either so this might be the time I can hold by breath and grab a 203 if that becomes available. I'm in line but from what I understand it's going to be first come first serve. I just got on the list for both players a few days ago.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,321
    Congrats on the new unit! I saw one in the store not long ago. Good stuff!
    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    7q0yktyg5lm3.jpg
    Thanks man, here a Pic
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • honestaquarian
    honestaquarian Posts: 3,186
    Okay this is going to read like nitpicking, but is it at all possible to take a pic of the exact same scene from the front and from that same off axis angle to show how little the pic washes out?
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    Looks good on the wall. Is this one of the models that leans backwards when set up with their stand? Saw one recently, and I really didn't understand what the designers were thinking.
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  • polrbehr
    polrbehr Posts: 2,830
    mdaudioguy wrote: »
    Looks good on the wall. Is this one of the models that leans backwards when set up with their stand? Saw one recently, and I really didn't understand what the designers were thinking.

    They are thinking they want you to also buy a $200 wall mounting kit... from them? lol

    That's a nice looking display, @mantis, I've seen in BB/Magnolia the higher quality that spending the extra coin will get you. Sad to say they are still way out of my price range.
    So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?


    http://audiomilitia.proboards.com/
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,396
    mdaudioguy wrote: »
    Looks good on the wall. Is this one of the models that leans backwards when set up with their stand? Saw one recently, and I really didn't understand what the designers were thinking.

    They are stealthily getting rid of unwanted reflections by reflecting them somewhere else.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    mdaudioguy wrote: »
    Looks good on the wall. Is this one of the models that leans backwards when set up with their stand? Saw one recently, and I really didn't understand what the designers were thinking.

    They are stealthily getting rid of unwanted reflections by reflecting them somewhere else.

    Ya know, I guess, maybe. Strange, though. So, it's the A1E... https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/a1e-oled
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    honestaquarian wrote: »
    Okay this is going to read like nitpicking, but is it at all possible to take a pic of the exact same scene from the front and from that same off axis angle to show how little the pic washes out?
    Are you thinking of buying a Z9D? If so I'll go through the trouble of take a front and side paused image but I can tell you it dims just like any other LED panel out there. It's not like the Z9D is superior here. I know it's regarded as the very best LED TV ever made to date but it' not without common LED issues.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    mdaudioguy wrote: »
    Looks good on the wall. Is this one of the models that leans backwards when set up with their stand? Saw one recently, and I really didn't understand what the designers were thinking.
    Yes it is. I stand mounted it when I got it as I didn't feel like un installing my Pioneer Elite 60 inch Kuro so I sat it right on top of my Salamander Triple 20 stand and yes it leaned back a little bit. Not like the A1E OLED does but a little. I took a pic but not of the side lean.
    62e7yckkw90j.jpg
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    polrbehr wrote: »
    mdaudioguy wrote: »
    Looks good on the wall. Is this one of the models that leans backwards when set up with their stand? Saw one recently, and I really didn't understand what the designers were thinking.

    They are thinking they want you to also buy a $200 wall mounting kit... from them? lol

    That's a nice looking display, @mantis, I've seen in BB/Magnolia the higher quality that spending the extra coin will get you. Sad to say they are still way out of my price range.
    Considering when my Kuro was brand new it retailed for $7500.00. I feel I got a cheap tv LOL.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    On a side note I'm gonna start a new thread on the Z9D with a full review. Once I feel I lived with it long enough to really give it a fair review.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,079
    LCD TV's have many shortcomings.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,957
    Conradicles wrote: »
    LCD TV's have many shortcomings.

    EVERY TV made today has shortcomings. Trick is to pick the ones you can live with or suits your viewing habits.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    tonyb wrote: »
    Conradicles wrote: »
    LCD TV's have many shortcomings.

    EVERY TV made today has shortcomings. Trick is to pick the ones you can live with or suits your viewing habits.
    Do you know how extremely hard that is? I'm still not sure I got the right set. I keep thinking about the Sony OLED.

    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    I will keep my two year old Z9D for at least 5 more years. By then, there should be something better than OLED on the market.

    My friend who has a year old LG OLED already has burn-in issues with it. Before I got my 65" 900F a few weeks ago, I was looking at the Sony OLED, but since I want to hook my Xbox up to this TV I felt the LED was the best choice. Plus I saved a couple of thousand for other purposes. :)

    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,957
    mantis wrote: »
    tonyb wrote: »
    Conradicles wrote: »
    LCD TV's have many shortcomings.

    EVERY TV made today has shortcomings. Trick is to pick the ones you can live with or suits your viewing habits.
    Do you know how extremely hard that is? I'm still not sure I got the right set. I keep thinking about the Sony OLED.

    Not really Dan, we do it with audio gear all the time, video is no different.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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