A fantastic set from Sony. (Sony KDL-52X3500)

Member Name: JimmyConway

Product:	Sony KDL-52X3500
Date:	26/09/09 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: SD processing, HD playback, design.

Disadvantages: Price, a bit chunky....

I thought I would make this my first review as there seems to be very little text on what is a premium product.

I bought this TV almost two years ago and I've been overjoyed with it.

Out of the box you get the TV, a robust table-top stand and the remote control.

The first thing that strikes you about the X series is the aesthetics. It doesn't have the bog standard piano black finish that is featured on 95% of flat panels. What you get is a nice, refined brushed gun metal bezel, housed in a clear plastic frame with metal casing. The Sony logo lights up blue on use of the set, which is a nice touch. It is an original and pleasing design.

Also included within this are the two speakers.

Now on to the most important part, the picture. What convinced me to buy this particular model was the standard of SD (standard definition [Freeview, DVD etc]) processing. Prior to this, my experience with flat panels was limited and what struck me was the poor quality of SD signals. I found it strange that these new panels had poorer picture quality on SD signals than their CRT counterparts.

This TV however, produced an acceptable picture quality for SD. The final outcome is dependent mostly on the channel you're viewing, so it does fluctuate, however all channels are acceptable and some do excel. The acid test, football viewing, was passed as the display handled fast moving images with little to no blurring.

It comes with Freeview built in, however I have yet to test this as I have cable tv.....sorry!

I cannot speak for all the added picture enhancements as I tend not to use them, but there is an array of colour tweaking options provided in the menu, so for the more enthusiastic video fan the picture can be manipulated much further to your tastes.

As you would expect, the high definition performance of this set is fantastic. Out of the box, the colours were vivid and rich (watching BBC's Planet Earth blu-ray), with the set producing a clean, pin sharp, finely detailed image. I have yet to experience any judder or artefacts that is associated with many flat panels, it is a consistent performer over an array of images.

As built-in speakers go, the X series are top notch and much better than the tacked on ones that befall many flat panels. They are more than adequate, however, as you would expect a dedicated surround sound setup will comfortably out perform them.

The remote is a typical Sony remote. Big, chunky with an array of buttons. It could be more user-friendly but it's well made and durable and does what it is supposed to.

If you're looking for a top notch flat panel set, then the X series will not let you down. It is expensive (at least it was when I first bought it) and you may be able to find similar sets for less. The new Panasonic (V/G sets) and Pioneer Kuros offer the same ballpark of performance, generally speaking, but could cost considerably less. It is also quite chunky at around 5 inches deep.

What I do know is that this one is quality through and through and comes recommended.

Summary: Great set, class performance across the board, plenty of features, lovely design, bit pricy.

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