TCL X11L review: One of the best out-of-the-box TVs that has entered our testing lab

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a favorite source On Google.

In January 2026, TCL entered into a tentative agreement to purchase a controlling stake in Sony’s Bravia TV brand, with electronics (including new TVs) made by the co-owned brand arriving on store shelves sometime in 2027.

For a brand that was once seen as a budget option, they have made significant strides in improving their products and reputation with each new generation. Hardware refreshes like updated LED and QLED panels and support for hi-res audio like Dolby Atmos helped boost picture and sound quality to compete with established brands like Samsung, Sony, and LG.

Also: The best 85-inch TVs you can buy

In the 2025 generation of TCL TVs, flagship models like the TCL QM8K offer premium features and high-quality picture and audio that can (and do) rival OLED. And now with the release tcl x11lThe brand has proven that it is capable of handling the BRAVIA brand and the exacting standards that come with it.

“Photos don’t do it justice.”

That’s what ZDNET Lab engineer Samantha de Leon told me when we were looking at the TCL X11L’s test data, and I agree. Straight out of the box, this is one of the most gorgeous televisions I’ve seen in my nearly decade and a half career, and with minimal adjustments, you’ll get a picture that will leave a lot of OLED alternatives useless.

Also: How to Disable ACR on Your TV

In our lab, we use a special imaging camera to test color accuracy, brightness, and contrast in various preset picture modes to see how well each screen performs. Without a doubt, the X11L has some of the most impressive out-of-the-box results we’ve seen from a consumer-grade TV.

The brand claims its new LED technology BT.2020 is capable of producing up to 100% of the color gamut, and this display came exceptionally close, with only a few tweaks required to zero-in.

As you can see from our test results, the X11L comes very close to perfection when it comes to reproducing colors. If that wasn’t impressive enough, the SDQ-Mini LED panel also boasts over 20,000 local dimming zones, helping to achieve nearly perfect blacks for intense contrast as well as 10,000 nits of peak brightness for bright whites and exceptional visibility in almost any room.

Each square on the chart represents a target color, while the dots are the actual colors produced by the screen. The standard portrait mode, which you’ll probably use most often, is already remarkable, but color accuracy improves even further in the Filmmaker and dedicated game modes.

Also: The top 6 TVs our readers bought this year (No. 1 isn’t Sony or Samsung)

The TCL And with speakers designed by Bang & Olufsen, you’ll get top-notch audio to complement the bright pops of color, inky blacks and bright whites.

ZDNET’s shopping advice

tcl x11l This seems to be a proof of concept showing Sony is capable of creating a niche TV on par with the Bravia OLED brand. The out-of-the-box picture quality is some of the most impressive I’ve ever seen, coming within a hair of perfection.

But all this comes at a hefty retail price, with the 85-inch version selling out $8,000 When 98 inches Will run a good ten stacks; And unfortunately, there don’t appear to be any plans to release smaller sizes. However, it’s an encouraging sign that TCL is capable of producing such high-quality images from LED technology, and I can’t wait to see what it can do with Sony’s OLED panels.