Compare LG QNED80A6A (VA) vs TCL C7L

Looking at the QNED80A in its VA version as a whole, we are dealing with a television that has a very specific character. It's a device that movie lovers who enjoy evening screenings seeking savings will like, as long as... they accept certain shortcomings. We get truly solid blacks and contrast here, but we pay for it with narrow viewing angles. Let's not hide it: this television is for those who have their favorite spot in the middle of the couch. Of course, you can feel some budget cuts here – the 60Hz panel or edge dimming, which sometimes struggles in difficult scenes, are elements that remind us this is not the highest-end television. However, LG cleverly compensates for these hardware shortcomings with excellent software. It's almost surprising how well this television handles pulling details in HDR or upscaling lower quality cable materials – the processor does a great job making the picture look more expensive than it actually is. When we add to that the great WebOS system and gaming features that, despite the lack of 120Hz, still manage to impress, we end up with a very successful screen for home cinema. It requires some understanding, but in return, it rewards you with a truly vivid image at an affordable price.

The TCL C7L is an incredibly successful Mini-LED television and a fully deserved successor to the hit model C7K. The list of advantages of this device is truly long. At the top is the extremely high brightness of the panel. Thanks to this, the television effortlessly handles brightly lit living rooms, offering an exceptional and dynamic picture in HDR format. Huge praise is also due for the use of the new Super QLED coating – after professional calibration, the colors can be not only natural but also incredibly saturated. The best part is that the screen does this regardless of what scene is being displayed, which is often not the case with all TVs that have RGB backlighting. The C7L is also a great piece of equipment for gamers; you could say it’s a true "media powerhouse." We get full support for consoles and PCs, a refresh rate of up to 288 Hz, G-Sync, and low input lag that doesn’t increase even when the very demanding mode of Dolby Vision Gaming is activated. The whole thing is tied together by a well-optimized Google TV system, which in this generation of TCL devices operates noticeably smoother and more efficiently (at least that’s the impression we got during our tests). Of course, the C7L is not a perfect device, and the manufacturer had to make certain compromises with this model. The biggest drawback of the C7L is the use of a less powerful image processor. Unfortunately, this translates to quite average digital processing and other design limitations in the form of only two HDMI 2.1 ports. A more powerful chip has been reserved this year for higher series, such as the C8L. From a business perspective, this is fully understandable. Why? Because if TCL had put a better processor here, most people would probably see no point in paying extra for the higher model. So even if certain compromises exist, the C7L series once again promises to be one of the most cost-effective Mini-LED televisions this year. If you are looking for a versatile, extremely bright screen for movies, series, television, or games – literally for everything – and at the same time do not want to overpay for the top series, then yes... the C7L is a brilliant choice that we can definitely recommend to you.

The model we tested with a 55-inch diagonal is equipped with a VA panel. And here we have great news: this is a significant advantage over the IPS version, if you care about deep blacks and a rich image. Our measurements showed that in typical film scenes, the native contrast is really solid, exceeding values of 6000:1. In practice, this means that black is black, not gray, which works very well for occasional evening viewing and is not annoying. However, it’s interesting to note the moments when our measuring devices indicated contrast levels exceeding 20 000:1. What caused such a jump? The LG QNED80A is equipped with a Local Dimming system. However, this is an edge-lit configuration. This means that the TV can dim vertical strips of backlighting where the image is supposed to be dark. In theory, this sounds great and actually allows for better numbers in charts than in a classic LCD screen. Unfortunately, reality can be brutal. The use of edge dimming is a double-edged sword that can spoil the film experience in difficult scenes. An ideal example is the helicopter scene in the movie Sicario 2. When the screen has a lot of black and small, bright spots, the dimming system starts to work very aggressively and... not very precisely. You can clearly see how entire vertical strips of the screen brighten and dim, trying to keep up with the object. Instead of deep black, we see blooming, which simply looks bad and strongly distracts from the plot. Although the dimming system improves measurable contrast, in everyday use – especially with the lights off – its aggressive operation can be annoying. Often, a better solution may turn out to be... turning off this function or setting it to a minimum, to enjoy the stable, natural black of the VA panel itself.

TCL C7L is a Mini LED TV, which in the 65-inch variant we tested, is equipped with over 1000 local dimming zones. This, combined with a proprietary VA panel (referred to by TCL CSOT as HVA 2.0), delivers really decent results in terms of black levels and contrast. In most of the scenes we measured, black levels and contrast looked really good, and in the easiest shots, the black was deep enough to resemble that known from OLED screens. We are, of course, talking about the least demanding shots with a lot of black on the screen. However, when a larger number of bright elements appear on the screen, and black no longer dominates so strongly, it becomes clear that the TCL C7L – like most Mini LED TVs – has its issues with managing local dimming zones.

This is particularly evident in the standard black bars in movies recorded in the panoramic format 2.35:1. In this case, a clear halo effect, or bright light glow, can appear on the black bars or around small, bright objects. The contrast then drastically drops – from laboratory values of around 200,000:1 to about 10,000:1, which is quite noticeable in a completely dark room. It is worth remembering that this should not be treated as a flaw of the TV but rather as a characteristic of mini-LED technology. Of course, this effect becomes much less bothersome when we turn on at least some soft, diffused light in the room... which I definitely recommend doing during viewing sessions on any LCD TV.

Let's talk now about how this TV shines. If you expect dazzling light effects, we need to cool your enthusiasm. The LG QNED80A is a moderately bright television. Our measurements in most movie scenes indicated values around 350-400 nits. That's not enough to speak of a full, cinematic HDR experience and the sense of that famous "high dynamic range" that flagship products offer. However, brightness is not everything. Although the QNED80A is not a "light monster," it makes up for it in another key category: colors. Here, the PFS technology comes into play, which LG marketers hide under the name QNED/NanoCell. Thanks to this process, the TV offers a significantly wider color palette than classic LCD designs. In our tests, the coverage of the cinematic DCI-P3 palette reached a solid 93-94%. What does this mean for you? That even at lower brightness, when watching movies in HDR, the colors will be vivid, deep, and properly saturated. The image is not washed out but lush, which is a significant advantage in this price range.

TCL C7L is undoubtedly an extremely bright television. In synthetic tests on static images, it can achieve peak brightness levels of around 2800 nits. This is an absolutely phenomenal result, considering the price range it falls into. Unfortunately, the tests with real film scenes are not as spectacular as the measurements of white squares. The brightness in actual HDR shots drops to around 1200 nits in the C7L model. This is still a very good result, as the vast majority of contemporary films are mastered at such a value. However, when small, pinpoint elements appear on the screen, the brightness of those details drastically drops – even to about 400 nits – which diminishes the HDR effect somewhat. The television does this intentionally to maintain a better level of black and prevent a huge glare of light. This is somewhat explainable, but it also shows that Mini LED technology is not completely uncompromising in this regard. As for the HDR effect itself – alongside brightness, colors are obviously key here. And these, thanks to the use of new, "super" quantum dots, are simply outstanding and among the best on the market. The television can achieve around 90% coverage of the ultra-wide color gamut BT.2020 and 99% of the DCI-P3 gamut, easily matching the best RGB MINI-LED screens. Best of all, the C7L can maintain such high color saturation regardless of the scene being displayed, which is often problematic in competing RGB Mini-LED televisions.

It might seem that since the QNED80A is one model, it should offer the same picture regardless of the version. However, practice shows something completely different. Analyzing the variant with a VA panel in the best factory setting – that is, in Filmmaker Mode – we noticed a specific characteristic. This TV “out of the box” serves us a picture with a clear dominance of red and a deficiency of blue. The overall image is very warm, almost hot. Many users might describe this as a “too cinematic” image, approaching sepia. Additionally, there's the issue of the gamma curve – the TV tends to slightly, artificially brighten scenes (the gamma is too low), causing the picture to lose some of its plasticity. The good news is that these are not flaws of the panel, but merely of the software. As always in our tests, we carried out a professional calibration, which completely eliminated these shortcomings, restoring the natural white balance and correct saturation.

When it comes to colors straight out of the box, a new feature in TCL televisions – including the C7L model – is the presence of a new picture mode called Filmmaker Mode. This is significant news, as such a mode was previously unavailable from this manufacturer. By design, as the name itself suggests, the image in this setting is intended to be presented with the full intent of the film's creator. After our tests, we can confirm that it is undoubtedly the best built-in mode on this television if you care about faithful color reproduction straight out of the box. However, we definitely wouldn't say that it is perfect. Like most devices on the market, this C7L also had its factory flaws. The white balance in Filmmaker Mode strayed into a slightly greenish-yellow hue, mainly due to an excess of green component and a noticeable lack of blue color. Of course, for the average viewer, this may not be a drastic flaw, but if you care about perfect whites, natural skin tones, and fully unlocking the potential of these new "super" quantum dots, this television is in need of professional calibration.

Was it worth spending time on calibration? Definitely yes. We managed to tame the initially too warm white balance and, most importantly, correct the gamma curve. The TV stopped artificially brightening scenes, which added depth to the image. The biggest improvement is visible in SDR content, meaning when watching regular television, YouTube, or in games without HDR. Here, the QNED80A shows its class – color reproduction errors (DeltaE) dropped below a value of 2. In technical terms, this means that the errors are practically unnoticeable to the human eye. The image in everyday use has simply become very attractive, natural, and correct. The difficulties begin with HDR content. Even though we managed to improve the white balance, the EOTF curve graph (responsible for brightness at various levels) shows that the TV still "interprets" the image in its own way. This is due to the nature of the edge-lit local dimming used and the fact that LG gives the calibrator a very limited range of control over this parameter. In short: the TV struggles to hide its hardware shortcomings, sometimes ignoring our commands. Nevertheless, the final image is much more accurate and pleasant to the eye than in factory settings, even if it still falls short of studio ideal.

After conducting a professional calibration, we managed to significantly improve the situation in the factory Filmmaker Mode. Following our adjustments, the errors in the ColorChecker test and across the entire wide color gamut dropped below the threshold of human perception – that is, below a value of 3, which is indeed a very good result. The TCL C7L definitely benefits from such an intervention in terms of color fidelity, and it's hard to dispute that. However, the management of brightness in HDR content post-calibration looks a bit worse. As I described earlier – even though we set up this model properly, when we turn on actual film scenes on the TV, it manages its brightness in a rather peculiar way. It often brightens certain elements on the screen contrary to the creator's intent, which is clearly visible in the EOTF graphs measured in specific films. Despite this defect – or rather a specific characteristic of this television – one cannot take away from it that after calibration, the C7L was able to reproduce the colors completely accurately.

We also have excellent news for those sensitive to digital artifacts. Regardless of which version of the panel you encounter, the LG QNED80A handles gradation, or the smooth blending of colors, exceptionally well. In this price range, it is often the case that instead of a smooth transition (e.g., from light sky blue to navy), we see ugly, separate stripes. Here, this problem practically does not occur. In our tests, both in very bright parts of the image (like sunsets) and in difficult, dark shades of gray, the picture remained uniform and natural. We did not notice the annoying "banding" effect or distinct lines connecting colors.

Another element worth discussing is the fluidity of tonal transitions. Here, it's fair to admit that in the TCL C7L, it simply looks good. In most scenes – especially in the brighter shots – there are absolutely no issues with gradients. In native 4K HDR content, the picture is clear, and the transitions between shades are very smooth. It looks just as good in Dolby Vision mode, where we did not notice any digital defects or unpleasant color banding during testing. One could nitpick very dark shots where a heavily compressed signal is displayed on the screen. In such conditions, the C7L can sometimes show minor imperfections; however, in this model, it's not something that stands out too much. Especially during regular movie viewings.

In this category, the QNED80A proves to be a real "dark horse." It's a fantastic, affordable television for those who often watch lower quality materials – for example, from traditional cable TV. The processor used here handles upscaling exceptionally well, meaning it enhances low resolution to native 4K. The image after processing is natural, smooth, and most importantly – not overly jagged or artificially sharpened. In the menu, we also find a dedicated option for smoothing tonal transitions in low-quality material. This feature works really effectively, eliminating the annoying "banding" of colors in heavily compressed video. However, we must remain vigilant. Remember that we are not dealing with a top-tier processor known from flagship OLED models. In more challenging scenes, the system may struggle and introduce minor artifacts or distortions. Nevertheless, it's definitely worth giving this feature a chance, as in most cases, the improvement in quality is noticeable to the naked eye.

This point can be, in a sense, called the Achilles' heel of the C7L model. Unfortunately, this TV uses an older MediaTek chipset – the Pentonic 700 – which has never been known for exceptional digital image processing. This is clearly evident in the operation of the gradual smoothing feature, which is responsible for reducing jagged edges and removing digital noise. It simply works very poorly – after setting it to low, its effectiveness is practically nonexistent. The only small plus here is that the algorithm doesn't spoil anything additional in the image and doesn’t forcibly blur details. The upscaling, that is, scaling the image from lower resolutions to 4K, performs a bit better. It is simply adequate and doesn’t stand out in any particular way compared to the competition. However, it cannot be denied that the C7L would gain significantly in this aspect if the manufacturer decided to use the newer Pentonic 800 processor, which is now increasingly found in many competitive models.

We move on to a matter that may be decisive for many. Unfortunately, here we must point out the biggest "Achilles' heel" of the QNED80A model. This TV is equipped with a panel that has a native refresh rate of 60Hz. There's no point in hiding it – at this price, we expected more because we know that Chinese manufacturers can offer 120Hz screens for similar money. Due to this parameter, dynamic scenes in sports or fast-paced games are not the strong suit of this screen. Fortunately, LG has equipped the TV with a proven smoothing system called TruMotion. It works quite well with film material (24 frames). We suggest playing around with the De-Judder slider – from our experience, setting it in the range of 2-4 provides the best compromise: motion becomes smoother while still looking natural, without the artificial "TV theater" effect.

TCL C7L features a native 4K panel with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which can even ramp up to 288 Hz at lower resolutions when using a PC. These are, of course, very high values and commendable on paper, but in everyday life, it's worth remembering that nearly all dynamic content you display on this television will still be running around a maximum of 120 Hz. To harness this dynamics, we find a motion smoothing system in the TV's menu called “Motion Clarity.” It offers several predefined modes, including a user mode, which we definitely recommend setting manually using our tried-and-true guides on our YouTube channel. There we have two key sliders at our disposal. The first one, “Blur Reduction,” is responsible for reducing blurring and improving sharpness in dynamic 60fps materials, such as sports broadcasts. The second slider, “Flicker Reduction,” allows for the addition of artificial frames in movies and series recorded at cinematic 24 or 30 frames per second. This, of course, completely eliminates the irritating stutter effect during camera movement shots.

Since we have established that the QNED80A is a 60Hz panel television, we must say it directly: we will not be playing here at 120 frames per second in any resolution. Does this disqualify the device in the eyes of gamers? Not necessarily, especially for "casual" gamers. LG has decided to sweeten this technical limitation by packing in quite a few useful features. We have support for VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) ranging from 48-60Hz and an automatic game mode ALLM, which quickly reduces input lag upon detecting a console. We manage all of this through a very convenient, purple Game Optimizer menu (Player Panel), which has already become LG's trademark. The manufacturer deserves big credit for consistency regarding HDR. Although the television does not support Dolby Vision in games on Xbox consoles, LG adds a well-implemented HGiG standard. Thanks to this, even on a moderately bright screen, HDR gaming is clear, and details in shadows and highlights are accurately reproduced, rather than "cut off."

When it comes to gaming, the TCL C7L is simply an outstanding television for gamers. With the presence of two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports at 48 Gbps, we have access to all the key features that console owners and powerful PC users require. It offers a well-functioning ALLM mode with very low input lag and VRR frame synchronization that operates impressively from 48 up to 288 Hz. Importantly, unlike some competitors, TCL has ensured proper implementation of the console HDR10 HGIG profile and support for Dolby Vision in games. This is complemented by a well-designed gaming panel, the Game Bar, which even allows for customization of its appearance and theme to perfectly match the aesthetics of your console.

The only thing that can – and indeed must – be criticized here is the fact that the television offers only two full HDMI 2.1 ports, while the other two are older HDMI 2.0. This creates quite a significant logistical problem. Why? Because one of those fast ports also supports the eARC audio return channel. In practice, this means that if you connect a soundbar or home theater system to the television, you will only have one free HDMI 2.1 port left. If you have two consoles or a console and a powerful computer at home, unfortunately, you will have to give up something or constantly juggle the cables at the back of the unit while maintaining convenient audio system control.

At the end of the gaming section, let's take a look at how quickly the television responds to our commands. The input lag we measured on the QNED80A model is about 15 ms (at 60Hz signal). These may not be values that will revolutionize the market or impress professional e-sports players competing for every millisecond. However, for the average console gamer, this result is more than sufficient. During our gaming tests, we did not experience any annoying "drifting" of the crosshair or delay between pressing a button on the controller and the reaction on the screen. The entertainment is smooth and comfortable, which is the most important thing in home gaming.

It is worth taking a look at the dry numbers here, because in terms of signal delay, the TCL C7L is absolutely at the top of the market. Our measurements showed that the input lag is extremely low and for a 60 Hz signal it is only about 10 ms. When we step up to a higher level and launch a game at 120 Hz, the delay drops to an imperceptible 6 to 7 ms. However, what is more important is that these values are maintained even after activating the Dolby Vision format in games.

Is the QNED80A suitable for connecting a computer? For the version with a VA panel, the answer is: absolutely. If you plan to use this TV as a huge monitor for work, you will not be disappointed. The readability of the fonts is very high – the text is sharp, clear, and does not strain the eyes, which is not always a given with large screens. Additionally, there is the low input lag that we mentioned earlier. This makes mouse work precise, and you don't feel that characteristic "floating" of the cursor. Of course, due to the 60Hz refresh rate, this is not the dream equipment for e-sports players gaming on PC, but for text work, web browsing, or occasional strategy gaming, it performs excellently.

When it comes to gaming on PC, as I mentioned earlier, it is truly seamless. The TV effortlessly supports high refresh rates: full 4K at 144 Hz, and at Full HD resolution, it can even ramp up to 288 Hz. Moreover, both G-Sync and FreeSync synchronization systems work here without any issues. For PC gamers, the C7L can serve as an excellent, gigantic monitor.

However, typical office work with text looks a bit worse, all due to the panel behaving quite strangely under these conditions. When the highest refresh modes are turned on, namely 144 Hz and 288 Hz, the readability and sharpness of dark text on a light background is rather average – fonts become slightly blurry and jagged. Fortunately, this can be very easily fixed by changing the refresh rate in the graphics card settings to a stable 120 Hz. Then the text becomes perfectly sharp again, which is definitely worth remembering if you plan to use the C7L as a work screen.

When opting for the VA panel version, you must be aware of a certain compromise. You get great blacks and contrast, but you pay for it with narrow viewing angles. This is a typical feature of this technology, and the QNED80A is no exception. If you sit directly in front of the screen, the picture will be sharp. However, just moving to the side of the couch or stepping into the kitchen can result in a degradation of the image. Colors start to lose their saturation, becoming washed out, and the deep black that we praised begins to gray. Therefore, this version of the television is best suited for those who have their favorite spot in the middle of the couch and rarely watch TV with a large group spread out across the living room.

Unfortunately, the powerful native contrast of the HVA 2.0 panel comes with a price. It concerns the viewing angles, which in the C7L model are simply poor. This is all, of course, due to the use of the aforementioned VA panel. It is a completely natural characteristic of this technology and something to be aware of when making a purchase. If you sit directly in front of the screen, the picture will impress you with its depth, but just shifting a few dozen degrees to the side on the couch will cause the colors to immediately begin to fade. By choosing this model, you are opting for a classic market compromise: you get brilliant black and fantastic contrast, but you lose out on viewing angles.

How does the QNED80A perform when we don't have the curtains drawn? Let's put it bluntly: it's not the brightest TV on the market, so if your living room resembles a glass greenhouse at noon, this screen may struggle to cut through the intense sun. For extremely challenging lighting conditions, we would suggest looking for something with higher brightness (e.g., Mini LED). However, the TV holds its own with something else – the type of coating used on the panel. The manufacturer opted for a satin finish (semi-matte) here. That's a great decision. Unlike glossy coatings that act like mirrors, this coating reasonably dampens and scatters light reflections. As a result, in typical, moderate lighting conditions, the floor lamp next to it or a window on the side won't be irritating, and the viewing experience will remain pleasant.

It is also worth mentioning how the TCL C7L performs during everyday viewing in a sunlit living room. As we have established, this is an extremely bright television, and it is precisely because of such a powerful supply of luminance (up to 2400 nits in SDR!) that it manages to perform exceptionally well in very bright rooms – the image simply pushes through the incoming light into the room without any problems. The only thing to watch out for here is direct reflections on the screen. The coating applied to the panel this year is definitely glossier than the one we saw in last year’s C7K model. The screen significantly worsens the suppression of point light reflections, which in unfavorable conditions – for example, when a window is positioned directly opposite the television – can be quite irritating for some users. Nevertheless, in terms of raw brightness, the C7L is simply a demon for bright living rooms.

Smart TV System and WebOS

A huge plus of LG TVs – even those in the lower or mid-price range – is that the manufacturer does not treat them "less favorably" in terms of software. The QNED80A runs on the latest version of the WebOS system, which performed excellently during our tests. The interface operated smoothly, responded quickly to commands, and most importantly – was very intuitive. Much of this is thanks to the famous Magic Remote, which works like a computer mouse – we control the cursor on the screen with wrist movements. However, there’s an unexpected surprise here. In the 2025 model year, the controller underwent quite a drastic transformation. It has been minimized and slimmed down. Modern users will probably appreciate this change because the remote fits nicely in the hand and looks more "premium." However, traditionalists may feel disappointed – the miniaturization has come at a cost, including the removal of the classic numeric keypad, which may complicate quick channel selection.

Classic Features and Multimedia

When it comes to so-called classic features, the QNED80A does not strive to be a revolutionary product. It is simply a solid piece of equipment that does what it was designed for. There are no hidden "gimmicks" here, but we also did not miss anything. The traditional Teletext works flawlessly, and the wireless connectivity modules (such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) are stable and quickly pair with external devices, e.g., headphones or a soundbar. In this regard, the TV simply does not throw obstacles in our way – it works as we expect, not standing out in any particular way from the competition, but also not giving any reasons to complain.

Google TV and Smart TV

The multimedia heart of the TCL C7L is, of course, the Google TV operating system, which provides access to a massive library of apps and all the most popular streaming platforms on the market. The Smart TV in this model works seamlessly, offering full support for useful network features such as Apple AirPlay and Chromecast. However, a huge and very pleasant surprise is the overall performance of the software. We noticed that Google's system on the new C7L operates much more efficiently, smoothly, and quickly than on TCL models from last year. Much of this is due to better optimization at launch. Unnecessary pauses and minor interface hiccups, known from older models, seem to have faded into oblivion.

TV Features

In terms of classic antenna or cable television, the TCL C7L does not offer many additional, advanced features. It is simply a straightforward receiver. The manufacturer did not strive for any revolutionary solutions here, so apart from the traditional program guide, you won’t find anything special. A significant nod to traditional viewers is the classic remote control, which, contrary to the current trend towards minimalism, is still equipped with a full numeric keypad, greatly facilitating quick channel switching.

How does the QNED80A perform as a home multimedia center? After connecting an external drive or USB stick, the television easily recognizes and plays the vast majority of popular video and audio formats. It can be confidently stated that in everyday use you will rarely encounter a file that refuses to cooperate. However, we must draw attention to a certain catch arising from the software architecture. WebOS is a closed system. What does this mean for you? It means that if the built-in player cannot handle an exotic format, we do not have a "lifeline." We cannot go to the store and download an external app like VLC, which "plays everything," as is the case with Android or Google TV. The specific deficiencies we managed to catch mainly concern graphic files. The television does not support the HEIC format, which is standard on Apple devices (iPhone/iPad). Photos with very high resolution (in the range of 20-28 Mpix) also turned out to be problematic – when attempting to open them, the system often gave up. It is worth keeping this in mind if you plan to view vacation photos directly from the drive.

Finally, it's worth mentioning the playback of files from external USB drives in the multimedia section. During our tests, we didn't notice any unpleasant surprises here – the factory player handles all popular video and audio formats exactly as it should. Interestingly, the TCL C7L also played photos saved in Apple's native format, HEIC, without any issues. This is an extremely rare feature in manufacturers' factory applications. And while the Google TV system gives you unlimited options for installing external media player programs, in the case of the C7L, the built-in tool is refined enough that installing additional software is unlikely to be necessary for anyone.

In terms of audio, the LG QNED80A does not try to enchant us. It simply plays like... a typical flat-screen TV. The installed speaker system with a total power of 20W may not be the strongest aspect of this unit. If you expect cinematic punch or depth known from more expensive models equipped with subwoofers, you'll feel a bit shortchanged. There is simply a lack of bass, and the sound is quite flat. However, we must give this model credit in one aspect: the clarity of the transmission. When scenes based on conversations appear on the screen, the QNED80A handles it quite well. The dialogues are clear, separated, and – importantly – undistorted. There is no crackling effect at higher volumes. It is sufficient for everyday television, but for movies, we definitely recommend purchasing even a simple soundbar.

TCL C7L simply performs quite well and correctly. In terms of sound quality, there has practically been no change compared to last year's model C7K. The manufacturer still uses a speaker system branded with Bang & Olufsen in a 2.2 setup. The only thing that can be quite irritating during viewing sessions is the fact that after increasing the volume to higher levels – around above 50% on the scale – the volume stops correlating with the scale visible on the screen. The audio system from B&O works great for daily watching of news programs or series at moderate volume, but if you're looking for good sound, it's worth buying at least a basic soundbar for the C7L.

LG QNED80A6A (VA) vs TCL C7L

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Sound connection options

Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):

Senior accessibility

Smart TV System and WebOS

Classic Features and Multimedia

Google TV and Smart TV

TV Features

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements