Last year, LG’s EC9600 stood out as the finest TV we’d seen up until that point. Its picture quality was nothing short of stunning, and as the first UHD OLED, it was easy to bestow high honors upon it. In fact, it stands to this day as the first and only television to receive a 10-point rating from us. So how do you follow that up?
LG faced that unenviable task this year, and the product of its efforts is the EG9600 series, the company’s flagship 4K UHD OLED for 2015. New for this year is WebOS 2.0, an update to LG’s already outstanding operating system/smart TV platform, a slightly different physical design, a new Magic Motion remote, and an anti-glare coating for the TV’s panel. Also, there’s one less HDMI input (what?!?).
And then there’s the price: The 65-inch EG9600 model has been introduced at $9,000 — that’s down $3,000 from prior year, but still a hefty chunk of change. Ultimately, that figure will go down later this year, meaning that the EG9600 will be the least expensive premium UHD OLED we’ve seen yet. Even if it is still outlandishly expensive for a TV.
Of course, as the only major manufacturer producing OLED TVs, LG doesn’t have any real competition in the OLED market, so there is little incentive to drop prices. In fact, as OLED adoption is still very slow, the company has to foot the bill as it invests a tremendous amount of capital into research, development, and production. So the fact that the price is dropping at all is an indication that LG really, really, wants you to get into OLED.
Frankly, we think that’s a pretty good idea ourselves. OLED has tremendous potential, and it doesn’t suffer some of the maladies that LCD-based TVs do, which makes it a great replacement for the now-departed plasma TV. But the technology still needs some work. As you’ll see in our video review, while the EG9600’s picture is outstanding in nearly every way, it does exhibit a couple of key weaknesses. More work must be done until OLED can be called the holy grail of display technology, and that work will require time, effort, and, yes, money.
The EG9600 will reward those who invest in it with the most impressive picture quality out there. While Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony have all made huge strides toward improving their LCD-based LED TVs, OLED still rules with its perfect black levels, exceptional brightness, and vibrant colors. There’s just one problem, and it could be a big one for some viewers. There’s a sort of flashing effect that comes along with some judder on this set, and it’s especially prevalent if you don’t make some settings changes. We’ve got full instructions on how to fix it.
To learn more, be sure to check out our video. We think you’ll agree, quirks or no, this is one amazing TV.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.