Samsung QN95A QLED (2021) TV: Should you buy Samsung’s flagship 4K HDR Mini LED TV?

After some initial confusion around release dates, specs and prices, Samsung’s range of TVs for 2021 has transpired to be nothing less than epic. And this, the flagship QN95A Neo QLED, is being billed by Samsung as the pinnacle of its 4K achievements to date.

Though it has launched at the same price as the 2020 model it’s replacing, the QN95A is an upgrade in all the areas that count. The result is a truly premium 4K HDR TV that’s built to excel at everything it does, even when it comes to that most problematic of smart-screen pitfalls: sound.

It’s also our first look at Samsung’s Mini LED technology, so with much to cover, let’s get started with a quick overview of the tech specs.

Samsung QN95A Neo QLED: Design and smart TV platform

The Samsung QN95A QLED is one svelte smart TV. Just 2.6cm thick, it’s made to hang on the wall like a work of minimalist art – something made all the easier by the inclusion of Samsung’s newly slimmed-down One Connect box, which intakes all of your kit’s messy cables, then funnels them through a single cable to the TV itself. However, if wall-hanging is not an option, fear not, as it comes with a sleek yet sturdy central stand too. As for the ultra-slim bezel, you’ll barely notice it at all.

Handling the smart platform side of things is the highly responsive Tizen OS, now on its 6th iteration. This intuitive UI makes child’s play out of navigating content, and users will gain access to a comprehensive range of streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Now. Frustratingly, the QN95A lacks the Freeview Play service, but you can still find all of the UK catch-up apps individually. Prefer using your voice to pressing buttons? You’re spoiled for choice because the QN95A supports Samsung Bixby, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

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Samsung QN95A Neo QLED: Neo QLED panel and HDR playback

So, we know it’s good-looking and practical – what else? Packing Samsung’s Neo Quantum Processor 4K, the QN95A is intelligent too. In an effort to deliver the best picture possible, the processor’s AI automatically adjusts the brightness, sharpens the contrast and upscales the resolution (up to 4K) of all the content you care to run through it.

This is Samsung’s first real-world Mini LED model, and while rival manufacturers also lay claim to the miniaturised LED tech, Samsung has taken it a step further by developing its own Mini LEDs which it claims are even smaller still. Smaller LEDs in a TV’s backlight means far greater control over contrast. This, combined with the QN95A’s Quantum Dot technology (nanoparticles that further boost brightness and colour vibrancy), should result in images that look vibrant, warm and natural, with deep blacks sitting side-by-side with bright, detailed highlights.

With multiple High Dynamic Range formats in the mix, the latest 4K HDR shows and movies won’t fail to impress. The QN95A supports HLG, HDR10 and HDR10+ but not – as is the case for all Samsung TVs – Dolby Vision. As well as all this, the TV automatically adapts to ambient light, delivering an optimal visual performance regardless of how dark or light your viewing room is.

Samsung QN95A Neo QLED: Audio specifications

Next, we come to the sound side of the equation, which usually sees us recommending you to buy a decent soundbar. But in this case, it may not be necessary. Like most flat screens, the QN95A has its speakers built into its skinny surround. But this ear-pleaser happens to be blessed with eight speakers, arranged in a 4.2.2 format, backed by a whopping 70W of power. This is Samsung’s OTS+ (Object Tracking Sound) system, which self-calibrates to open up a large, room-filling soundstage and tracks the movement of objects on the screen to align the sounds accordingly, thus creating a virtual 3D audio effect.

What’s more, the aforementioned Neo Quantum Processor’s AI, in addition to its ambient light adjustments, also adjusts the audio to counter ambient noise, meaning you’re less likely to miss that line of plot-defining dialogue. Of course, if you do wish to add a soundbar to the mix, Samsung’s Q-Symphony Lite system synchronises the TV’s speakers with any compatible soundbar to play simultaneously, turning movie soundtracks into more theatrical experiences.

Samsung QN95A Neo QLED: Next-gen gaming features

But what of gaming? Surely Samsung must have slipped up somewhere? Not at all. No fewer than four HDMI 2.1 ports feature on the One Connect box, with each supporting 4K at 120Hz playback, Variable Refresh Rate (Freesync and G-Sync) and Auto-Low Latency Mode. Speaking of low latency, Samsung promises ultra-fast response times of below 10ms when the TV is in its game-optimised mode. Add in Samsung’s Motion Xcelerator Turbo+, which enhances motion clarity, and the QN95A is shaping up to be a next-gen gamer’s dream.

Overall, then, it’s clear to see why the QN95A 4K QLED has been so eagerly awaited by TV enthusiasts. Samsung has crammed cutting-edge tech into every nook and cranny while somehow physically slimming it down since last year, all without hiking the price. What’s not to like?

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Samsung QN95A Neo QLED: Price and competition

Starting at £2,000 for the 55in screen and going all the way up to £6,000 for the 85in model, it’s fair to say that quality costs. And by the looks of things, the QN95A represents nothing but quality. But should this Samsung flagship fail to float your 4K TV boat, other options are available.

For example, the LG G1 4K OLED’s 55in and 65in iterations pretty much price-match the QN95A, with Currys PC World also offering the 55in for £2000. Incredible contrast levels and pixel-perfect details are the order of the day here, handled by LG’s advanced α9 Gen4 AI processor 4K, with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos also on-board.

Gamers can get stuck in with four HDMI 2.1 ports, VRR, 4K at 120Hz, plus ALLM and Game Optimiser mode. Sound, meanwhile, is also quite hefty, with a 4.2 channel system offering some 60W of audio helped along by AI Sound Enhancement, though it’s not quite on a par with the Samsung’s sound system.

Or perhaps Sony’s BRAVIA A80J 4K OLED takes your fancy. Promising class-leading colour and contrast courtesy of the company’s XR OLED Contrast tech, it also benefits from Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, Dolby Atmos and 3D Surround Upscaling. Two HDMI 2.1 ports (4K@120Hz, ALLM, VRR) are on hand to keep next-gen gamers grinning. And then there’s Sony’s slightly scary-sounding Cognitive Processor XR, which apparently cross-analyses several hundred thousand different picture elements per second. Priced at £1900 for the 55in model from John Lewis.