We spent two months with the 65-inch Haier C95 Oled, the Chinese brand’s flagship to position itself in the premium range of OLED televisions. A courageous move which, as we saw in the interview with the Country Manager, was accompanied by a summer launch in style. We are not talking about a low-cost entry-level, even if the new range of TVs has something for all budgets, but about a product that aims straight at rivals such as LG and Samsung.
A different choice
Turning it on for the first time has its effect: the design is clean, the frames are practically invisible and in the lower part the Harman Kardon soundbar stands out. This is not a small detail, because it changes the perception of the television: it is no longer just a screen, but a complete object that also gives dignity to the audio. From this point of view, in fact, recent developments in the top-of-the-range OLED market have seen the main brands create very thin TVs often designed to be hung, but with audio that turns up the nose of those arriving from a model that is a few years old.
If in fact the old televisions already had a good audio system “from the factory”.with a sound stage that is certainly not for audiophiles, but still rich and complete, today’s ultra thins are almost unlistenable. And this is why, for example, other top of the range they must almost necessarily be associated with a soundbardespite all the AI optimizations to try and improve the sound. Physics always wins: If the speakers are tiny and thin, they cannot move a sufficient amount of air.
Haier has therefore chosen a different strategy: the bottom panel is thicker than usual and some might not appreciate it if they aim to hang the TV (via VESA 300×200), but the aesthetic compromise makes sense, because the audio performance is above average right from the first use and without the need for an external soundbar which, in practice, means space in the TV cabinet (or holes in the wall) and a second power socket that we don’t always have available and a occupied HDMI eArc.
The daily experience
Having been able to spend several weeks with the TV, instead of the usual shorter test, the test allowed us to analyze the Haier OLED as an everyday TV appreciating its characteristics more easily. The panel 4K Oled with 144 Hz refresh (native at 120 Hz) it is characterized by absolute blacks compared to other technologies (LED, mini LED), very high contrasts and excellent viewing angles. Protocols side, there is support in HDR10 and Dolby Vision for movies and videos. Even in the most frenetic scenes, fast movements are fluid, dark scenes hold up well and motion blur remains under control.
In very bright environments, however, the limit of one emerges reflex management not as advanced as that of some competitors and the peak brightness does not reach the top of the range (this is a qualitative and not quantitative evaluation in the absence of actual measurements).
The strong point, as already mentioned, is the audio: the integrated 2.1 soundbar (2 12 W speakers and a 20 W woofer) with Dolby Atmos support it is more than an accessory: it makes the television ready for use without having to rush to buy an external system. We are not at the levels of a very high-end dedicated soundbar, but the performance is comparable to products costing several hundred euros and, if you have space problems, it can still be used in many contexts.
During films the dialogues are clear and are the ones that benefit most because the voices emerge and are not “trapped”: the sound stage is wide and in action scenes at higher volumes it does not encounter excessive distortions. The good bass performance makes the C95 Oled also usable in gaming as long as you do not have surround needs that must be satisfied with an external system.
In terms of consumption, the energy efficiency class F places it a little below some competitors who manage to reach class E, but it is a figure, although standard, so dependent on the display modes that it must be taken as a reference but, in everyday life, leads to consumption that varies from person to person.
Connectivity
For the gaming test we used a console in an enthusiast scenario without venturing into the world of professional gamers. The response was more than satisfactory thanks to good equipment: two HDMI 2.1 ports (4K at 120 Hz), VRR, ALLM and AMD FreeSync Premium support, also useful for those with a latest generation gaming PC.
In total there are four HDMIs, two USBs, Ethernet, optical output and Chromecast built-in. Also appreciated remote control with solar charging: it’s not new at all, Samsung has already been using it for some time, but it’s really practical if you keep it in a slightly lit room to forget about the annoying batteries.
Software, Google TV and smart home with hOn
The selection of display modes varies, with a good level of factory calibration even if in some the colors are perhaps too saturated, but there is still a complete customization system that will allow the most experts to calibrate it as best as possible.
Having Google’s operating system on board means, for those who have never used it, being able to access not only the classic streaming applications already integrated, but also additional apps and games drawing on the entire catalogue. And voice search (as well as text) is a great advantage to avoid wasting time between one screen and another.
Speaking ofsoftware updateHaier said a minimum 4 year support via the Google service and, in December 2025migration from Android 11 to Android 14.
Finally hOn is the piece to build a simple smart home based on Haier products. The usefulness of having support on the TV increases with the increase in brand devices, and it is clear that the top is reached when the house is “single brand” and everything is managed from the TV, receiving notifications for the washing machine or oven for example.
Price and final considerations
The price list places the C95 at 2,499 euros, not a little for a brand that is now looking at premium but a year of DAZN is included which, if it is something that interests you, certainly sweetens the pill as it would be an expense that you would not bear. The competition offers perhaps more tested alternatives at similar prices, but depending on the case, a few hundred euros must be added for decent audio.
Haier C95 Oled 65″ remains an interesting product: excellent audio, good hardware equipment (with 3 GB of RAM it is always fluid) and a simple software platform for everyone, even if we note the need for some optimization of the interface which could come with further software updates.
To really compete with the usual suspects, Haier will have to further raise the bar on brightness, smart management and AI functions, but it is not certain that everyone will be interested in these and as a first approach the C95 is designed to bring high quality into the living room of people who are not necessarily crazy people, those – so to speak – who hang the TV by wire and then have space and preparation for external and complementary audio systems. Here we aim for the complete package: reliable and pleasant panel, simple and manageable software, no distortions with the AI and, in case of some offer or price repositioning of a possible “without DAZN” version, it can be an interesting alternative.
Haier turns out to be convincing on balance, but not yet overwhelming, but perhaps that wasn’t the company’s intention, but rather to create a package with an accessible price that looks at the large portion of those who want quality and simplicity and who don’t even have the time to keep up with the
technical acronyms from the gaming world or cinema audio/video made of personalized calibrations and days spent changing the panel parameters. Also because, for many, TV must be leisure and entertainment…