Sony’s 1000X The Collexion brings luxury ANC at $650

Sony 1000X – Sony marks a decade of flagship over-ear innovation with the special-edition 1000X The Collexion, priced at $650. The headphones aim squarely at luxury buyers with more premium materials and comfort tweaks over the WH-1000XM6—while offering a carbon driver, V3

Sony’s newest premium bet arrived with a price tag that immediately draws a line in the sand. The company’s special-edition over-ear headphones—1000X The Collexion—cost $650, a full stretch beyond where many consumers feel comfortable spending on ANC headphones.

The model is Sony’s celebration of 10 years of its acclaimed flagship over-ear line. and it’s positioned as a deluxe companion to the WH-1000XM6 released one year ago. The Collexion’s pitch is simple: same general silhouette. but a sleeker look. more premium materials. and internal audio upgrades meant to move beyond “excellent” into “luxury.”.

Sony’s own history matters here. The 1000X line. looking back from 2016 to now. is described as having gone from proving it could outdo competitors to becoming an industry frontrunner. With the Collexion. Sony is asking customers to pay for that trajectory—upgrades you can feel. and a finish you’ll actually see.

Under the hood, the biggest shift is the driver. The 1000X The Collexion uses a unidirectional carbon driver, replacing the WH-1000XM6’s standard carbon driver. Sony says the speaker design reduces dome flexion, which is meant to reduce distortion. The company also keeps its warm. detailed. colorful signature sound profile. but the headphones land with a more lively character than the XM6—deeper and tighter low frequencies and less sharp high frequencies.

Listening to the Collexion. the bass on BTS’s “Please” is described as vibey and clear and dense without any rumbling. Harmonies are said to come through beautifully. The key detail for anyone who has struggled with fatigue from more analytical tuning: the Collexion avoids that issue the XM6 can cause. described as leaning overly analytical.

Sony also upgraded the “brain.” The 1000X The Collexion includes a new processor powered by the V3 chip to run DSEE Ultimate. Sony’s most advanced audio-quality upscaling algorithm—superseding DSEE Extreme. The headphones also debut with two additional spatial audio modes, one for music and one for gaming.

But the spatial experience isn’t automatically better. The writer says they usually prefer stereo. and while Sony’s 360 Upmix spatial audio is described as its best. the plan is to stick with stereo. The upmixing can widen the soundstage and add height, but they note there’s little movement and limited immersion. Some songs can even sound too robotic and digitized when the upmix software is enabled.

Still, the Collexion does support the core technologies people buy Sony for: LDAC and LC3 codecs, 3.5mm wired listening, noise cancellation, and ambient mode.

Noise cancellation is also treated carefully. The Collexion uses the same QN3 noise-reduction processor as the XM6. and Sony admits the XM6’s noise-canceling abilities are more advanced than those of its upscale sibling. The writer agrees. but frames the Collexion’s cancellation as not weak—“on par” with the Sonos Ace or WH-1000XM5.

Design is where Sony leans hardest into the luxury argument. The company revamped the design language for the 1000X The Collexion. swapping the matte plastic look of the WH-1000XM6 for polished and brushed metal accents on the headphones’ yokes. buttons. headband. and ports. The earcups are slimmer, the headband is wider, and the ear pads are thicker to improve comfort.

Sony says these choices were made so the headphones would look and feel more luxurious. The writer ties the upgrades to the two problems they had with the WH-1000XM6: comfort and style. They describe the XM6’s comfort as immediately uncomfortable—ear pads too thin. earcups slightly too small. and clamping force too tight for more than half an hour.

In contrast, the Collexion’s thicker ear pads, more relaxed fit, and deeper earcups are said to mitigate those issues. The writer reports wearing the headphones for hours while working at a desk, and then keeping them on easily for a few hours on a plane.

There’s also a broader cultural shift in the background. The writer points to Apple’s release of the AirPods Max in 2020 as changing consumer expectations for headphone design. pushing the category toward fashion and “outerwear” rather than purely practical shapes. After that, headphones increasingly became something you show off—something society’s acceptance of frequent headphone use helped normalize.

Compared with competitors, the contrast is stark. The writer notes that Bose. Apple. and Sonos have used brushed nickel. anodized aluminum. and stainless steel. while the WH-1000XM6 used a uniform utilitarian wholly plastic design. This time, Sony is said to value chicness as much as function—even if it usually “does the opposite.”.

That design shift shows up in the carrying case too. Sony’s WH-1000XM6 had a carrying case that swapped the generations-old case shape and zipper for an ergonomic design and a stylish magnet. For the Collexion. the case still functions as a case. but includes a cutout below the headband to create a handle. The writer also appreciates that even though the Collexion doesn’t fold. the case addresses the portability issue created by its inflexible hinges.

The physical build adds one more concrete detail. The slimmer earcups are described as a welcome aesthetic change. since the bulkier earcups on the XM6 can appear to stick out from the sides of your head. Slimmer earcups can shave off weight, but heavier metals add 33g. The total weight becomes 320g. That’s contrasted with the 386g AirPods Max 2.

The final buying advice comes down to tradeoffs in how people live with headphones. The 1000X The Collexion marks 10 years of Sony’s innovation and strong competition in a crowded market. but it’s also described as a dividing line between audiences. If someone wants practical and stylish headphones without the ecosystem barriers imposed by Apple and Sonos. the writer says the Collexion is a strong choice.

If style isn’t the priority, the WH-1000XM6 remains the safer daily pick. The writer points to two advantages: it offers six more hours of battery life than the 1000X The Collexion, and it also has stronger noise-canceling.

In other words. Sony has built a luxury headphone that looks like it belongs at the high end—and sounds rich enough to match the materials. But the decision still hinges on what matters more: the comfort and finishes of the Collexion. or the longer day-to-night battery life and stronger noise cancellation of the WH-1000XM6.

Sony 1000X The Collexion WH-1000XM6 luxury headphones ANC noise cancellation LDAC LC3 DSEE Ultimate V3 chip spatial audio battery life