Sony is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its 1000X noise‑canceling headphone line with a new premium model called 1000X The Collexion. The name is unusual, but the headphones are a clear upgrade over the WH‑1000XM6 in several ways. They have a leather‑like finish, a stainless steel reinforced build, a wider headband with thicker padding, slimmer earcups, upgraded 30mm unidirectional drivers, a new V3 chip, Bluetooth 6.0 support and a redesigned case with a built‑in handle. The price is 650 USD, which is 200 USD more than the XM6. The CNET review team gave The Collexion a score of 9.2 out of 10, praising the improved comfort, refined sound and excellent noise canceling, but noting the high price and reduced battery life (24 hours compared to the XM6‘s 30 hours). This review covers design, sound quality, noise canceling, battery life, features and how it compares to the WH‑1000XM6, AirPods Max 2 and Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2.
Design And Comfort: Stainless Steel, Slimmer Earcups And Wider Headband
The Collexion shares the same design language as earlier 1000X headphones but with several key upgrades.
| Feature | The Collexion | WH‑1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Finish | Leather‑like (luxury) | Matte plastic |
| Frame Material | Stainless steel (reinforced) | Plastic |
| Headband Width | 10 percent wider | Standard |
| Headband Padding | 40 percent thicker | Standard |
| Earcup Thickness | 5mm slimmer | Standard |
| Inner Ear Space | More room for ears | Standard |
| Weight | 320 grams (11.3 oz) | 253 grams (8.9 oz) |
| Folding | Folds flat only | Folds flat and folds up |
| Case | Larger, built‑in handle, magnetic clasp | Standard case |
The stainless steel reinforcement reduces the risk of hinge failure, a problem with some earlier 1000X models. The wider headband and thicker padding make The Collexion slightly more comfortable than the XM6 despite the increased weight (320g vs 253g). The earcups are 5mm slimmer, which gives the headphones a more streamlined look. Sony has also carved out more space inside the earcups for larger ears. The earpads are replaceable, but they do not create as tight a passive seal as the XM6‘s earpads, which slightly reduces the effectiveness of the active noise canceling.
The carrying case is larger than the XM6‘s case but has a built‑in handle and a magnetic clasp. It looks a bit like a purse, but it is far more practical than the AirPods Max case.
Sound Quality: Upgraded Drivers, V3 Chip And DSEE Ultimate
The Collexion features several sound quality upgrades over the XM6.
- 30mm unidirectional carbon drivers (XM6 has standard carbon drivers)
- Upgraded V3 chip (XM6 has QN1 chip)
- Optimized circuitry with thicker copper foil
- Bluetooth 6.0 (XM6 uses Bluetooth 5.3)
- DSEE Ultimate AI sound enhancement
- Three spatial upmix modes: music, cinema and gaming
The CNET reviewer noted that The Collexion sounds cleaner, with more refined treble, slightly wider soundstage and about 15 percent better overall sound quality compared to the XM6. The headphones retain Sony‘s signature warm, balanced tuning, making them easy to listen to for long periods without fatigue. They support Sony‘s LDAC codec on Android devices (iPhones are limited to AAC).
Wired listening is supported via the included 3.5mm cable. Using a portable USB‑C DAC improves sound quality slightly. However, The Collexion does not support USB‑C audio, which is an omission for a 650 USD headphone.
Noise Canceling And Voice Calling
The noise canceling technology is technically the same as the XM6‘s (12‑microphone system and QN3 chip). However, because the earpads create a slightly less tight passive seal, the noise canceling is marginally less effective. It is still among the best available, rivaling Bose and Apple.
Voice calling performance is excellent. The 12‑microphone system and AI noise reduction separate your voice from background noise effectively. Callers could not hear street noise during tests in New York.
Battery Life And Charging
| Aspect | The Collexion | WH‑1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Life (rated) | 24 hours | 30 hours |
| Quick Charge (5 minutes) | 1.5 hours | 3 hours (3 minutes) |
| Bluetooth Version | 6.0 | 5.3 |
The battery life is shorter because the new 30mm unidirectional drivers require more energy. A 5‑minute charge provides 1.5 hours of playback.
Sony The Collexion Vs WH‑1000XM6 Vs AirPods Max 2 Vs Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2
| Aspect | Sony The Collexion | Sony WH‑1000XM6 | AirPods Max 2 | Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 650 USD | 450 USD | 550 USD | 800 USD |
| Weight | 320g | 253g | 386g | 320g |
| Battery Life | 24 hours | 30 hours | 24 hours | 30 hours |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.3 | Not specified | 5.4 |
| USB‑C Audio | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Spatial Audio | Upmix modes | Standard | Head tracked (Apple) | Head tracked |
| Best For | Luxury, best sound quality | Value, lighter weight | Apple ecosystem | Premium build, USB‑C audio |
The Collexion is better than the XM6 in sound quality and build but worse in battery life and value. The AirPods Max 2 has better integration for Apple users but is heavier. The Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 has USB‑C audio and a similar luxury build but costs 800 USD.
Sony The Collexion Features
The Collexion includes all the features of the XM6, plus a few extras.
- Speak to Chat: Automatically lowers volume and switches to ambient sound when you speak.
- Quick Attention: Put your hand over the right earcup to lower volume and hear ambient sound.
- Gesture controls: Nod to answer a call, shake head to reject.
- Multipoint Bluetooth pairing: Connect to two devices simultaneously.
- LDAC support (Android only).
- DSEE Ultimate AI sound enhancement.
- 360 spatial upmix for music, cinema and gaming.
The Sony Connect app is feature‑rich but can be overwhelming. You can adjust the EQ (10‑band), enable or disable features and prioritise either sound quality or connection stability.
Pros And Cons Of The Sony 1000X The Collexion
Pros
- Leather‑like finish and stainless steel build feel premium.
- Wider headband and thicker padding improve comfort despite higher weight.
- Slimmer earcups look more streamlined.
- Upgraded 30mm unidirectional drivers deliver refined sound with wider soundstage.
- V3 chip enables DSEE Ultimate and three spatial upmix modes.
- Excellent noise canceling (slightly less effective than XM6 but still top tier).
- Top‑notch voice calling performance.
- Bluetooth 6.0 support.
- Nice carrying case with built‑in handle.
- Speak to Chat, Quick Attention and gesture controls are useful.
Cons
- Very expensive at 650 USD (200 USD more than XM6).
- No USB‑C audio support.
- Battery life is shorter than XM6 (24 hours vs 30 hours).
- 5‑minute quick charge gives only 1.5 hours (XM6 gives 3 hours in 3 minutes).
- Heavier than XM6 (320g vs 253g).
- Spatial audio with head tracking only works with Android devices.
- The name “The Collexion” is confusing.
- The earpads do not create as tight a seal, slightly reducing noise canceling effectiveness.
- The Sony Connect app is still unwieldy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between Sony The Collexion and WH‑1000XM6?
The Collexion has a leather‑like finish, stainless steel build, wider headband, slimmer earcups, 30mm unidirectional drivers, V3 chip, Bluetooth 6.0 and a nicer case. The XM6 is lighter, has longer battery life (30 hours) and costs 200 USD less. The Collexion sounds about 15 percent better according to CNET.
