Summary
- 1000X The Collexion prioritizes luxury design and comfort with a thicker headband and slimmer ear cups.
- Upgraded audio tech (thicker copper, V3 chip, spatial upmixing) aims for the best Sony sound yet.
- Trade-offs: crisper highs but weaker ANC and 6 hours less battery
This year marks 10 years since the release of Sony’s flagship XM series headphones back in 2016. The new range, called 1000X The Collexion, promises Sony’s highest sound quality yet — but it might come at the cost of my personal favorite feature of the WH-1000XM6.
Sony’s new WF-1000XM6 earbuds are exactly the upgrade I wanted
The old Sony WF-1000XM5 felt bulky, were oddly shaped, and just didn’t fit into my ears. Sony made (almost) all the right changes with the WF-1000XM6.
What do we know about the 1000X The Collexion?
It’s all about luxury with these cans
Where the WH/WF-1000XM6 pursues the best functional value and is designed for performance, Sony’s new 1000X headphones take a different approach: luxury design, all about comfort and style. For the fashionistas among us, you can pick two colors: a sophisticated black with a metallic shimmer set against jet-black leather, or a platinum silver-and-white. Both give a cool, edgy impression and are designed to double as a fashion accent.
One thing that’s immediately noticeable is the headband, which is thicker and wider than the WH-1000XM6, while the ear cup is more than 5mm thinner. A bigger inner housing, combined with a slimmer profile, apparently makes it more comfortable, though I must say my XM6s were an insta-buy thanks to how comfy they were right away.
One thing I do love, before we get onto my biggest issue with them, is that the housing now features L and R markings, making it easy to distinguish between left and right. I’m constantly feeling around for the power button on the left to make sure my 1000XM6s are on the right way, and I still get it wrong sometimes.
1000X Specs
Upgrades?
Each layer’s copper foil is 1.5 times thicker than in the WH-1000XM6, reducing resistance and expanding the frequency range for a noticeably clearer sound.
The new integrated V3 processor enables DSEE ULTIMATE and three spatial upmixing modes, elevating everyday stereo sound into a spacious, immersive experience. The spatial upmixer was previously limited to cinema mode, but now you can dial it in for gaming and music too. There’s also a dedicated button for control, so you don’t have to rely on the sometimes dicey touch controls — a welcome addition.
What’s the catch?
Even though the 1000X The Collexion promises Sony’s best audio yet, I’m not personally sold. With its new 30mm unidirectional carbon driver, the 1000X delivers sharper high-frequency expression and a wider soundstage, but this appears to come at the expense of noise cancellation. It will still feature Sony’s top-end ANC and ultra-clear calls, but by all accounts, the WH-1000XM6 edges it out in that department. The 1000X also offers six hours less battery life. For me, noise cancellation is non-negotiable — I don’t go anywhere without my WH-1000XM6’s, and they’re essential for getting me through busy city life without getting overwhelmed. That matters more to me than marginally crisper audio. And it’s not like the M6’s audio is lacking. They’re the most comfortable and best-sounding headphones I’ve owned, and I’ve even had Nuraphones for a year.
If that doesn’t put you off, you’ll be able to pick up Sony’s new 1000X The Collexion headphones for USD 649.99/CAD 849.99. There’s no news on pre-orders just yet, so make sure to keep checking the official Sony website for more information soon!
