Sony is marking the 10th anniversary of its 1000X headphone lineup with a noticeably more premium take on the series. The new WH-1000X The ColleXion sits above the WH-1000XM6 in Sony’s lineup and leans heavily into luxury materials, nostalgia, and refined audio tuning rather than chasing dramatic new features.
The headphones borrow several design ideas from the original MDR-1000X from 2016, which was the model that started Sony’s now-dominant noise-canceling headphone lineup. This new version uses synthetic leather around the ear cup housing, larger ear pads, a wider headband, and stainless steel accents to create a more upscale feel overall.
Sony also appears to be prioritizing comfort more aggressively this time. The ear cushions are deeper and slightly wider than those on the XM6, and the overall structure looks more substantial. The foldable hinge design from older XM models is still gone, though, with the headphones instead folding inward similarly to the XM5 and XM6.
Under the hood, Sony is still using 30mm drivers, but the company says the new soft-edge driver design improves bass response and overall sound depth. There are also internal hardware tweaks, including a thicker copper substrate on the circuit board, which Sony claims helps improve detail and soundstage performance.
The company is adding more software processing as well. New 360 Upmix modes are designed specifically for movies, gaming, and music, while DSEE Ultimate AI upscaling returns for compressed audio enhancement. Sony also says the headphones were tuned alongside engineers from Battery Studios, Sterling Sound, and Coast Mastering.
Noise cancellation remains one of the main selling points. The ColleXion uses Sony’s QN3 processor alongside a newer V3 chip and a 12-microphone setup for adaptive ANC.
Battery life lands at up to 24 hours with ANC enabled and 32 hours without it. That is slightly below the XM6, though still comfortably within flagship territory.
The biggest difference, however, is probably the price. Sony is charging $649 for the ColleXion, putting it roughly $200 above the XM6. That makes it less of a mainstream upgrade and more of a niche luxury version for buyers who want the most premium version of Sony’s headphone design philosophy.
Realistically, most people probably will still gravitate toward the XM6. But for longtime Sony headphone fans, the ColleXion feels more like a commemorative flagship built around materials, comfort, and presentation rather than pure specs alone.
Don’t miss a thing! Join our Telegram community for instant updates and grab our free daily newsletter for the best tech stories!
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.
Comments