Sony 1000X The Collexion Review: A Luxurious but Pricey Tribute to an Icon

The Sony 1000X The Collexion are the company’s most indulgent take on a headphone line that has defined the category for years. They are plush, beautifully built, and unmistakably premium, but they also carry a price that puts them out of reach for most listeners. The big question is whether this celebration of a legendary series is actually worth buying.

A Decade of Defining Wireless Headphones

To understand why these headphones exist, it helps to rewind ten years. Sony introduced the original MDR-1000X headphones a decade ago, blending noise cancellation, strong sound, thoughtful design, and genuine comfort in a way that felt fresh at the time. The Bose QC35 were the closest rival back then, though their sound tuning did not win everyone over.

That original 1000X kicked off a run of consistently excellent noise-canceling headphones that became the benchmark other brands were measured against. Plenty of people, this reviewer included, still have an older pair like the WH-1000XM4 within arm’s reach.

To mark that anniversary, Sony is releasing the 1000X The Collexion. The “X” in “Collexion” is a nod to the line’s ten years and is part of the name itself. For now, there is no sign that other products will join this Collexion.

Not a Replacement for the XM6

It is important to be clear about what these headphones are not. The 1000X do not replace the WH-1000XM6, which Sony released a year ago.

Sony frames the difference simply: the XM6 are built around functionality, while the 1000X are a luxury design centered on comfort. That positioning also shows up in the price. The 1000X cost $650, which is at least $200 more than the typical street price of the XM6 and $100 more than the Apple AirPods Max 2.

Design: A Premium Reimagining

Visually, the 1000X resemble the XM6 but with deliberate callbacks to the original 1000X. The most obvious touches are an exposed metal headband and ear cups wrapped in vegan leather, which give a more textured feel than the smooth plastic of the XM6.

Comfort sees a real upgrade. According to Sony:

• The head cushion padding is roughly 40 percent thicker and 10 percent wider than on the XM6.
• The padding is removable and replaceable, though replacement pricing is still undecided.
• The ear cushions offer slightly more interior space, fitting around ears more easily.
• The ear cup housing is 5mm slimmer, giving the headphones a sleeker profile.

The build leans heavily on metal. Both the joints and headband support use stainless steel rather than plastic, and even the buttons and cable ports are metal. The joints swivel but do not fold, so the headphones lie flat much like the WH-1000XM5.

The combination of metal and vegan leather creates a streamlined, cohesive look. The main letdown is color: they come only in white and black. A bolder option would have made them feel more like a statement piece.

The Trade-Offs of Luxury

That premium construction comes with compromises.

The first is weight. Swapping plastic for metal pushes the 1000X up to 320 grams, compared with 253 grams for the XM6. They are still lighter than the 386-gram AirPods Max 2, and the weight is not overwhelming, but pressure on the top of the head becomes noticeable after about ninety minutes.

Noise cancellation is the more significant casualty. The 1000X use the same QN3 processor and 12-mic system as the XM6, so active noise cancellation is identical. However, the thinner ear cups weaken passive isolation, especially in the midrange and higher frequencies. The result is overall noise cancellation that falls slightly short of the XM6.

Battery life takes a hit as well. The slimmer housing leaves less room for the battery, so Sony rates the 1000X at up to 24 hours with ANC on, versus 30 hours for the XM6. Fast charging is also less generous: five minutes of charging yields about 1.5 hours of playback, while the XM6 can deliver three hours from a three-minute charge.

How They Sound

On audio quality, the 1000X deliver. Sony equipped them with newly designed unidirectional 30mm carbon fiber drivers, its most advanced version of DSEE sound processing, and a new V3 integrated processor.

The sound is slightly clearer in the lower midrange, with a touch of sparkle at the high end that the XM6 lack. On a track like The Black Crowes’ “Sometimes Salvation,” vocals that can sound slightly muffled on the XM6 cut through the guitars more cleanly on the 1000X, and the soloing guitar carries real presence. That said, the difference is minor. Both headphones sound excellent.

Sony also added music and game 360 upmix modes alongside the cinema mode found on the XM6. This feature attempts to turn a stereo signal into a 3D soundscape, though it tends to push high frequencies and rarely matches audio that was genuinely mixed for spatial listening.

A Case That Doubles as a Bag

One final distinguishing touch is the carrying case. It is close in size to the XM6 case, but a cutout forms a handle, making it look more like a small bag than a typical headphone case. A magnetic clasp on the bottom keeps everything secure, holding the headphones firmly in place even under aggressive shaking.

The Verdict

The Sony 1000X The Collexion are comfortable, stylish, superbly built, and great-sounding. Yet it is hard to pin down exactly who they are for. The XM series earned its reputation largely on class-leading noise cancellation, and this redesign noticeably softens that strength. The high price also places them beyond most buyers, which may well be the point.

Ultimately, the 1000X are a celebration of the XM line rather than a step forward for it, and an expensive celebration at that. For anyone who simply wants comfortable, fully capable, great-sounding headphones, the WH-1000XM6 remains the smarter buy.