Sony Unveils 10-Year Anniversary 1000X The Collexion Headphones

Sony launched the 1000X The Collexion, a limited-edition, luxury version of its flagship WH-1000XM6, to celebrate a decade of the 1000X series. The headphones retail for $649–$650, $100 above Apple’s AirPods Max 2 and $200 above the XM6.

GizmodoBoy Genius ReportHow-To GeekMakeUseOfThe VergeSony's premium wireless headphones are its most expensive to date – and vow to be its best-sounding, tooSony just released luxury headphones to rival the Apple AirPods MaxSony 1000X The ColleXion Headphones Launch as $649 Wireless ANC FlagshipDigital Trends

The Collexion swaps plastic for stainless-steel frames, metal buttons, and textured vegan-leather ear cups and headband. It comes in black or platinum, weighs about 320 g (some reports list 312 g), and features a thicker, wider headband padding but no folding mechanism.

PCMag

A 30 mm unidirectional carbon-fiber driver with a high-rigidity dome drives the sound, while the V3 processor adds DSEE Ultimate upscaling and three 360 Reality Audio upmix modes (Music, Cinema, Game). The QN3 ANC processor and 12-mic array are retained, but thinner ear cups reduce passive isolation, yielding slightly weaker overall ANC. Sony claims 24 h battery life with ANC (32 h without) and a 5-minute fast charge for 1.5 h playback.

Sony 1000X The ColleXion Headphones Launch as $649 Wireless ANC Flagship

Sony calls the Collexion “the pinnacle of technology and design,” stresses its premium materials, first-time DSEE Ultimate support, and expanded spatial-audio modes. The company frames the model as a luxury alternative to high-end competitors such as Apple’s AirPods Max 2.

Gizmodo

Reviewers note the $650 price exceeds the XM6 by $200 and the AirPods Max 2 by $100, question the value of added weight (?320 g) and lack of foldability, and point to weaker passive ANC and a six-hour battery penalty versus the XM6.

The Verge

Weight is listed as 320 g by most sources, but Stuff.tv reports 312 g. Sony advertises 24 h battery with ANC; the XM6 offers 30 h, and fast-charge speeds differ (5 min for 1.5 h vs 3 min for 3 h). Detailed specs such as impedance and frequency response remain undisclosed.

Sony 1000X The ColleXion Headphones Launch as $649 Wireless ANC Flagship

• “) Sony told me they’re “the pinnacle of technology and design,” and boy does their price reflect that.” — Sony spokesperson

The Verge

• “At the heart of 1000X THE COLLEXION is a bespoke driver unit featuring a soft edge and a newly developed high-rigidity dome made from unidirectional carbon composite material, delivering clearer separation between instruments and vocals, more delicate high-frequency detail and a richer, wider soundstage,” — Sony

Digital Trends

• “Sony says these are the first headphones out there to support DSEE Ultimate, which uses AI to upscale compressed music files and deliver richer audio in your ear canals by recovering the details lost to file compression.” — Sony

Digital Trends

• “But because of the thinner ear cup, the 1000X’s passive isolation isn’t as good, most noticeably in the midrange and extending up into higher frequencies.” — Sony

The Verge