Sony’s celebrating the 10th anniversary of its flagship 1000X series of headphones with a special release, the 1000X The Collexion.
These new over-ears are all about elevating what made the lineup great over the past decade, with a fresh look and plush feel, revamped internals, and a price tag that’s US$200 higher than the broadly well-liked current-gen WH-1000XM6.
You’ll find The Collexion draped in textured vegan leather virtually anywhere you touch them – the external ear cups, the pads, and the headband. Stainless steel accents on the headband and components like the USB-C port feature sandblasted matte and hand-polished gloss finishes.
New Headphones 1000X THE COLLEXION Announcement / 1000X Series-10th Anniversary | Sony Official
The ear cups are a tad slimmer than the ones on the XM6, the headband’s a bit wider to better accommodate larger heads, and there’s more room inside each cup for your ears.
Sony
The headphones feature a single hinge on each side, so they only fold flat (unlike the dual-hinged XM6), and go in a new case with a slightly larger design that integrates a handle near the top. With the addition of steel, these are a good bit heavier than the XM6 9 oz (or 253 g), coming in at 11.2 oz (320 g).
Sony
On the audio front, Sony’s dropped in the ‘most advanced’ version of its DSEE sound processing and an upgraded V3 chip, along with all-new unidirectional carbon drivers. The company says this results in “clearer separation between instruments and vocals, more delicate high-frequency detail and a richer, wider soundstage.”
The 1000X also gets Bluetooth 6.0 for wireless connectivity, and the same ANC tech as in the XM6. However, multiple reviewers have reported that the noise cancelation isn’t as effective as with the older model, because of a slightly weaker seal from the ear pads. I imagine that’s likely not going to bum listeners out in day-to-day use, but this is the opposite of what you’d expect from a pricier model.
Battery life is also lower than the XM6, coming in at 24 hours of playback time compared to 30 hours.
Sony
The 1000X does get an exclusive new trick though: two new 360-degree spatial audio upmix modes for music and gaming, which means it’ll aim to create a 3D soundscape from stereo sources (as opposed to actual spatial audio mixes). That’s in addition to the upmix mode for cinema found on the XM6. The effect is largely subjective, so you’ll have to hear it for yourself to decide if you’ll use it often.
Sony’s headphones have garnered a massive fan base over the last 10 years for delivering exceptional performance at an arguably reasonable price. The 1000X will likely appeal to folks who are into the former, but want something a little more exclusive. Is that worth an extra couple hundred bucks?
Find the 1000X The Collexion headphones on Sony’s site, Amazon, and Best Buy, where they’re available to order now.
Source: Sony via PR Newswire
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