Sony is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its iconic 1000X series of headphones with the launch of a new pair, focusing on luxurious looks and top-tier material choices. The fruit of that labor is the 1000X THE COLLEXION noise-cancelling headphones. Think of them as the regular WH-1000XM6 headphones, but in a different garb and a higher asking price. In case you’re wondering, the new Sony cans cost $649.99 and come in platinum and black trims.
What’s inside?
The label is promising studio-grade sound quality on the 1000X Collexion headphones, a pedigree it inherits from the more mainstream WH-1000XM6 headphones. “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,” says the company. They also bring a few perks of their own.
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. They also serve the 360 Reality Audio Upmix tech in three flavors now, viz. music, cinema, and game, to offer a more realistic listening experience, based on the content you’re enjoying. Here’s a detailed look at their capabilities:
| Model | WH-1000XX/W (Platinum) |
| Headphone Type | Closed, Dynamic |
| Driver Unit | 30 mm |
| Frequency Response (Wired) | 4 Hz – 40,000 Hz (IEC) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on) |
| Frequency Response (Bluetooth®) | 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz sampling) 20 Hz – 40,000 Hz (LDAC 96 kHz sampling 990 kbps) |
| Sensitivity (dB/mW) | 103 dB/mW (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on) |
| Impedance (Ohm) | 48 ohm (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on) |
| Weight (Approx.) | Approx. 320 g |
| Bluetooth® Version | BLUETOOTH Specification Version 6.0 |
| Effective Range | Approx. 10 m |
| Frequency Range | 2.4 GHz band (2.4000 GHz – 2.4835 GHz) |
| Profile | A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, TMAP, PBP |
| Supported Audio Format(s) | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 |
| Supported Content Protection | SCMS-T |
| Ambient Sound Mode | Yes |
| Quick Attention | Yes |
| Battery Charge Method | USB |
| Lithium Battery | Yes |
| Battery Life (Music Playback) | Max. 24 hours (NC ON) / Max. 32 hours (NC OFF) |
| Battery Life (Communication) | Max. 16 hours (NC ON) / Max. 20 hours (NC OFF) |
| Cable Type & Length | Single-sided (detachable), approx. 1.2 m |
| Plug | Gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug |
What else?
Sony has made a name for itself offering wearable audio gear that excels at noise isolation, and the 1000X THE COLLEXION headphones are no exception. They come equipped with a multi-noise sensing array that utilizes 12 mic units and an Adaptive NC Optimizer to cancel external noise (QN3 + V3 processors, sounds familiar?), a stack it borrows from the WH-1000XM6 headphones. Sony is also touting 24 hours of battery life, while five minutes of plugged-in time can deliver 1.5 hours of music playback.
Sony notes that for hi-res audio playback, LDAC support is on the table, while adding that its latest offering serves as a new benchmark for audio quality. The Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION headphones will go against the likes of Apple AirPods Max 2, Bowers & Wilkins Px8, and the second-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra.