Sony 1000x The Collexion costs £549 as luxe anniversary set
Sony 1000x The Collexion is a special anniversary set that marks 10 years of the 1000X series. The new headphones cost £549, putting them well above the £349 WH-1000XM6 and into the price band of luxury rivals.
WH-1000XX The Collexion pricing
The Collexion is priced at £549, €629, $649 and A$1,000. That puts it against Apple’s £499 AirPods Max 2 and B&W’s £629 Px8 S2, while Sony says it is not meant to replace the WH-1000XM6.
The original 1000X launched in 2016. Sony is using the anniversary model to push the line higher, with a sleeker shape and more premium materials than the current flagship range.
Design changes for travel
The headphones do not fold for travel. The ear cups are 5.3mm thinner than standard Sony headphones, and the headband looks more slender. Sony covered the cups in high-quality pleather and used highly polished and sandblasted stainless steel arms.
Those changes make the Collexion feel more like a premium object than a standard noise-cancelling headset. The redesign also gives the ear more space and uses plusher cushions, while the headband spreads load across the head with lighter clamping force.
Battery and noise cancelling
Battery life reaches about 24 hours with noise cancelling active and up to 32 hours with it off. A five-minute charge adds up to 90 minutes of playback, and a full charge takes about 3.5 hours.
The Collexion uses the QN3 chip and noise-cancelling hardware from the WH-1000XM6. It also supports Bluetooth 6 with multipoint, a 3.5mm connection, USB-C charging, Android LDAC audio and DSEE Ultimate powered by the new V3 companion chip.
The trade-off is performance. Sony’s more expensive set handles engine roar and other low and mid-tone noise well, but it does not reach the WH-1000XM6’s level on chatter, keyboard clicks and similar office or commute irritations.
For buyers, that leaves a clear choice. The Collexion is the luxury pick in Sony’s lineup, but anyone who wants the strongest noise cancelling for less money still has the WH-1000XM6 at £349.
