Sony has put a new pair of premium over-ear headphones into a crowded market, and a three-week hands-on test suggests they are a considered step forward in how they feel and sound, though not in how long they last. The 1000X The Collexion arrives as a luxury object, built to sit alongside the costlier names of audio craftsmanship. Its comfort and sonic depth mark a real advance, while its battery, at 24 hours with noise cancelling switched on, now trails its own flagship. For a listener at £550, the choice comes down to whether the pleasures of the ear outweigh the hours the battery gives back
Sony 1000X The Collexion Review: Luxury Comfort and Sound, Held Back by Battery Life
The most comfortable Sony headphones I've ever worn
Mark
Why does a headphone review turn on comfort rather than sound?
Mimi
Because the reviewer usually gets ear fatigue from over-ear headphones and didn't here. They wore them for whole work days and a long-haul flight without taking them off.
Mark
What did Sony give up to get there?
Mimi
Folding, for one. And a lighter clamp, so they move when you lie down or run, and noise cancellation dips slightly.
Luke
Worth saying that comfort is one person's experience. Ear fatigue varies a lot between heads.
Mark
And the sound claims?
Mimi
Wider soundstage, more restrained bass, more detailed treble than the XM6, plus new 360 upmix modes from the V3 processor.
Luke
Those are the reviewer's listening impressions on chosen tracks. No measurements are given in what we have, so it's subjective.
Mark
What about the battery?
Mimi
24 hours with ANC versus 30 on the XM6, a consequence of splitting the battery to slim the cups.
Luke
The reviewer says 24 hours was enough for them, so it matters more to some buyers than others. The £550 price is what makes it sting.
Mark
Anything unresolved?
Luke
How it compares directly against Bang & Olufsen or Bowers & Wilkins isn't tested in the material we have; only price is compared.
Il Polso
- The Collexion's comfort is praised as the best Sony has achieved, yet the same lighter clamp lets the headphones shift when the wearer runs or lies down.
- A new V3 processor and 360 upmix modes reshape the sound, opening space and depth where the XM6 once pressed forward with heavy bass.
- Battery life at 24 hours with ANC sits six hours short of the WH-1000XM6, a gap that stands out as rivals now routinely pass 30.
- Noise cancelling dips slightly with the looser fit, but still blocks much of a long-haul flight's engine roar.
- At £550, the buyer must weigh a more comfortable, richer listen against a noticeably shorter working day.
Sony has put a new pair of premium over-ear headphones into a crowded market, and a three-week hands-on test suggests they are a considered step forward in how they feel and sound, though not in how long they last. The 1000X The Collexion arrives as a luxury object, built to sit alongside the costlier names of audio craftsmanship. Its comfort and sonic depth mark a real advance, while its battery, at 24 hours with noise cancelling switched on, now trails its own flagship. For a listener at £550, the choice comes down to whether the pleasures of the ear outweigh the hours the battery gives back.
The Collexion arrives in a woven carry case with a soft-touch handle, a small signal that Sony has moved past its usual utilitarian packaging. Made from hand-polished metal and soft faux leather, the headphones feel sturdier and more padded than the WH-1000XM6. Their slimmer ear cups were built to make room for a battery split into two sections, and the reviewer, who tested the black version, found the look refined, with almost no visible stitching.
Comfort is where the headphones win the reviewer over. Over-ear models usually bring fatigue, but here there was none. The wider cups surround the ears instead of pressing on them, and the cushioned headband spreads the weight, so the reviewer wore them through full workdays and long journeys. The price of this softness is a looser clamp, which means the pair shifts when lying down or running, and noise cancelling loses a little ground. They no longer fold, though the case is only slightly bigger than the XM6's.
The sound is the real upgrade. A redesigned 30mm driver with a carbon composite dome gives more space, restraint and depth, with bass that is weighty yet controlled and treble that is detailed without turning sharp. The new V3 processor powers 360 upmix modes, which the reviewer finds shine on acoustic tracks, audiobooks and especially films, where cinema mode has become indispensable. Gaming mode sharpens positional audio but cannot match a dedicated headset.
The disappointment is the battery. Twenty-four hours with ANC falls well short of the XM6's thirty, and the reviewer, who never saw the pair run flat even across a 14-hour flight to Japan, still expected more at this price. The question for buyers is whether this comfort and sound are worth six fewer hours.
The Collexion arrives in a woven fabric carry case with a soft-touch handle, and according to the reviewer at The Independent, that presentation alone signals a step up from Sony's usually utilitarian packaging. After three weeks of testing, the verdict on Sony's 1000X The Collexion is largely warm: a luxury pair aimed at rivals like Bang & Olufsen, held back mainly by its battery.
The build is hand-polished metal and soft faux leather, sturdier and more padded than the WH-1000XM6. The reviewer tested the black pair; a platinum version, essentially white, is also sold. A matte sandblasted metal frame and polished stainless steel sliders stand out, and there is barely any visible stitching. The ear cups are slimmer than the XM6's bulbous ones, which the reviewer disliked. To get there, Sony split the battery into two sections inside the cups.
Comfort is where the reviewer says the headphones shine. Normally prone to ear fatigue with over-ear models, they found none here, calling these the most comfortable Sony headphones they have worn. The wider cups surround the ears rather than pressing on them, and the headband is wider and cushioned to spread weight. They wore them for full work days and long-haul listening without removing them. The trade-offs: a lighter clamp means they shift when lying down or running, and noise cancellation takes a small hit. The headphones also no longer fold, though the case is only slightly larger than the XM6's.
Controls mostly match the XM6, with one addition: a new button on the left ear cup that switches listening modes without opening the phone app. Touch controls on the right cup still demand firm swipes, volume-up being the most stubborn, and there is no haptic feedback, only sound effects confirming a tap. Features carry over from the flagship: on-ear detection, a 10-band equaliser with presets, adaptive listening, speak-to-chat (off by default), quick attention mode and multipoint Bluetooth. Live translation, which the reviewer likes on the AirPods Pro 3, is absent.
Sound is the headline upgrade. The reviewer describes more space, restraint and depth than the XM6's forceful low end. Sub-bass is weighty but controlled on Grimes' Oblivion; layered synths and piano sit around the vocals on Lorde's Green Light; and Wet Leg's Chaise Longue sounds more separated and spacious. Sony redeveloped the 30mm driver with a new carbon composite dome, and treble is more detailed without turning sharp. A new V3 processor sits alongside the QN3 noise-cancelling chip and powers the 360 upmix modes for music, cinema and gaming, plus DSEE Ultimate, which replaces DSEE Extreme and expands bit depth and sample rate on compressed streams.
The reviewer still prefers standard mode for music, but finds 360 upmix music good for acoustic tracks and Live Lounge sessions, and for Harry Potter audiobooks on Audible. The cinema mode is the favourite: watching Inception on an iPad, they say they can no longer watch without it. The gaming mode improves positional audio in first-person shooters, though it falls short of a dedicated gaming headset.
Noise cancellation was not Sony's priority, but nearly all the XM6 technology carries over, including the QN3 processor, 12 microphones and an adaptive optimiser. On a 14-hour flight to Japan, it blocked a large amount of engine and air-conditioning noise. It is probably a touch behind the XM6 because of the looser fit. Ambient mode is decent, but Apple's AirPods Max and AirPods Pro 3 still sound more natural. Call quality is among the best the reviewer has tested, with friends calling them "crystal clear".
Battery life is the one disappointment: 24 hours with ANC against the XM6's 30. The reviewer never ran them flat, including across the Japan flight and several days of use. But at £550, they expected more, since many premium rivals now exceed 30 hours. The price sits below some Bowers & Wilkins and Bang & Olufsen models and above the AirPods Max. For buyers, the question is whether comfort and sound outweigh six fewer hours.
Citazioni salienti
These are the most comfortable Sony headphones I've ever worn.— The Independent reviewer
At £550, I expected more.— The Independent reviewer, on battery life
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