Sony's most premium ANC headphones yet made luxury audio click for me | ZDNET
X Tech Why you can trust ZDNET : ZDNET independently tests and researches products to bring you our best recommendations and advice. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Our process 'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean? ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. Close Home Tech Wearables Headphones Sony's most premium ANC headphones yet made luxury audio click for me The special-edition pair of 1000X-series headphones strikes a balance between modern style and functionality. Written by Jada Jones, EditorEditor May 28, 2026 at 6:39 p.m. PT Sony 1000X The Collexion 4 / 5 Very good pros and cons Pros ComfortableDetailed soundStylish and practical Cons ExpensiveWeak battery life View now at Sony Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.To commemorate a decade of acclaimed flagship over-ear headphones, Sony released a special-edition version, aptly named 1000X The Collexion. Sony looks back from 2016 to now, and its 1000X-series headphones went from proving they could outdo competitors to becoming industry frontrunners.Also: I've tested dozens of Sony headphones - these 4 tweaks get me the best sound qualityTypically, Apple's $549 price tag for its AirPods Max 2 is where I consider the ceiling for consumer headphones. Anything beyond, such as Bowers & Wilkins' $800 Px8 S2, I put in the luxury category.Sony just entered said category, pricing its 1000X The Collexion at $650, in exchange for its design and audio upgrades, which build on the WH-1000XM6, released one year ago. Thus, 1000X The Collexion shares a similar silhouette to its more affordable sibling, but debuts with a sleeker appearance, more premium materials, and higher-quality internal audio components. ZDNET RECOMMENDS Sony 1000X The Collexion Sony's 10th anniversary edition of its flagship headphones arrive with plenty of style, comfort, and upgraded audio features. details View at Sony Best headphone deals of the week Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black): $248 (save $152) Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black): $170 (save $181) Apple AirPods Max ANC Wireless Headphones (USB-C Charging, Midnight): $400 (save $150) Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Lunar Blue): $299 (save $130) Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones: $199 (save $150) Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article. Improvements under the hoodSony markets 1000X The Collexion as a deluxe version of the WH-1000XM6, but it offers internal improvements that set the special-edition headphones apart from the standard model. Also: Sony WH-1000XM6 vs. Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2: How I'd justify spending $300 more for headphones1000X The Collexion features a unidirectional carbon driver, opposed to the XM6's standard carbon driver. This speaker design should reduce dome flexion, therefore reducing distortion. 1000X The Collexion still features Sony's signature sound profile: warm, detailed, and colorful. However, I noticed that 1000X The Collexion's sound profile is more lively than the XM6's, with deeper and tighter low frequencies and less sharp high frequencies, all without any EQ tweaks.BTS's "Please" has a vibey bassline that's clear and dense without any rumbling, and the harmonies of the group's members are reproduced beautifully. Overall, 1000X The Collexion delivers a rich sound that avoids the fatigue the XM6 can cause with an overly analytical sound. Sony WH-1000XM6 (left) and Sony 1000X The Collexion (right). Jada Jones/ZDNETSony upgraded 1000X The Collexion to include a new processor, powered by the V3 chip to run DSEE Ultimate, the company's most advanced audio-quality upscaling algorithm, trumping DSEE Extreme. These headphones also debut with two more spatial audio modes for music and gaming. I usually prefer stereo when listening to headphones, and though Sony's current 360 Upmix spatial audio is its best, I'll stick with stereo.Sony's spatial audio upmixing widens the soundstage and adds some height, but that's about it. There's little movement and little opportunity for immersion, and some songs can sound too robotic and digitized when the upmix software is enabled. 1000X The Collexion supports the hallmarks of Sony's audio technologies, including the LDAC and LC3 codecs, 3.5mm wired listening, noise cancellation, and ambient mode.Also: I listened to Sony, Bose, and Apple's flagship headphones - and this pair's ahead of the packStill, 1000X The Collexion features the same QN3 noise-reduction processor as the XM6, though Sony admits the XM6's noise-canceling abilities are more advanced than those of its upscale sibling. I agree, though 1000X The Collexion's noise cancellation isn't weak, rather on par with the Sonos Ace or WH-1000XM5.A design that (finally) challenges competitorsSony revamped its design language for 1000X The Collexion, incorporating polished and brushed metal accents on the headphones' yokes, buttons, headband, and ports rather than the matte plastic found throughout the WH-1000XM6. Additionally, 1000X The Collexion features slimmer earcups, a wider headband, and thicker ear pads for enhanced comfort.Also: Sony vs. Bose: My buying advice after listening to flagship headphones from both brandsAccording to Sony, the new design choices were made to make the headphones look and feel more luxurious. I can attest that the new design addresses two issues I had with the WH-1000XM6: comfort and style -- both of which were lacking. A wider headband, plushier ear pads, and roomier earcups promote long-term comfort better than the standard 1000X-series headphones, while shiny accents from yokes to microphone houses echo the designs of Sony's contemporaries.A major issue I had with the WH-1000XM6 was that they were immediately uncomfortable. I felt the ear pads were too thin, the earcups slightly too small, and the clamping force too tight to wear for more than half an hour. 1000X The Collexion's thicker ear pads, more relaxed fit, and deeper earcups mitigate these issues. I wore these headphones for hours while working at my desk, and I could easily keep them on for a few hours on a plane. Metallic accents, slim earcups, and minimalist designs influence modern luxury consumer headphone design. From left to right: Sony 1000X The Collexion, Sonos Ace, Apple AirPods Max 2. Jada Jones/ZDNETApple's release of the AirPods Max in 2020 changed consumer expectations for headphone design, which had often been limited to strictly practical shapes with little eye-catching detail. Since then, consumer headphones have increasingly become a piece of fashionable outerwear, partly due to Apple's introduction of a new mainstream design and partly to society's acceptance of frequent headphone use.Compared to its competitors from Bose, Apple, and even Sonos, who utilized brushed nickel, anodized aluminum, and stainless steel, Sony's WH-1000XM6 opted for a uniform, utilitarian, wholly plastic design. This time, Sony reaches deep into its style bag without shelving its practicality bag, valuing chicness as much as function, even though the company usually does the opposite.As companies' headphone design choices become bolder and more fashionable, so do their carrying cases. There are many complaints to be made about the AirPods Max's carrying "case," but I admit that it's interesting to imagine headphones' headband as a handle. Sony's 1000X The Collexion carrying case (center left) and AirPods Max 2 (bottom right). Jada Jones/ZDNETSony innovated the carrying case for its latest flagship headphones, the WH-1000XM6, swapping the generations-old case shape and zipper for a more ergonomic design and a stylish magnet. This time, 1000X The Collexion's case still functions as a case, but features a cutout below the headband, creating a handle. To Sony, design entails more than looks, but also encompasses functionality, and I appreciate that. I also like that even though the 1000X The Collexion doesn't fold, the carrying case solves the portability issue caused by its inflexible hinges.Also: Bose Lifestyle Ultra vs. Sonos