Sony's $650 1000X The Collexion Impresses on Luxury but Trails XM6 on Sound and ANC
Updated
Updated · Engadget · May 19
Sony's $650 1000X The Collexion Impresses on Luxury but Trails XM6 on Sound and ANC
2 articles · Updated · Engadget · May 19
$650 1000X The Collexion won praise for its leather-and-metal build, thicker padding and lighter clamping force, but the review says it is not the best buy in Sony's lineup.
Sony's 10th-anniversary model adds new carbon drivers, DSEE Ultimate upscaling and dedicated spatial-audio controls, yet its stock tuning leans too heavily on bass and the Music mode sounds tinny.
ANC also slips behind the WH-1000XM6 because Sony prioritized comfort over passive isolation, letting more steady background noise through despite using the same QN3 chip and 12-mic array.
Battery life falls to 24 hours from the XM6's 30 hours, and the slower quick-charge performance reinforces the review's conclusion that the premium model's nearly $200 markup is hard to justify.
Can luxury materials justify a $350 premium for headphones with weaker ANC and battery life?
Why did Sony trade its signature noise cancellation for comfort in its most expensive anniversary headphones?