Ten years on from the original MDR-1000X, Sony has decided the anniversary calls for something a bit more indulgent. Enter 1000X THE COLLEXION, a new premium addition to the 1000X line that sits alongside, rather than replaces, the WH-1000XM6 that landed earlier this year.
At the press event, Sony was clear that the 1000X isn’t replacing the M6, which is already a favourite. This is a parallel option for those who want their listening experience to feel more like a special occasion.
It will set you back $999.95 AUD, available now in Platinum and Black.
Built to be touched
When trying them out, one of the first things I noticed was the headband design. Beyond the thick cushion, Sony has gone with hand-finished metal: a matte, sandblasted body offset by gloss edges, with each piece actually hand-polished by a craftsperson. It’s the sort of detail you’d expect on a watch, not a set of headphones.
The earcups and headband padding are wrapped in a soft faux leather that apparently took Sony two years to develop. Sony says this is more pliable and more sustainable than the real thing, and it feels the part, with a supple, warm texture that’s more forgiving than the M6’s finish. The earcups are bigger too, and the headband cushion is wider, both aimed at spreading weight more evenly for long sessions, and long flights.
I also noticed that the buttons and mic openings are integrated cleanly into the metalwork, so there’s none of the visual clutter you sometimes find on premium headphones, which can look a bit overdone.
What’s new under the hood
THE COLLEXION gets a bespoke driver, a high-rigidity dome made from unidirectional carbon composite with a soft edge, which Sony says delivers cleaner separation between instruments, more detail at the top end and a wider soundstage.
Tuning was handled in collaboration with a handful of GRAMMY-winning and nominated mastering engineers out of the US. The deliberate brief, Sony says, was to avoid imposing a ‘house sound’ and instead stay faithful to what the artist intended. We’ll be putting that claim through its paces in our full GadgetGuy review.
THE COLLEXION is also the first Sony headphone to ship with DSEE Ultimate, which uses Edge-AI to upscale compressed music in real time, restoring detail and dynamic range that the source is lacking. The model has been trained on Sony Music’s library using millions of samples.
360 Reality Audio Upmix gets a workout too, expanding to three modes (Music, Cinema and Game) accessed via a dedicated Listening Mode button on the cup. The idea is the same big-room spatial effect across all three, just tuned for the content you’re pointed at.
Familiar 1000X strengths
The active noise cancelling (ANC) is the same setup as the M6, with 12 microphones feeding Sony’s Multi-Noise Sensor tech and the Adaptive NC Optimizer, plus real-time analysis adjusting to whatever environment you’ve walked into. Call quality, app support via Sound Connect, and the 24-hour battery (with a five-minute top-up good for three hours) all carry across as well. Ear pads remain user-replaceable.
On the sustainability side, around 25% of the plastic in the product is recycled, and the packaging is plastic-free, using Sony’s sugarcane-bamboo paper mix. The carry case has been designed with accessibility in mind too, with a magnetic closure, like the M6’s case, that’s easier to open than a zipper.
<h2>And a new colour for the M6</h2>
Alongside THE COLLEXION, Sony has added a fifth colour to the WH-1000XM6 range. Sandstone joins the existing four, with the same audio performance as the rest of the line, just a warmer, more neutral finish for those who’d rather not pick between black and silver. RRP is $699.95 AUD, available now.
First impressions
Overall, the 1000X THE COLLEXION builds on an already well-proven and excellent M6 platform. Only these ones are luxurious, in terms of texture, feel and finish. That extends to the case, too, which has a more considered, almost bag-like feel in the hand, and I like the hole in the middle. On my head, they’re more comfortable and padded than the M6s that I usually wear. They really do lift the experience for those who want to feel just a little bit special when kicking back and visiting old vinyl friends, or simply winding down to a favourite flick. A full GadgetGuy review, including how they actually sound, is coming soon.
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