Review: Sony WH-1000XX The Collexion - Sony's new luxury headphones

It was not long ago that Sony updated its premium headphones in the 1000X series, but now another model is being released to celebrate the acclaimed headphone series' tenth anniversary. We have tested the 1000X The Collexion.

Erik Mörner Erik Mörner

Published 24 September 2026 - 11:42

Although these headphones are intended to be a true prestige model, they are neither a successor to the WH-1000X M6 nor a model that offers everything. Compared with the existing WH-1000X M6, there is a noticeable difference in class, as the 1000X The Collection, or WH-1000XX as they are also called in some places, use premium materials, metal and faux leather rather than plastic. Perhaps not surprising, since the price is SEK 2,000 higher.

1000X Collexion on the left, with the sister model WH-1000X M6 on the right, which will also continue to be sold.

The 1000X The Collection has much in common with its sister model at its core, but in addition to the more premium choice of materials and a somewhat slimmer form factor, the new headphones are also intended to be more comfortable. The slimmer design means that Sony has developed a new speaker driver for these headphones, and the battery has also been split into two to make further use of the available space.

Since Sony has largely carried over features from its sister model when creating the 1000X The Collection, it is primarily the design and materials that stand out in these headphones. They are a clear and explicit attempt to challenge premium headphones such as those from Bowers & Wilkins, but that is precisely why it is surprising that Sony has not gone all in.

High-resolution audio on Android, not on iPhone

Of course, there is support for high-resolution audio with LDAC here, just as in Sony’s other more premium headphones. The headphones also have effective noise cancellation with Sony’s QN3 processor, the same one found in the sibling model WH-1000X M6, but here supplemented by an additional processor called V3. The result is said to be that the 1000X M6 has better noise cancellation, while the headphones tested here offer more refined music reproduction. In practice, when I test them, the difference between the sound profiles of the two models is very small. However, I can clearly hear the significantly more detailed reproduction when I compare them with the luxury headphones Sony says it wants to challenge. There, I get much better separation, with each individual instrument and vocalist standing out more clearly. When it comes to noise cancellation too, the Bowers & Wilkins headphones are at least in the same class as Sony’s noise cancellation, so Sony is not as superior today as it once was.

When it comes to audio from an iPhone, high-resolution audio via LDAC is not supported, as Apple prevents this, so we are limited to more restricted audio quality here. However, Sony has its own solution: using its DSEE Ultimate technology, it takes the compressed audio and attempts, as far as possible and with some AI assistance, to recreate the original quality. It is a good attempt, but the difference is still noticeable. Perhaps most striking is that Sony, in what should nevertheless be a distinctly prestige-focused pair of headphones, offers no further support for truly high-resolution audio on iPhone. Apple's AirPods Max offer this, for example, if connected via USB-C to an iPhone and Apple Music. Sony does not support audio through the USB-C cable, so when I connect it anyway, the only thing that happens is that the headphones charge from the phone's battery.

Back to the audio, as Sony has a feature in its app called 360 Upmix, where the sound, just as promised, is given a greater sense of space and you feel more as though you are in the same room as the artists. However, it does not make a decisive difference, although it is clear that it improves things compared with having the feature switched off.

Cluttered app, but controls work well directly on the headphones

Available in two colours: black or light beige.

Otherwise, Sony's app is a clear weakness. It is hopelessly cluttered and has long needed to be redesigned from the ground up. Sony has been a leader in headphones for a long time, but in recent years it has simply added feature after feature without considering the layout or the overall experience, and it is becoming increasingly painful for us users. At least you are not particularly dependent on the app. Several buttons on the earcups let you control functions directly with your fingers, without taking out your phone. I can of course switch between ambient sound and noise cancellation, on or off. Another button can be customised to activate, for example, a background music function. This makes the music I am listening to quieter and more distant, a customised mode that makes it easier to concentrate on something while the music plays remotely, sounding as if it is far away. I can change tracks, adjust the volume and answer calls by swiping on the earcups.

In terms of appearance, Sony has at least clearly succeeded with the design and choice of materials; these headphones feel distinctly premium, and the ergonomics are good even during longer listening sessions. It is a shame that they are not equally ambitious in every aspect of this anniversary model.