Sony 1000X The Collexion review: More than just a pretty pair of headphones

Sony’s new 1000X The Collexion celebrates 10 years of the 1000X series, bringing a more premium, comfortable and refined pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Priced at 59,990, The Collexion claims to offer a more luxurious experience across design, comfort, sound quality, and noise cancellation, with metal and faux-leather finishes, upgraded drivers, and added listening modes. 

While The Collexion is not an upgrade to Sony’s own WH-1000XM6, but it sits above and competes with premium headphones such as Apple’s AirPods Max 2. We have been testing the headphones over two weeks across design, audio performance, noise cancellation, battery life, and software experience. While it is an impressive pair of headphones, it is asking buyers to pay a considerable amount for refinement rather than a dramatic leap in functionality.

So, is the Sony 1000X The Collexion worth the hype and the luxury price tag? Let’s dive deep and see whether it truly lives up to its premium promise.

Sony 1000X The Collexion: Design and build quality

Since the Sony 1000X The Collexion offers a more luxurious experience, the biggest difference you will notice in appearance is the sandblasted stainless-steel arms with a faux-leather finish, which surely gives a premium look and feel. When you’re wearing it around the neck, it may look more like a luxury accessory than just a headphone.

Its ergonomics are also top-notch, with redesigned earcups, offering comfortable cushions and giving more room around the ears. The headband is also comfortable to wear, but it does not grip your head as tightly as some other models. As a result, you may want to skip wearing them to the gym or while running, as they may not be the most secure fit for intense physical activity. In addition, there is also no IP rating, which means it's not suited for serious exercise or exposure to rain and sweat.

The headphones are about 320 grams in weight; while they may not be the lightest, it does not feel heavy over the head or around the neck due to their plush construction. In terms of being travel-friendly, the headphones do not fold into a compact travel configuration, and with their case, it takes up meaningful space in a bag. Therefore, while Sony is selling a luxury package with 1000X The Collexion, it does come with some drawbacks which can not be ignored.

Sony 1000X The Collexion: Sound quality, noise cancellation, and app support

Sony 1000X The Collexion’s strongest suit is its sound for the premium price. The headphones are equipped with bespoke 30mm drivers and a new V3 processing system that offers a bass-heavy listening experience. Throughout use, the sound was top-notch, offering crisp vocals and instrument sound across music, movies and podcasts. 

The headphones also support LDAC and LC Bluetooth codecs and DSEE Ultimate processing with uses AI to deliver high-quality audio and an immersive audio profile. It also supports a spatial-audio feature for a theatre- or concert-like audio experience. It includes spatial-audio upmixing with dedicated modes for music, movies, and gaming. It helps create a wider, more surround-sound-like experience, but the music upmixing was not up to the mark. Overall, the sound experience felt premium across genres, with clear separation between instruments and vocals, while also bringing out impressive levels of detail.

Coming to Active Noise Cancellation capabilities, the Sony 1000X The Collexion is powered by Sony’s QN3 noise-cancellation platform and multiple microphones similar to the 1000X M6 variant. Coming to its real-life performance, the headphones do an excellent job of cutting out low- and mid-frequency sounds.

We also tested the headphones on an airplane, and they effectively blocked the cabin and engine noise. It also blocked the street noise, making it perfect for busy and noisy environments. Overall noise cancellation performance is impressive and delivers a noticeably quieter listening experience.

The headphones also support Sony’s companion app, where users can customise the listening experience via a 10-band equaliser, sound modes and ANC levels. The app has a clean user interface, and the controls are easy to navigate.

Sony 1000X The Collexion: Battery life

Sony claims to deliver up to 24 hours of battery life with the 1000X The Collexion and up to 32 hours with ANC turned off. For comparison, the X1000 M6 model offers up to 30 hours of playback with ANC on, despite being on the less expensive side. However, 24 hours is not less, and it could easily last you a day, which means even with 8 hours of continuous listening, you can get about 3.5 days of listening. However, with ANC disabled, you may not get the full 32 hours as per our testing. 

In terms of charging, the Sony 1000X The Collexion takes quite some time to charge, over 3 hours to fully charge; therefore, you may have to plan your charging accordingly. However, with just 5 minutes of charging, you can get up to 90 minutes of playback.

Sony 1000X The Collexion: Verdict

Should you buy Sony 1000X The Collexion? Well, under Rs 60,000, you may have plenty of options to explore, but the Sony 1000X The Collexion shines in several aspects. It promises and delivers a luxurious design and the best comfort, but with premiumness comes a few compromises. 

Its sound quality, ANC, and app experience remain top-notch with 10-band equaliser, LDAC support, DSEE Ultimate processing and spatial-audio options. It offers a more luxurious personality than the mainstream 1000X models with stainless steel, faux leather, and the most comfortable ear cushions. However, it misses out on basics like water protection, compact design, and a loose grip, and has a major impact on the listening experience.

Therefore, Sony 1000X The Collexion is best suited for buyers who prioritise comfort, premium design and an immersive listening experience over portability and a more secure fit.