Sony’s noise-cancelling headphone line is getting a proper anniversary flex. To mark 10 years since the MDR-1000X helped put Sony on the ANC map, the company is launching a new top-end model with a very Sony name: 1000X The ColleXion — yes, pronounced “the collection”.
This sits above the regular WH-1000XM6, sharing some of its core tech but pushing harder on materials, comfort and audio processing. In Malaysia/SEA terms, think of it less as a practical commuter upgrade and more as the “I want the nicest Sony ANC headphone available” option.
The biggest visual change is the more premium build. Sony is using synthetic leather around the ear cup housing as a nod to the original MDR-1000X. The ear pads are deeper and wider, while the headband is larger for comfort during longer sessions — useful if you’re the type who wears headphones through work, Discord calls, Valorant ranked, and late-night anime binges.
Sony also added stainless steel yokes, with the same material continuing across the top of the headband. That should give The ColleXion a more luxury feel than the usual plastic-heavy ANC crowd. The trade-off? It does not fold. Like the WH-1000XM5, it only swivels inwards, so bag space could be annoying if you travel a lot between campus, office, cafes or flights around SEA. Sony is including a new case with an integrated grip handle, at least.
Controls are all on the left ear cup. You get power, ANC/ambient mode, plus a new dedicated spatial mode switch. That ties into one of the more interesting upgrades: 360 Upmix, with spatial audio profiles for music, cinema and gaming. For gamers, this could be the feature to watch, especially if Sony’s processing can make single-player titles, movies and anime feel wider without sounding fake or muddy.
Audio-wise, The ColleXion keeps the same 30mm driver size as the XM6, but Sony is using soft-edge drivers that it says can improve bass and noise cancelling. The internal circuit board layout has also been reworked to fit a thicker copper substrate, with Sony claiming richer detail, a wider soundstage and better depth.
There is also DSEE Ultimate, Sony’s AI-based upscaling tech that tries to restore lost frequency detail in compressed audio. That matters here because plenty of us are streaming Spotify, YouTube Music, anime OPs on YouTube, or game OSTs from random platforms — not always lossless audio, bro.
Sony also brought in mastering engineers from Battery Studios, Sterling Sound and Coast Mastering for tuning. On the noise-cancelling side, the headphones pack 12 microphones across both sides, adaptive ANC, beamforming for voice pickup, the same QN3 Noise Cancelling Processor as the XM6, and a new V3 integrated processor that Sony says improves both ANC and sound processing.
Battery life is one area where the premium model actually drops below the XM6. The ColleXion is rated for up to 24 hours with ANC on and 32 hours with ANC off. For comparison, the WH-1000XM6 is rated at 30 hours with ANC and 40 hours without. Still enough for most users, but frequent travellers may notice the downgrade.
The 1000X The ColleXion comes in Black and Platinum. Pricing is set at $649 / €629 / £549, which is $200 more than the XM6 at launch. Converted roughly, that puts it around the RM3,000+ class before local taxes and retailer markup, so Malaysian buyers should expect a very premium price if it arrives here officially.
Bottom line: this is not the sensible-value Sony headphone. It is the anniversary flagship for fans who care about build, comfort, ANC, spatial audio and the prestige of owning the highest-end 1000X model. If you just want strong ANC for daily LRT commutes or office grind, the XM6 may still make more sense. But if Sony nails the sound and comfort, The ColleXion could be a serious flex for audio nerds.
Source: GSMArena