After weeks of teasing, Sony's new premium over-ears, the 1000X The Collexion, have officially launched, and they have one simple aim: to be the best-sounding wireless headphones the company has ever produced.
That's a tall order considering this is the brand which, in recent years, has given us the Sony WH-CH720N, WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM6 Award-winners, not to mention a raft of class-leading wireless earbuds.
The Collexion have been released to celebrate 10 years of the 1000X line, and sit above the WH-1000XM6 as the brand's new range-topping headphones. While these may be ‘celebratory’ headphones, they're a fully fledged product in their own right, not a limited edition one-off model.
The new over-ears feature a bespoke carbon fibre 30mm drive unit, constructed using soft edging and a hard centre in pursuit of an “exceptional frequency response”. Sound has been optimised using Sony’s Walkman technology and a low phase noise crystal oscillator, while premium components and circuitry shoot for an improved signal to noise ratio to reveal exceptional levels of detail and provide a wide, open soundstage.
The 1000X The Collexion support standard SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs alongside higher-quality LDAC if you have a compatible source device – most recent Sony smartphones should do the trick.
These are the first Sony headphones to make use of DSEE Ultimate for improving lower-quality digital audio files, while three flavours of Sony’s ‘360 Reality Audio Upmix’ tech – ‘Music’, ‘Cinema’ and ‘Game’ – are available for adding spatial audio processing to your content.
Battery life clocks in at around 32 hours with ANC off and 24 hours with noise cancelling switched on, which is a little less than the 30-or-so hours (ANC on) of the WH-1000XM6.
While Sony has warned that noise cancelling isn't such a focus for The Collexion as it is the WH-1000XM6, the pricier cans share much of the same tech as their Award-winning siblings, including Sony's QN3 processing chip and 12 built-in microphones to monitor surrounding noise.
Pretty much everything on the new headphones is made using either stainless steel or faux leather, with The Collexion boasting a slimmer, lighter profile than the WH-1000XM6.
Unlike the XM6, however, they don't fold away – though you do get a carry case, complete with a hollowed-out handle, for taking your cans out and about.
The Sony 1000X The Collexion are available now in a choice of black or platinum finishes, priced at £550 / €630 / $650. Are these really the best sounding wireless headphones Sony has ever produced? Read our full 1000X The Collexion review now to find out.
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