Sony is kicking off the 10th anniversary of its 1000X series with something that is less “next WH-1000XM” and more “statement piece for people who live in headphones.” The new 1000X THE COLLEXION is a premium over-ear wireless noise canceling model that sits above the WH-1000XM6 and leans hard into luxury design, comfort for all-day wear, and a more spacious, studio-inspired sound signature.

At its core, THE COLLEXION is still a member of the 1000X family: it is wireless, packed with Sony’s flagship noise canceling tech, tuned for hi-res listening, and aimed at frequent travelers, remote workers, and anyone who spends half their life on calls and playlists. But instead of being just “the next XM,” Sony is treating this as a halo product that shows where the 1000X line is heading in the next decade.

Sony is very clearly targeting people who care about how their headphones look as much as how they sound. THE COLLEXION’s design language is less techy and more “minimalist luxury,” the kind of hardware you can wear with office formals, airport fits, and even on-camera without screaming gamer or studio gear. The model launches in two finishes, Platinum and Black, both understated and modern, with subtle metallic accents instead of flashy branding.

A lot of attention has gone into materials. Sony is using premium crafted metal accents on the headband with a matte sandblasted texture contrasted by hand-polished gloss sections, and each piece is individually finished by artisans rather than just stamped out of a mold. The result is a cleaner, more refined look that’s meant to age gracefully instead of picking up the usual scuffs and shiny wear marks you see on cheaper plastics. You also get integrated metal buttons and microphone openings that sit flush with the body, so there are fewer awkward cutouts breaking the lines of the design.

The ear cushions and headband use a soft vegan leather that took Sony about two years to develop, with a focus not just on feel but also on how it drapes and stretches over time. This material choice is doing two things at once: giving you that “pillow” feel when you put them on, and also helping maintain a clean, seam-free look. If you have ever had older headphones where the synthetic leather starts flaking, Sony is clearly trying to reassure buyers that this is a more premium step up.

Comfort is one area where Sony has already set a high bar with the WH-1000X line, and THE COLLEXION is pitched as the next level for long listening sessions. The earcups are shaped and proportioned to rest more naturally around the ears, with better pressure distribution and a seal that doesn’t feel like a clamp. The headband is slightly wider and more cushioned, which helps spread the weight and reduce hot spots on the top of your head during long flights or workdays. The soft, stretchable leather adapts to the shape of your head over time, which should make these feel more “broken in” instead of stiff out of the box.

On the audio front, Sony is positioning THE COLLEXION as a more spacious, wide soundscape version of the classic 1000X tuning. Inside, there is a bespoke driver unit with a soft edge and a new high-rigidity dome made from unidirectional carbon composite material. In practical terms, this driver construction is supposed to give you clearer instrument separation, more delicate treble detail, and a wider, more layered soundstage compared to mainstream 1000X models. So if you like hearing where each instrument sits in a track instead of everything piling into the center, this is tuned for that.

Sony didn’t do this tuning alone. The company collaborated with GRAMMY-winning and GRAMMY-nominated mastering engineers to refine the sound profile. Their brief was to keep vocals smooth, instruments balanced, and dynamics intact, so you get emotional impact without harshness or fatigue over time. That should appeal to listeners who bounce between lossless streaming, YouTube, podcasts, and maybe even some creator work like rough mixing or reference listening on the go.

Under the hood, there is one particularly interesting first for the series: THE COLLEXION is the first headphone to feature DSEE Ultimate, Sony’s Edge-AI based upscaling that works in real time. The idea is to take compressed tracks from typical services and restore some of the detail and dynamic range that gets lost in the encoding process. So if your daily mix is mostly streaming services and Bluetooth, you should hear more texture in vocals, cymbals, and acoustic instruments than you would with basic SBC/AAC playback.

Spatial audio also gets a bigger role here. THE COLLEXION expands Sony’s 360 Reality Audio Upmix into three modes – music, cinema, and game – which you can control via the Listening Mode button. Instead of needing native 360 content, these modes can upmix stereo sources into more immersive soundscapes, giving a sense of space and direction around you. Think wider, more room-like sound for movies, a more enveloping stage for music, and positional cues for gaming, all driven at the DSP level.

Noise canceling remains one of the biggest reasons people buy into the 1000X family, and Sony is not experimenting too much here – in a good way. THE COLLEXION uses the same noise canceling system as the WH-1000XM6, complete with Multi-Noise Sensor technology and 12 microphones feeding Sony’s processing pipeline. It also includes the Adaptive NC Optimizer, which adjusts cancellation based on your environment and fit, something that has become one of the standout features of the series in real-world use. You get the same promise: strong low-frequency suppression for engines, HVAC, and city rumble, plus clever handling of more dynamic environments like cafes and offices.

The “iconic 1000X performance” story continues with the basics too. THE COLLEXION keeps the key quality-of-life features Sony fans expect: solid call quality, intuitive touch and button controls, and smooth multipoint connectivity for pairing with a laptop and phone simultaneously. Battery life lands at up to 24 hours with both Bluetooth and noise canceling enabled, and can stretch up to 32 hours if you switch noise canceling off, depending on your usage and settings. That’s firmly in the premium travel range and should comfortably cover long-haul flights plus a few workdays in between charges.

Interestingly, Sony is also using THE COLLEXION to push its sustainability and accessibility messaging a bit further. Around 25% of the plastic used in the headphone body and carry case comes from recycled materials, and the packaging is plastic-free, with exceptions only for coatings and adhesives. It’s not a fully circular product, but it does align with Sony’s broader goal to reduce environmental impact across its hardware lineup.

On the accessibility side, the headphones ship with a bag-like carry case that uses a magnetic closure instead of a stiff zipper, making it easier to open and close, especially for people with limited hand mobility. There are clear left/right markings, tactile buttons you can distinguish by feel, and QR-based guides to help users quickly access setup and support content. It is a small but important signal that Sony is thinking beyond just specs and aesthetics to usability for a wider range of listeners.

Alongside THE COLLEXION, Sony is also giving existing fans of the WH-1000XM6 another styling option. The company is introducing a new Sandstone colorway, described as a warm, natural tone that fits more easily into softer, lifestyle-focused setups instead of the usual black-and-silver combo. Functionally, this is the same WH-1000XM6 that has already established itself as a top-tier noise canceling headphone, just in a more design-forward shade for people who want their gear to blend with earthy or neutral outfits.

Sony is positioning Sandstone as a way to broaden the visual identity of the WH-1000XM6 lineup without compromising what made it popular in the first place – namely, strong noise canceling, refined sound, and comfortable fit. If you have been on the fence about the XM6 because of color options rather than performance, this is meant to close that gap.

In terms of price and availability, Sony is very clearly treating 1000X THE COLLEXION as a flagship above the mainstream WH-1000X series. The new model is available starting May 2026 in Platinum and Black with a suggested retail price of $649.99 in the US and $849.99 in Canada, through Sony’s own online store as well as major retailers like Best Buy and Amazon. The WH-1000XM6 in Sandstone is also rolling out from May 2026, priced at $459.99 in the US and $599.99 in Canada via Sony and Amazon.

So, who is 1000X THE COLLEXION really for? It is aimed at listeners who are already sold on the 1000X experience and now want something more elevated – better materials, more deliberate tuning, a more expansive soundstage, and hardware that feels like a lifestyle object rather than just a gadget. If you just need a great pair of noise canceling headphones, the WH-1000XM6 is still going to make a lot of sense on price alone. But if you live in your headphones every day and see them as part of your personal style, THE COLLEXION is Sony’s way of saying: here is the 1000X series at its most refined.