Sony’s Fancy 1000X Anniversary Headphones Sound Like a Tough Sell
Sony is celebrating 10 years of its 1000X headphone line with something properly atas: the 1000X The Collexion, also known as the WH-1000XX. It is positioned as an ultra-premium anniversary model, priced at $650 — roughly around the RM3,000 zone before any official Malaysia pricing, taxes or retailer markup.
On paper, this sounds like the dream Sony flagship. The usual plastic-heavy build has been swapped for leather and metal, giving it a more luxurious look than the regular 1000X models. Sony also redesigned the sliders and headband, slimmed down the ear cups, added thicker headband padding, and reduced clamping pressure for longer listening comfort.
That part seems to work. The review says Sony nailed the design and comfort, even though this model is 67g heavier than the WH-1000XM6. For Malaysians who wear headphones for long sessions — working in cafes, flying AirAsia, grinding ranked at night, or just surviving office noise — comfort matters a lot. No point buying expensive ANC cans if your head feels cooked after two hours.
Sony also upgraded the internals. The 1000XX uses new unidirectional carbon drivers, with Sony claiming better high-frequency detail and a wider soundstage. There is also improved circuitry for cleaner sound, plus DSEE Ultimate, the latest version of Sony’s AI-powered upscaling tech that tries to restore detail lost through compressed music.
The feature list is still very Sony, meaning stacked. You still get tools like Adaptive Sound Control, Speak-to-Chat, Quick Access, and head gestures for calls. There is also a new physical button on the left ear cup for spatial audio modes, including Music and Game. That Game mode is interesting for players who use premium ANC headphones instead of dedicated gaming headsets, especially for single-player games, handhelds, or mobile gaming sessions.
But here’s the problem: this anniversary model may not actually be the best 1000X to buy.
According to the review, sound quality is not as balanced as the WH-1000XM6. The 1000XX still has strong detail clarity, especially for calmer acoustic music, and DSEE Ultimate helps improve the default tuning. But the bass is apparently too dominant, causing mids to get buried in heavier genres like rock, metal and synth-heavy electronic tracks. The new Music spatial mode also gets criticised for sounding thin and pushing vocals too far forward.
Noise cancelling is another compromise. Even though the 1000XX uses the same QN3 processor, 12-microphone setup and noise-cancelling optimizer as the WH-1000XM6, Sony says the ANC is weaker because it prioritised comfort and passive isolation differently. The review notes that steady noises like fans and white noise can still creep in.
Battery life also drops. The WH-1000XM6 is rated for up to 30 hours with ANC on, while The Collexion manages up to 24 hours. For a more expensive model, that is sus. The quick charge feature is also less efficient than the XM6’s version.
So for Malaysia and SEA buyers, the big question is simple: do you want the best-looking 1000X, or the best-performing one? If official local pricing lands anywhere near that $650 level, this becomes a serious luxury purchase. The leather-and-metal build is tempting, no doubt, but if ANC, tuning and battery life are your priorities, the regular WH-1000XM6 sounds like the smarter pick.
The Collexion is Sony flexing its design muscles. But for everyday listeners, commuters and gamers, premium materials alone may not be enough.
Source: Engadget
