Sony - 1000X THE COLLEXION Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones - Platinum

These headphones have become my new favorite of all time so far. I have the WH-1000XM6 and will be comparing some main differences and why I think it's worth the extra cost to get these new ones. I wanted to also mention that the only thing it doesn't come with is the USB-C charging cable which I thought was weird but it does come with a 3.5mm audio cable. The build quality is my main reason for these being worth the extra money I absolutely love the feeling of the scuff resistant vegan faux leather the metal buttons and brushed metal accents. It feels so nice to the touch to change the volume and use all the controls compared to the XM6 which is slippery plastic and not as fingerprint resistant. The carrying case is so much better also they both are about the same size case but the carrying handle is a very nice touch and it's so thin still and I prefer the ease of putting the headphones away and not folding them up I just have to pick them up rotate the cups and put them on and it's way faster and easier than the XM6 that fold and I have to spend a minute trying to figure out which direction does it go again and this new design saves me a lot of time. I also really love that they put L and R inside the ear cups instead of on the inside of the headband so I can even easier identify which side is correct. These new headphones are thinner when placed on my head the ear cups do not stick out as much as the XM6 and has a much better profile for my head. The fit is more relaxed on these new ones and not as tight against my head as the XM6. I could shake my head and these will probably fall off if I tried hard enough while the XM6 would most likely not fall off in the same circumstances. The headband is wider on these and is way more comfortable for longer periods of use but they do get my ears hot and sweaty after about 30 mins to an hour which was the same for me when using the XM6. Sound is similar on both to me I don't notice much of a difference but if I had to pick the 1000X are slightly better due to the upgraded V3 chip that powers the DSEE Ultimate vs the XM6 that has DSEE Extreme. The new version has a dedicated button that can switch between different Spatial Audio upmixing and adds music gaming and cinema compared to XM6 that is limited to Cinema from the app only. I tried to like the spatial upmixing but to me I wasn't impressed as much as I preferred just listening on standard mode but also not sure how it affected my Apple Music Spatial Audio when listening to my music it would override that and to me did not sound as good as native Dolby Atmos Apple Audio. Bluetooth 6 is slightly better than the XM6 that is 5.3. Battery life is good for me but the XM6 is supposed to last 30 hours compared to these that offer 24 hours of life. The one negative thing that happened to me is my right ear cup started to make a static sound after a few minutes of listening and will not go away even after hard resetting and repairing to my device. The only way to get it to stop is to turn off all noise cancellation features which defeats the purpose of having these as the noise cancelling is excellent. I was able to contact Sony for a replacement and hopefully it doesn't happen again but has happened to other people with older headphones so not sure what the issue is with that and customer service has been very helpful so hopefully that doesn't happen to you and you get a good extra warranty on these just in case.

Comfort counts and for long term listening of several hours a day, comfort is indeed king. As a longtime member of the HeadFi community I freely admit to being a headphone enthusiast, albeit within personal reasons and a big reason for me to like this newest Sony 1000X COLLEXION set of 'phones is the superb comfort afforded by them. I own a variety of wired and wireless headphones purchased over the years including Sennheiser Momentum 3 and 4 models and Sony WH1000XM4 and WH1000XM6 versions as well as wired models such as my Focal Elegia, which are my favorite wired 'phones. But while I don't mind at all being hard-wired to quality there are plenty of times when I want my music to not only move me, but move with me. This new Sony 1000X COLLEXION wireless Blue Tooth headphones with ANC (Adaptive Noise Cancelling) are even better than their excellent WH1000XM6 and far, far ahead of my WH1000XM4 'phones. Setup and connection is fast and easy. I already have Sony's Sound Connect application on my iPhone 16 Pro Max which makes it relatively fast and easy to not only connect but to make changes to the listening modes and equalizer settings if you so desire. Within the app there is "Safe Listening" information based upon data from the WHO "World Health Organization". As I never listen to any music that is LOUD, I had no need to look into that information other than to report it is there for others to consider. There is also another feature of the app that allows you to backup and restore your settings and data. Within the app you can select Noise Cancelling, Ambient Sound or Off. The Ambient Sound setting is designed to let outside noises to be filtered in while you listen to your music. This feature utilizes the headphone's built-in microphones to pass environmental/background sounds such as traffic and conversations directly to your ears to help keep you more aware of your surroundings. There are also 5 listening modes: Standard. Music. Cinema. Game. Background Music. The Music mode was just fine as was the Standard and the Background Music mode was to me, annoying. I did not try the Game mode but the surprise for me came when I selected the Cinema mode. It was wonderful, especially so with tradtional Jazz/Pop Vocals such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sinatra, Nancy Wilson and Classical Music. Simply outstanding. I realize that many folks want to "hear the music as the artist intended" but I also know that if I enjoy a piece of music eq'd to my taste, then that is how I intend to hear it and I found the Cinema mode to be quite delightful without being tiresome. If you disable ANC and Ambient settings the battery is good for up to 32 hours of use. I have listened for periods of 3 to 4 hours straight and have no doubts I could probably easily make a flight to Australia without having a battery drain problem! Now for my favorite aspect of the new Sony 1000X COLLEXION: It pairs instantly (after the initial pairing process) with my Sony PS-LX3BT Blue Tooth automatic Turntable!! I am listening to a pristine copy of the Beatles album, "Something New - The Beatles" and it sounds FANTASTIC through these super headphones! Over the last few days I have spent time with my records via that 'table and these wonderfully comfortable 'phones. Normally I play the turntable through my Denon Home Amp (bought by myself at Best Buy!) and I truly do think I prefer listening "privately" via these headphones as not only is the sound excellent but so too are the memories of over 60 years ago listening to records. Dean Martin. Etta James. The Beach Boys. Sinatra. And so many more. It's as if Mr. Peabody and Sherman from the '60s cartoon "Peabody's Improbable History" had condensed their "WABAC" (pronounced "wayback") machine into a headphone that transported me to a very happy time in my life. As such I will say that the Sony 1000X COLLEXION headphones are beyond highly recommended! And when paired with the Sony PS-LX3BT turntable that's all you need to take your music back in time. No other amp or speakers are needed. Just power up the 'table, turn on your Sony 1000X COLLEXION headphones and hit the "Bluetooth" button on the turntable and listen to the soundtrack of your life!

Somehow, someway, Sony out did themselves this year with the premium version of the WH-1000XM6. They updated multiple parts that equals one of the most comfortable pairs of headphones by far. Right when I put them on, the feeling was instantaneous. Both have similar tech inside like noise cancelling that is very effective, I love them both. But the difference is huge actually. The actual cans completely fit over my ears, enveloping them. The XM6’s never truly fit over my ears, while never really hurting the experience,this was always a slight annoyance. Another change this time is the metal sections on the sides that really help with the stability and premium overall feel. The initial set up is through the Sony Sound Connect & works well with the overall experience. Set up was quick and I ran into no issues on set up. I like the options in the app for things like Ambient Sound Control that offers noise, ambient or off. Also, listening mode is interesting too. There are options like standard, Music, Cinema, Game & Background music. I liked the Cinema, it sounded like it did add some kind of audio flare that wasn’t there before. I plan on checking them all out in different situations and see how good they really are. The other setting I see on the app is the Adaptive Sound Control that changes depending on what you’re doing and where you are. The XM6 headphones have similar, if not identical effects as well. I took a picture I included with the headphones on my PS5 with a similar color. I think they both look great together, but unless I have an adapter, I can’t use them on the PS5 as they use proprietary software for the console. There are 2 colors only of white & black. I had my doubts initially with the white leather they chose, but looks very nice up close. Lastly, the case it comes in is also an upgrade over the XM6 case. This has partly to do with the hinges that are changed. I brought them up earlier, but since there are less moving parts on the head band sections, this time just folding the phones inward is all you need to fit them in perfectly in the case. Too easy and I like it that way, it really helps keep them clean. Let's get to the negative. The price! Yes, these are extremely expensive at MSRP, we can all agree on. The question is, are they worth it?? I keep going back and forth on this all night. The comfortability is off the charts here. Even with the inclusion of the metal, I can’t tell with the weight distribution, they are just very comfortable to wear. My first night, I think I wore them for over 2 hours testing them and never once did they feel cumbersome on or around my ears. If you are comfortable with how the XM5 or 6 feel and are happy with them, I would advise you to stay there. Maybe wait for a sale? However as far as the best premium set of headphones, these are definitely them in my opinion. They are my new daily driver which is impressive considering that white is my least favorite color to wear. So if still interested, definitly pick these up, you'll be glad you did. Good: Extremely comfortable to wear and use Bad: Extremely expensive at $650

The Sony 100X Collexion headphones are Sonys high end headphones for audiophiles. They present them as having great sound and comfort with premium materials. While the headphones are decent, I don't feel like the hit the mark for what they are asking for them. Pros - Comfortable - Good Battery Life - Large touch zone - Great microphone Cons - Materials feel and look cheap - Not loud enough - App isn't intuitive As for build quality, I have no real issues with it. I don't like the materials of the headset. They are mostly plastic, and the texturing they used on the plastic makes it feel rather cheap. The case they come in isn't the greatest either for such a premium headset, simple clamshell design with a latch that I feel like will break after enough use. Additionally there is no charging cable included with these. It does include a 3.5mm audio cord though, which is a nice addition. As for sound quality, I find myself preferring my ear buds. The headphones produce decent sound with a little bass. For a premium headset with advanced drivers like Sony is claiming, I expected more volume out of these. Additionally, at max volume the sound quality seems to fall off a bit. Using the AI upsampling for low quality streams made little difference from what I could tell. Now where these do excel is the microphone. I've had multiple people tell me that the sound quality on their end from the headset is much clearer than my phone or PC headset. Sony states that this headset has 12 microphones, so maybe that is the difference but they seem to do well there. As for comfort, these aren't bad but not great either. The ear muffs are made out of a mesh like material, but it isn't the most comfortable. They aren't necessarily uncomfrotable, but you can definintely dell you are wearing them. Same goes for the top headband cushion. Finally, the battery life. I have listened about 8 hours out of these from a full charge and I'm sitting at 50% battery life left. I use them primarily in the gym (not while I'm running though), I've only charged it the one time and its made it through a full week of use, at max volume with noise cancelling on.

Better sound quality than my Apple AirPods Max’s and definitely way more comfortable. The adaptive noise cancellation was kind of annoying at first but I fixed that.