To mark the 10th anniversary of its 1000X line, Sony just dropped a new full-size model — 1000X THE COLLEXION — at $649.99. The two previous generations with reference-grade noise cancellation, WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM6, run $250–$400. Let’s see if this is a genuine new flagship or just an expensive remix of the XM6 Bluetooth headphones.

Build: stainless steel + vegan leather
Driver: new 30mm unidirectional carbon composite
Processor: QN3 — same as the WH-1000XM6
ANC: 12 microphones + Adaptive NC Optimizer — same as the XM6
Battery: 24h with ANC, 32h without (XM6 gets 30h with ANC and 40h without)
Weight: 312g (XM6 — 254g). That’s +58g.
Multipoint connection to two devices simultaneously
Codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC, LC3. Bluetooth 6.0 (LE Audio)

What’s actually new. The driver and materials. Carbon composite instead of standard — Sony promises “a cleaner and more spacious soundstage.” I’m not buying a dramatic sound upgrade, but a modest improvement and tighter tonal balance? Sure. We’ll know more once I get these on my head. The QN3 chip, ANC, DSEE Ultimate upscaling, and 360 Reality Audio Upmix were all in the WH-1000XM6 at $449.99. The anniversary model at $649.99 is +$200 for the chassis and driver. There’s also Bluetooth 6.0 instead of 5.3 on the XM6 — bringing support for the new LE Audio standard.

Materials. It looks like Sony went for a radical structural overhaul — reinforced headband and hinges at the cost of an extra 58g. That makes sense, because the weak spot on both the XM5 and XM6 has always been the thin plastic hinges. Some owners managed to snap a hinge within months of use. The new model should hold up significantly longer.

Noise Cancellation. Identical to the XM6: 12 microphones and the same Adaptive NC Optimizer. Don’t expect a noticeable bump — and ANC depth could actually dip if the earcup clamping force drops. On the XM6, the earcups press pretty hard, which isn’t for everyone.

Battery. Runtime drops by 6 hours with ANC and 8 hours without — 24h and 32h respectively. A logical trade-off: heavier headphones need to cut corners somewhere, and Sony chose battery life. That said, don’t stress too much. The XM5 and XM6 both support fast charging via Power Delivery, and a full charge takes around 1.5 hours.

Who Is This For? The COLLEXION could fix the biggest weakness of the last two XM generations — those fragile, unreliable hinges. But at $649.99, these headphones are now brushing shoulders with audiophile-grade models like Noble Audio FoKus Apollo at $650 and Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 at $800. Both deliver reference-level sound, premium materials, and zero build-quality concerns. Looking at previous Sony generations, it’s hard to see the COLLEXION competing on sound — except when ANC is the deciding factor. At $649.99 — that’s $200 more than the XM6’s launch price — this one will appeal to Sony loyalists far more than to listeners chasing the best possible sound.