Sony Marks a Decade of 1000X Audio with $650 Luxury Release

The new cans occupy a curious space in Sony’s lineup. While they share a visual lineage with the WH-1000XM6, the Collexion leans heavily into nostalgia and luxury. The build features an exposed metal headband and ear cups finished in textured vegan leather, a stark departure from the smooth, functional plastic found on the XM6. Sony maintains that this edition is not a replacement for its workhorse models, but rather a curated piece for enthusiasts who value form as much as function.

Despite the elevated price tag—which sits $200 above the XM6 and $100 higher than the Apple AirPods Max 2—the trade-off is measurable. Users may find that noise-canceling performance falls slightly short of the technical benchmarks set by the XM6. For audiophiles, the draw remains the detailed sound signature and an incredibly comfortable fit, positioning the product more as a collector’s item than a standard consumer upgrade.