Sony 1000X Collexion review: my scores and final ranking

THE SCORECARD

Sony 1000X Collexion

• Build quality

  9.5/10

  Premium faux leather and stainless steel feel; case no longer folds but is thinner with a handle.

• Fit

  9.5/10

  Deeper, taller pads and angled drivers; light clamp is comfy but less secure for small heads or exercise.

• Battery life

  6.5/10

  About 24h with ANC on, 32h off; 5‑minute charge gives ~1.5h playback.

• Controls

  10/10

  Touch gestures plus three buttons; extensive customization; speak‑to‑chat and voice commands.

• Connectivity

  9.5/10

  Bluetooth 6.0 with SBC/AAC/LDAC/LC3, multipoint with takeover, Fast Pair/Swift Pair; no USB‑C audio.

• Call quality

  9/10

  Among the best, especially in wind; clearly beats most rivals in tough conditions.

• App customization and extra features

  9.5/10

  10‑band EQ, hearing test, DSEE, battery care, adaptive audio; new spatial modes (music/game).

• Noise canceling

  9.75/10

  Excellent overall; low‑frequency isolation slightly better than XM6, mid/high similar; low wind pickup.

• Transparency

  9.25/10

  Clear and useful, but XM6 is a touch clearer with less occlusion; wind pickup higher in regular mode.

• Sound quality

  9.75/10

  Smoother, wider, more open than XM6; easy to EQ; detailed yet relaxed with strong instrument separation.

The Pros and Cons

How comfortable is the 1000X Collexion for long listening?

I scored fit 9.5/10. At 312 g, the 1000X is heavier than XM6, but the pads are much deeper and about half a centimeter taller, with drivers angled to free up ear space. For large ears (like mine) that’s a big upgrade. Clamp is on the lighter side: super comfortable for long sessions, but they can shift a little if you lean forward hard. If you want a tighter, more secure clamp for exercise, XM6 is better.

Battery life and charging details

Battery gets 6.5/10: roughly 24 hours with ANC on, 32 hours off. Fast charge is unchanged: 5 minutes nets about 1.5 hours. You can use Bluetooth while charging. The trade‑off versus XM6 (30/40 hours) is real, so frequent travelers should factor it in.

Controls and app features: what’s new?

Controls get a perfect 10/10. You keep Sony’s reliable touch gestures, plus three physical buttons: power/battery, ambient control, and a new one for the special audio modes. The buttons feel a bit squishy at first. Customization is deep: remap presses, wear detection on the left cup works well, speak‑to‑chat auto‑drops media volume, and you can use built‑in voice control (“Hey headphones”) or trigger your phone’s assistant. Adaptive audio can change ANC/transparency/EQ by activity or location. In the app you get a solid 10‑band EQ, hearing test‑based EQ, DSEE upscaling, LE Audio/stability toggles, and battery care options.

New listening modes push this to 9.5/10 in app/extra features: spatial audio without locking into 360 Reality Audio. The ‘music’ mode is the cleanest spatial implementation I’ve heard on a headphone—wider stage without weird reverb. There’s also a game mode. No head tracking in these modes (you’ll still need supported 360 apps for that).

ANC and transparency performance

ANC scores 9.75/10. On plane noise, the 1000X blocks low frequencies slightly better than XM6; for mid/high noise and crowd chatter they’re about the same, with XM6 sometimes edging it—possibly due to clamp. Wind pickup is low even without an explicit wind‑reduction toggle. EQ shift is minimal; with ANC off I heard roughly a 5% bass drop.

Transparency is 9.25/10. It’s good, but XM6 is a touch clearer with slightly less occlusion. AirPods Max 2 still has the most convincing transparency. Regular transparency can pick up wind; a workaround is using Sony’s auto ambient mode, which blends in noise reduction when it detects louder sounds. Note: auto ambient can take around 15 seconds to fully ramp transparency when switching.

How does the Sony 1000X Collexion sound?

Sound quality lands at 9.75/10. Stock tuning is still bass‑boosted in classic Sony fashion, yet the 1000X sounds more open with better separation than XM6. My go‑to EQ is a small bass trim with a gentle mid/treble lift (a little around 4 kHz works well). The sub‑bass is quick and punchy more than weighty; vocals sit forward without turning shouty; treble is smooth and non‑fatiguing yet retains detail. Cymbals cut through without harshness, and the stage feels noticeably wider than XM6. Metal certified: guitars have bite and double‑kicks stay distinct.

Versus others I referenced: Sennheiser’s 630 still edges it for most natural stock tuning, and Bose QC Ultra 2 remains the ANC king. The 1000X’s overall balance, openness and comfort make it the better all‑rounder for me right now.

Build and carry

Build quality scores 9.5/10. Finish feels premium with faux leather wrapping and some stainless steel. The cups no longer fold; the case is larger but thinner and easy to carry with a handle. You can store an aux cable and a very small charging cable in the case, but Sony doesn’t include a USB‑C cable this time.

Questions I keep getting