In the battle to top our list of the best noise-cancelling headphones a new challenger has just emerged: Sony’s 1000X The Collexion.
With a more high-end look than previous entries in the MDR-1000X range, The Collexion also has a higher price to match: €630/£550. That’s £200 more than the standard Sony WH-1000XM6.
So what do you get for your hefty chunk of change? Aesthetically they’re a step up from the regular cans: the headband combines textured metal with faux leather, while the smooth ear cups include metal buttons and tiny holes for the noise-cancelling microphones. They’re slightly heavier as a result – 312g rather than 254g – but that should accentuate the more premium feel without putting too much extra strain on your neck muscles.
Inside they have 30mm carbon fibre drivers, while support for LDAC (which you’ll need a compatible phone to take advantage of) ensures you can stream your tunes at higher bitrates when using Bluetooth. The less capable SBC and AAC codecs are also onboard.
These are also the first headphones to get DSEE Ultimate, which uses AI to upscale compressed audio files in real time, so even if you ripped all your old CDs at 128kbps and are now massively regretting it they shouldn’t sound quite so bad through these.
Sony has decided to tread its own path when it comes to spatial audio, so there’s no Dolby Atmos here but you do get the Sony’s own 360 Reality Audio Upmix, which offers three different modes depending on what you’re listening to: Music, Cinema and Game.
Elsewhere there’s stuff like Speak-to-Chat, which automatically lowers the volume of your music when you start speaking, and Adaptive NC Optimiser, which analyses your surroundings and tweaks the noise-cancelling settings in response.
Where they fall down in comparison to a pair of standard WH-1000XM6 is on battery life. With the noise-cancelling on you’ll get around 24 hours out of The Collexion (or about 32 hours with it turned off), which is a few hours less than their cheaper brethren. Considering some of the competition can last around double that, though, both are a little disappointing.
The 1000X The Collexion also come in fewer colours. Sony has just added a new Sandstone option to the XM6 range, bringing the total to five, while The Connexion are only available in black or white. We’ll have a full review ready for you very soon.
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