Sony’s 1000X The Collexion are a luxurious and expensive celebration of its iconic headphones

Ten years ago Sony introduced the MDR-1000X headphones . They combined noise canceling, good sound, design, and comfort in a way that we hadn’t quite seen before in a set of wireless headphones. (At the time, the Bose QC35 were the closest competitor, but I wasn’t a huge fan of their sound tuning.) The 1000X set off a line of consistently excellent wireless noise-canceling headphones that became the go-to for comparisons — I still have a pair of WH-1000XM4 s that hang on the side of my desk. To celebrate the launch of the original, Sony is releasing the 1000X The Collexion. (The X in “collexion” refers to the headphones’ 10 years and is a part of the series name. There’s no indication that any other products will be added to this Collexion.) Sony told me they’re “the pinnacle of technology and design,” and boy does their price reflect that. The new 1000X cans don’t replace the WH-1000XM6 that Sony released a year ago. According to Sony, the XM6 are designed for functionality while the 1000X are a luxury design focused on comfort. They’re also $650. That’s at least $200 more than the WH-1000XM6 usually go for, and $100 more than the Apple AirPods Max 2 . …