Sony recently launched the 1000X The Collexion which boasts a “luxury design” for exceptional comfort and sound quality. But how do the headphones compare to Sony’s WH-1000XM6?
Both the Sony 1000X The Collexion and the Sony WH-1000XM6 get a 4.5 star rating from us, so deciding between the two can be confusing. However, we’ve compared the specs and our experience using the two headphones to help you decide between the pairs.
We also compared the AirPods Max 2 with the Sony WH-1000XM6 and the Nothing Headphones 1 against the XM6 to help you decide between the different earbuds. However, for more, our headphone guide lists all our favorite models.
Features Comparison Table
| Sony 1000X Collection Review | Sony WH-1000XM6 review | |
|---|---|---|
| UK RRP | £549 | £399 |
| RRP for USA | $649 | $399 |
| EU RRP | €630 | €450 |
| The producer | Sony | Sony |
| IP rating | No | Not disclosed |
| Battery hours | 24 | 30 00 |
| Fast Charging | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 320 g | 254g |
| ASIN | B0GY4RH3MX | B0F2TSQL21 |
| Release date | 2026 | 2025 |
| Model Number | WH-1000XX | – |
| Sound Correction | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LE Audio |
| Driver(s) | 30 mm | 30mm neodymium |
| Noise Cancellation? | Yes | Yes |
| Communication | Bluetooth 6, Auracast, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair | Bluetooth 5.3, Auracast |
| Colors | Platinum Silver, Black | Midnight Blue, Black, Silver |
| Frequency Range | 4 40000 – Hz | 4 40000 – Hz |
| A type of headphone | By ear | By ear |
| Voice Assistant | – | Google Assistant |
Price and Availability
The Sony 1000X Collection Headphones (1000XX) are the price of both, with an RRP of £549, and only come in a choice of two colours: Black or Platinum.
On the other hand, the XM6 has a lower RRP of £329 although it is possible to get headphones for a slightly lower price. Unlike The Collexion, the XM6 is available in five colors including Sand Pink, Midnight Blue, Sandstone plus Black or Platinum Silver.
Design
- The XM6 folds up for easy packing and travel
- We found the Collexion to be more comfortable overall, while the XM6 is stronger in noise isolation
- It also doesn’t support USB-C audio
While the XM6 is designed for high performance, the 1000XX is a more design-conscious pair. Made of aluminum and faux leather, the 1000XX also offers a tactile experience where you want to control the headphones with taps and swipes. It’s a welcome change from the XM6 which offers frictionless swipes instead.
However, keep in mind that the 1000XX don’t collapse inside like the 1000XM6 do, which means if you plan to use your headphones for commuting or traveling you might be better off with the latter. Instead, the 1000XX has a carrying case with a handle.
Otherwise, although both headphones are comfortable, we’ll give the win to the 1000X as we found that the XM6 has a tendency to crowd the ears. That said, we also noticed that the sound isolation wasn’t as strong as the XM6, with air sometimes being able to penetrate the aluminum contacts and produce a whistling sound.
Finally, the 1000XX is equipped with an additional visual button on the left ear that allows you to control Sony’s 360 Upmix modes.
Winner: Sony 1000X The Collexion
Features
- Both are packed with features, although the 1000X has a few more tricks up its sleeve.
- The 1000X is the first to use DSEE Ultimate
- There are three upmix modes for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio on the 1000X
Before we get into the details, we should note that both the 1000XX and XM6 are feature-packed headphones. Sony has earned a reputation for being generous in the features department, and the headphones here are no exception.
Much of what was on the XM6 has carried over to the 1000XX, including Bluetooth 6.0 and the ability to stream in SBC, AAC and LDAC for high quality audio. However, we found that while wireless performance was strong for both, the 1000XX performed better than the XM6 in LDAC mode and suffered less dropouts.
Plus, the 1000XX also benefits from Auracast support that lets you stream audio to multiple nearby devices at once.
The 1000X is also equipped with three upmix modes for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. While 360 Cinema Upmix is available on both headphones, the 1000XX is joined by 360 Music Upmix and 360 Game Upmix as well. In addition, the 1000XX is the first pair to use DSEE Ultimate using Edge-AI to enhance compressed streams, resulting in restored detail and dynamic range.
Winner: Sony 1000X The Collexion
Noise Cancellation
- The XM6 offers strong noise cancellation and clear Ambient Sound
- The 1000X offers great call quality, while the XM6 itself isn’t the best
Perhaps surprisingly given its design and inability to fold in, the 1000XX isn’t equipped with the strongest noise cancellation – especially when compared to the XM6. However, the headphones are better than the likes of the Px8 S2 and Bathys MG, and help make the sound on buses and even planes more manageable than outdoors.
The XM6, on the other hand, is the winner here. Not only are the headphones easily amplified from the 1000XM5, but annoying external sounds are properly suppressed and silenced.
Where the 1000XX beats the XM6 is in call quality, as our reviewer found the headphone microphones connected to their voice without picking up any background noise or wind. That’s not to say you can’t take calls on the XM6, just that the call quality was better on the 1000XX.
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6
Sound Quality
Despite its subtler, more refined design, arguably the reason to choose the 1000XX over the XM6 is the sound quality. That’s no small thing on the XM6 by any means, that Sony has refined the 1000X’s internals to improve the sound.
Inside the 1000XX is a new 30mm driver that features a soft edge and a new solid dome that Sony promises will deliver clear separation between instruments and voice, high frequency detail and a wide soundstage as well. In our experience with headphones, we’ve found this to be the case. Also, again compared to the XM6, the 1000XX has a softer bass, while sounding wider with more detail throughout the soundstage.
The XM6 sports the same tuning of its more expensive sibling, but if you listen for a long time the 1000XX can undoubtedly go further.
Winner: Sony 1000X The Collexion
Battery Life
- The XM6 offers 30 hours of battery life while the 1000X promises a little over 24 hours
- Both support fast charging, but the XM6 is faster with a three-minute charge resulting in an extra three hours.
- The 1000X has replaceable batteries
In terms of overall capability, the XM6 is the easy winner here with up to a maximum of 30 hours of battery life, while the 1000XX falls short at just 24 hours. Sony explains that the reason the pricier 1000XX isn’t equipped with as big a battery is because of the smaller earcups, meaning there’s less room for the same capacity. However, we found that two hours of Spotify streaming without loss drained the battery by 3%, which is a very good result.
Not only that, but the 1000XX is equipped with fast charging which is slower than the cheaper ones too. While a three-minute charge will give the XM6 three hours of extra battery life, the 1000XX needs five minutes plugged in to result in an hour and a half of playtime. Better than nothing, but disappointing nonetheless.
Otherwise, the 1000XX benefits from replaceable batteries that will help extend the life of the headphones, however Sony recommends sending them in for service rather than a DIY job.
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6
The decision
Choosing between the Sony 1000X Collection and the WH-1000XM6 will come down to how you plan to use the headphones. The XM6 pair, on the other hand, is designed for commuters, travelers and general everyday use. In comparison, the 1000X The Collexion is designed for those who want to sit at home and immerse themselves in listening, and don’t have to worry about ANC or longevity.