- 11 hours ago
Are the Sony 1000X The Collexion the new king of high-end headphones? We explore their advanced DSEE Ultimate upscaling, spatial audio modes, and the new V3 processor to see if they justify their luxurious price tag.
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00:05These are Sony's new higher-end noise-canceling headphones called WH-1000X The Collection.
00:13And yes, I am pronouncing collection with an X in the middle of it, can't you tell?
00:16If you're looking for a pair of headphones that offer the sort of expansiveness that Apple's
00:21AirPods Max 2 can, with the same kind of cutting-edge features, but you don't want the restrictions
00:26that Apple's headphones impose on non-Apple devices, then these are really the closest
00:32thing available.
00:32However, they're lighter weight and more comfortable at the same time in true Sony style.
00:38The Collection costs $649 or £549, so they are a big step up over the $459 or £349 that
00:48you officially pay for the Sony WH-1000XM6.
00:51But they have a new audio driver, new processor, new features, and a new design and engineering
00:57over the XM6.
00:59So, are they worth the extra price?
01:01Well, yes and no.
01:03These headphones do deserve their premium price, but you actually might still be better off paying less.
01:08So let's get into the details.
01:14Unsurprisingly, the Collection have a very similar feature set to the XM6 headphones,
01:19although there are some things that are exclusive to this new model, and some things it doesn't
01:24do quite as well as the XM6.
01:26Let's start with the new stuff.
01:27One great addition is the DSEE Ultimate.
01:30This technology has never featured in a pair of Sony headphones until now.
01:35It had only be used in Sony's music players, which have more powerful processors.
01:40But there is a new integrated processor V3 chip inside these cans that can run it.
01:45DSEE Ultimate uses supposedly AI-powered tech to upscale the sample rate of an audio file
01:52to 96kHz.
01:54When using this on Spotify, we found that a lot of tracks we listen to regularly
01:58did sound a touch more detailed.
02:00And we highly recommend keeping this setting on.
02:03It is actually not enabled out of the box.
02:06So fire up the Sony SoundConnect app and find it.
02:08On top of this, the Collection bring native Hi-Res listening to the table via wireless and wired means.
02:15There's LDAC for Hi-Res Bluetooth listening, but that is still lossy and doesn't work from Apple
02:20devices.
02:20So you can also connect these via USB-C for lossless digital sound or over a 3.5mm jack, naturally.
02:29Also enabled by the new V3 chip I mentioned before are the Collection's new 360 upmix modes,
02:35providing spatial audio from any source.
02:38There's no Dolby Atmos support and Sony told me when I asked about this,
02:41that this is because it wants everyone to have the same experience, no matter the device.
02:46So there are music, cinema and game modes, all of which take a basic audio signal
02:51and upconvert it into a more expansive format,
02:55moving the sound beyond the speakers being right on your head.
02:58Unfortunately, we found that these upmix spatial modes produce poorer audio quality,
03:03which I'll come back to later, but it meant that we didn't really want to use them.
03:08Although I think that the background music mode is one that deservedly has its fans
03:12for using while working, creating the vibe of just listening to ambient sound in the room around you.
03:18But that is also available on the XM6 anyway.
03:22When it comes to active noise cancellation, you get the choice to use full ANC, no ANC at all,
03:28or a transparent ambient sound mode. And the adaptive sound control feature can
03:32switch settings depending on your environment and your behavior.
03:35So just how good is the ANC here?
03:37Well, Sony was clear with me that the collection is not expected to be as strong as the XM6 for
03:44noise blocking. That's because the collection have a bit more of a focus on comfort,
03:49and the softer ear pads and lower clamping pressure can affect the seal around the ears.
03:54And yes, it means that while the noise cancelling is still very good on the collection headphones,
04:00even at medium listening volumes, we could tell the difference against the XM6.
04:04While listening to music, some higher pitch sounds and louder sounds broke through
04:09more often wearing these than the XM6.
04:11If you want best in class ANC, I would stick with the Sony XM6 or the Bose Ultra headphones.
04:17But to be clear, these are still great and better than similarly priced audiophile wireless headphones
04:23such as the DALI i08 when it comes to noise cancellation, and are about at the same level
04:28as AirPods Max 2.
04:30One other feature that has received a downgrade from the XM6 is the battery life.
04:34You only get 24 hours here compared to 30 in Sony's previous headphones, including the XM6.
04:40The flatter design of the ear cups here compared to the bulkier design on the XM6 is the reason for
04:46the drop Sony told me.
04:47Let's be frank, 24 hours is disappointing.
04:51It's enough for a long flight, it'll get you through a few days at the office,
04:54but it absolutely means you're gonna need to charge more often and you'll notice it.
04:58Ultimately, the standard, the average really in this bracket is 30 hours,
05:02although Sony still outdoes Apple with the AirPods Max 2 only managing 20 hours.
05:07There are plenty more great features on board though, such as the collection's top-tier touch controls.
05:12These are the same as the XM6, you can simply swipe to skip tracks and adjust the volume,
05:19you can cover the right ear cup to enable transparency mode just for a moment so you
05:22can speak to someone, and you can double tap to play or pause your music.
05:26The touch controls are super responsive and using double tap to play and pause means that
05:31we never accidentally triggered anything we didn't mean to.
05:33There's a new button on them as well, but this is used to switch to spatial modes,
05:37and as I said, we didn't largely want to use those, so eh, it's fine.
05:41Within the app, you have a 10-band equalizer and presets for personalized audio,
05:47plus multipoint connectivity that is actually turned on by default, unlike a lot of its competitors.
05:52There's also voice assistant compatibility and third-party software integrations,
05:56such as Spotify Tap and YouTube Music Quick Access.
06:00A lot of these settings are available through Sony's Sound Connect app,
06:03which is relatively easy to use, but so many key settings are buried way too deep in numerous submenus,
06:11which can be kind of annoying at times.
06:13It's an ongoing irritation we have with Sony's headphones.
06:16Finally, call quality is great on these.
06:20They are perfect for speaking to people.
06:25The collection conjure up an incredibly wide and spacious soundstage.
06:30Using them feels as if you're listening to music from speakers away from you,
06:33even without engaging in spatial audio modes.
06:36They use a new 30mm driver, which has been redeveloped with softer edges and a harder center,
06:42using a higher proportion of carbon fiber than in Sony's previous drivers,
06:46for enhanced detail and balance.
06:48In Voyager by Daft Punk, airy synths sounded pleasantly forward,
06:52while percussion occupied its own individual pocket with plenty of room to express itself.
06:58Bass then enters the fray with tremendous impact,
07:00and came through with an almost three-dimensional quality,
07:04while guitar licks danced away in the backdrop.
07:06Everything has room to exist just the way it should.
07:09They performed really well no matter what genre we threw at them.
07:13With a deep house track like Planet 34 by Jesse Moss,
07:17bass came through with admirable depth and agility,
07:19meaning the low end sounded really full and energetic rather than lethargic and boomy.
07:24Higher pitch percussion in the treble range also maintained tight control,
07:28but never sounded blunt or underpowered.
07:31Just generally, there is a really pleasant balance right across the frequency range,
07:35and instrument separation is incredibly refined.
07:38Pair that with the headphone's great attention to detail,
07:41and you are in for a truly nuanced listening experience.
07:44However, I want to note clearly that these headphones are absolutely at their best,
07:49with some form of higher res mode of listening.
07:51We found in a lot of tracks that using LDAC made a noticeable difference over standard Bluetooth.
07:58Vocals came through more naturally and articulately,
08:01while instruments such as soft acoustic guitars sounded a little more expressive.
08:05Tunes often just had a more open, detailed sound overall in higher res listening.
08:10This was also the case when using the wired high res connection,
08:13so for the collection to really feel like their best value for sound,
08:17use one of those options, LDAC or USB-C.
08:20You might think, well duh, isn't it obvious that high res would be better?
08:24But to be clear, we had the SEE Ultimate turned on for regular Bluetooth listening,
08:29but it didn't bridge the gap like you might hope it would.
08:31And not all high-end wireless headphones have such a clear gap between high res and regular Bluetooth.
08:38AirPods Max 2's sound is competitive with the higher quality version of what the collection can do,
08:43just from regular AAC Bluetooth quality.
08:46But you're surely wondering how the collection compare to the XM6 for sounds.
08:51The collection go for a more expansive and spacious sound than the XM6,
08:56while the XM6 offer a tighter, punchier interpretation.
08:59In Sareo Watanabe's Down East, we could tell a huge difference in the way that they handled the funky bass.
09:04On the XM6, it was by no means overwhelming, but certainly quite impactful and slightly forward.
09:09There was still a solid amount of low-end weight on the collection, but it had a more spacious quality.
09:14You could actually say that the track lost a bit of its bite as a result of that.
09:18There's no doubt that the collection are capable of offering more space for individual
09:22instrumental elements to work their magic over what the XM6 can do.
09:27And these are more revealing overall.
09:29But in some tracks, some may actually prefer the slightly tighter approach of the XM6.
09:35One thing that did disappoint us, however, as I mentioned earlier,
09:37was the quality of the 360 upmix modes.
09:40When using the music mode, tracks sounded glaringly worse.
09:44Vocals lost clarity, drums had a tinnier edge, and keys in the midrange lost their tonal accuracy.
09:50The cinema mode was a bit better, but we still found speech to be less clear and defined,
09:56making for a weaker overall viewing experience with movies than just watching regularly.
10:00This is a shame, given that the 360 upmix modes are a major feature of this pair,
10:04and even have that dedicated button.
10:06But we just don't think they're good enough to really warrant using.
10:12The collection headphones look in the same family, and yet strikingly different in person,
10:17from the Sony XM6 and the XM5.
10:20Even when using the touch controls, the textured feel of the faux leather is incredibly satisfying,
10:25and small satisfaction goes a long way when you are spending this much on headphones.
10:30Where the XM6 went for an ultra-fluid singular design, the collection goes for more of a contrasting look.
10:37We've always thought that the XM6 headphones have slightly bulky looking ear cups,
10:42but the collections are much flatter and slimmer, similar to that of the Sonos Ace,
10:47which these headphones generally bear a really strong resemblance to, which is no bad thing.
10:53They look fantastic overall.
10:54Most importantly, we love how they feel in use.
10:58Their plush ear cups, cushioned headband, and low-pressure feel on the sides of the head
11:03are all sensational, and make for an incredibly comfortable listening session, no matter how long it is.
11:10There's a wider headband on this model than we saw on the XM6, which also means the headphones
11:15won't clamp too hard if you place them around your neck.
11:18The weight is also a big factor here. At 320 grams, they are heavier than the XM6,
11:24but the changing cushioning and clamping force means they're still super comfortable,
11:28and they are considerably lighter than the 380 grams of the AirPods Max 2.
11:34All that said, the collection do have a few potential drawbacks worth pointing to in the design.
11:39The first is that they are not foldable, although Sony said that making the ear cups slimmer
11:44was part of making them still very portable, but we really love foldable headphones.
11:50They are also not officially waterproof, although not that many over-ear headphones are,
11:55so I don't hold that massively against them. But to be clear, there is no IP rating at all,
12:00so be careful if you want something that also works for exercise.
12:04The last is the case design, which looks like a handbag this time.
12:08I actually quite like it because it takes up as little space as it can,
12:12and the handle is quite practical for grabbing it quickly.
12:16I think it's exactly what the AirPods Max's little smart case is trying to be and failing.
12:23However, I have colleagues on TechRadar who much prefer the simple,
12:27rounder case of the Sony XM6, and I'm sure that's going to be true for others as well.
12:35The collection have a very high asking price, and in many areas this feels absolutely justified.
12:42The design feels premium enough for the price, the comfort is outstanding,
12:46and for those who wanted more nuance from their headphones sound compared to the XM6,
12:51the audio has taken a clear step up as well. But on features overall, they have few differences
12:56to the XM6 that we actually love, and are weaker when it comes to noise cancellation and battery life.
13:02So it'll come down to whether you're on the same train as Sony for these.
13:05Is it worth paying the extra for a higher quality build,
13:09and extra comfort, and the more spacious sound?
13:12We think overall they do earn their price, but you know, kind of just about.
13:16As a kind of Android-friendly alternative to the AirPods Max 2,
13:22they absolutely do that job, and look especially nice while achieving it.
13:26If you're an Apple user though, is it worth having these over the AirPods Max 2?
13:30Well, that depends. The Macs have enough features and genuinely great spatial audio
13:35that they are probably just about better value overall.
13:39However, the Sony headphones are a lot more universally comfortable.
13:44Not everyone loves the strong clamp of the AirPods,
13:47but we haven't met a single person who didn't love syncing into the Sonys.
13:52So if comfort is your priority, these would be our pick.
13:55So that is our review of the Sony WH-1000X The Collection.
14:01If you've got any questions about them, or want to ask about more comparisons with other headphones,
14:06please let us know in the comments below.