The toss up between the older WH-1000XM6 and the COLLEXION model will be a difficult one to make — if cream-of-the-crop noise cancelling is your primary concern, the former will probably still win out

The Collexion is the top pair of headphones I've tested this year and easily one of the top pairs of wireless headphones out there.

The Sony 1000X “The Collexion” is one of the most stylish pairs of headphones I’ve ever worn, pairing a stunning luxury design with the spacious, refined sound upgrade I wished the XM6 had from the start. But while the fashion-forward aesthetic and carbon drivers feel genuinely premium, the weaker battery life and identical ANC performance make this a luxury splurge rather than the smartest buy in Sony’s lineup.

These headphones are not for everyone but for the customer who sets premium styling, outstanding audio quality, and brilliant active noise cancellation above price, the Sony headphones will find their place.

The 1000XX has a more premium look thanks to an abundance of leather and metal, as opposed to the usual matte plastic and leather formula.

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The 1000X The Collexion are impressively detailed, refined headphones, but they sacrifice a sense of fun in the process

The Sony 1000X The Collexion may be expensive, but their luxurious build, detailed sound, and top-tier comfortability help to justify their price tag. Their battery life is on the low side, and the ANC is a step down from what we saw on the Sony WH-1000XM6, but if you want headphones with the kind of spacious sound that made Apple’s AirPods Max a hit, but without being locked to Apple, then these are a strong choice.

The Sony 1000X The Collexion hardly makes its case against the excellent WH-1000XM6 for $200 more.

The Sony WH-1000XX The Collexion is a high-end set of ANC headphones that hopes to attract listeners with its build quality and features. Priced higher than competing headphones, it certainly has its work cut out for it.

Clearly Sony is going for a more design-oriented audience here and so the prioritisation of the comfort and more premium materials makes some sense.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the 1000X The Collexion are the best-looking and best-sounding over-ear headphones that Sony has ever produced.