Sony marks 10 years of 1000X with premium ColleXion headphones

Sony has turned its best-known noise-canceling line into something that feels much closer to a milestone gift than a routine product refresh. The 1000X THE COLLEXION arrived on May 19, 2026 at $649.99 in the United States and CAD 849.99 in Canada, with Platinum and Black finishes, and it is built to read as a more polished object than the standard WH-1000XM6.

That distinction begins with the materials. Sony gave the ColleXion a matte sandblasted metal headband, hand-polished gloss accents, integrated metal buttons and soft vegan leather that took two years to develop. The headphones ship with a bag-like carry case secured by a magnetic closure, a detail that matters as much for presentation as it does for protection. For a gift, those touches do more than raise the price: they make the package feel considered, finished and ready to hand over without additional staging.

The anniversary story is part of the appeal. Sony said the launch marks 10 years since the MDR-1000X debuted in 2016, and the company has framed the ColleXion as a premium addition to its 1000X family rather than just another colorway. In practice, that gives it a different emotional register from the familiar XM formula. The WH-1000XM6 remains the more obvious all-purpose choice, especially for travelers, but the ColleXion is the one that looks and feels like it was made to commemorate a moment.

Functionally, Sony kept the core noise-canceling platform but changed the chassis to suit the new brief. SoundGuys says the ColleXion weighs 320 grams, compared with 254 grams for the WH-1000XM6, and uses stainless steel hardware in place of the XM6’s plastic hinges. That extra heft will not suit every flyer or daily commuter, but it does support the luxury positioning. This is less about disappearing into a carry-on and more about signaling that the object itself matters.

Sony also gave the ColleXion some technical bragging rights. Gadgets360 says it is the first Sony headphone to feature DSEE Ultimate, which restores detail in compressed files using Edge AI, and that it supports LDAC, 360 Reality Audio Upmix and up to 24 hours of battery life with ANC on. Sony also launched a new Sandstone colorway for the WH-1000XM6, a reminder that the ColleXion sits above the standard flagship rather than replacing it.

As a present, that is the key question: whether the buyer wants Sony’s best practical headphone or the one that feels like a keepsake. For executives, graduates and frequent flyers who value finish as much as function, the ColleXion makes a convincing case that anniversary packaging can become the luxury itself.