The Sony 1000X Collexion are the company's most luxurious headphones to date — and an unexpected discount makes them worthy of an audition

When you’re thinking about buying a new pair of headphones, I’d wager that a pair from Sony will undoubtedly come to mind.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>When you’re thinking about buying a new pair of headphones, I’d wager that a pair from Sony will undoubtedly come to mind. The tech giant is known for making some of the best headphones we’ve <del>seen</del> heard in the past decade. </p><p>In fact, Sony released the uber-premium 1000X The Collexion in May this year to celebrate that decade of being at the top of its audio game, while also giving it an uber-premium price tag to match. Roughly three months since their launch, they’ve received their first discount, <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Sony-COLLEXION-Cancelling-Headphones-Microphones/dp/B0GW9MBZJ9">bringing them down to a <em>slightly </em>more manageable AU$849</a> (down from AU$999) for a limited time. </p><p>Yes, that’s still a lotta money to throw at a set of headphones, but when Apple’s <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/airpods-max-2-review">AirPods Max 2</a> — the Sony’s main rival — continue to prove popular and cost similar money, then there’s very much a case to be made for a pair from a company that’s been producing top-rated audio kit for over 75 years.</p><div class="product star-deal"><a data-dimension112="ecc2dbde-8ee6-11f1-a78e-3f6050b7cf26" data-action="Star Deal Block" data-label="They may have a silly name but there’s nothing silly about the performance of these talented cans, as they deliver a wonderfully wide, spacious soundstage and perform particularly well with hi-res audio. They also look and feel every bit the premium product they are, combining faux leather with real metal detailing." data-dimension48="They may have a silly name but there’s nothing silly about the performance of these talented cans, as they deliver a wonderfully wide, spacious soundstage and perform particularly well with hi-res audio. They also look and feel every bit the premium product they are, combining faux leather with real metal detailing." data-dimension25="$849" href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Sony-COLLEXION-Cancelling-Headphones-Microphones/dp/B0GW9MBZJ9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1557px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.06%;"><img id="V6y6TrHKTiEnEM8xhXVsVm" name="1000X The Collexion" caption="" alt="" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/V6y6TrHKTiEnEM8xhXVsVm.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1557" height="1558" attribution="" endorsement="" credit="" class=""></p></div></div></figure></a><p>They may have a silly name but there’s nothing silly about the performance of these talented cans, as they deliver a wonderfully wide, spacious soundstage and perform particularly well with hi-res audio. They also look and feel every bit the premium product they are, combining faux leather with real metal detailing.<a class="view-deal button" href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Sony-COLLEXION-Cancelling-Headphones-Microphones/dp/B0GW9MBZJ9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-dimension112="ecc2dbde-8ee6-11f1-a78e-3f6050b7cf26" data-action="Star Deal Block" data-label="They may have a silly name but there’s nothing silly about the performance of these talented cans, as they deliver a wonderfully wide, spacious soundstage and perform particularly well with hi-res audio. They also look and feel every bit the premium product they are, combining faux leather with real metal detailing." data-dimension48="They may have a silly name but there’s nothing silly about the performance of these talented cans, as they deliver a wonderfully wide, spacious soundstage and perform particularly well with hi-res audio. They also look and feel every bit the premium product they are, combining faux leather with real metal detailing." data-dimension25="$849">View Deal</a></p></div><p>If you’re familiar with Sony’s other headphone exploits, such as the WH-1000XM6 that currently sit atop my guide to the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/best/the-best-headphones-in-australia-for-year">best headphones in Australia</a>, then I must stress that the 1000X Collexion are absolutely <em>not</em> the same pair in a new-look aesthetic. </p><p>Sony has gone to great lengths to ensure its latest pair justify their price tag, and that they do more than enough to compete with the AirPods Max 2, with an immediate win for being device-agnostic compared to Apple’s over-ears. </p><p>Elsewhere they sport impeccable touch controls, a 10-band custom equaliser and DSEE Ultimate technology for upscaling lower-quality song files up to 96kHz and 32-bit. This technology has previously only been found in Sony’s high-end portable music players, so it’s a big deal that it’s finally made its way into a pair of headphones. Noise cancellation is also excellent, as the Collexion uses the same 12-mic system found in the XM6 over-ears.</p><p>No product is perfect, mind you, and as our tester noted in his <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/wireless-headphones/sony-1000x-the-collexion-review">Sony 1000X The Collexion review</a> that “there are some downsides, such as lower battery life, as well as the underwhelming 360 Upmix modes”. </p><p>On those two latter points: battery life is rated at 24 hours, which is down from the 30 hours of the XM6, but still more than the AirPods Max 2’s 20 hours, while the 360 Upmix mode — essentially spatial audio — seemed to have a negative effect on sound quality during our testing.</p><p>Listening experience is personal, however and, all things considered, the Collexion are still a fantastic set of headphones that I personally wouldn’t mind spending my own money on if I didn’t already use the <a href="http://i">Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless</a>. I can’t be sure how long this limited-time discount will last, so if you’ve been keen to invest in Sony’s best, don’t let this opportunity pass you by. </p> </article> ]]>