Video summary

Sony The Collexion VS XM6 - The TRUTH about the upgrades!

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product reviewed

Sony WH-1000XM “The Collection” (10-year anniversary edition of the WH-1000X line), compared directly to Sony WH-1000XM6 (XM6).

Key features / upgrades (vs XM6)

Design & materials

  • Premium build with a faux leather/resonate theme (“no plastic, no paint”) and a no animals killed claim.
  • More plush, textured leatherette padding around the ear cups (XM6 described as smoother).
  • More oil/fingerprint resistant than XM6 black (XM6 black reportedly shows fingerprints more).
  • Wider headband with less clamping force and better weight distribution, supported by more padding/top shaping.
  • Metal reinforcement added to the USB‑C port and the headphone jack.
  • Metal on the power / noise cancel / listening mode buttons.
    • Includes a new listening mode button (XM6 lacks this).
  • Slimmer ear cups depth by 5.3 mm, achieved by splitting the battery cell in two.
  • Hinges/hardware described as individually hand polished/finished; headphones don’t fold down like XM6 (case design changes accordingly).

Case / carry

  • A “World’s first giant knuckle duster” style case with magnetic buckle and denim-like texture.
  • Despite the non-folding design, the case is slimmer than XM6’s and designed to fit airplane seat pouches better.

Controls & convenience

  • Same style of gesture controls as XM6 (tap pause/play, swipe for track/volume).
  • Talk-through mode via “palm over right ear cup” gesture.
  • The listening mode button is mapped in the Sony app to specific modes.

Audio & noise cancelling tech

  • World-first integrated V3 processor for over-ear ANC:
    • Claims better onboard audio processing without needing Sony Sound Connect app for upscaling/effects.
    • Enables new listening-mode features mapped to the new physical button.
  • DSEE Ultimate (AI upscaling):
    • Upscales low-res audio/older recordings “on the fly.”
    • Works even when the phone is off (not app-dependent).
  • New bespoke 30 mm driver (vs XM6):
    • Softer edge for more flexible bass; firmer center dome.
    • Unidirectional carbon composite for improved high-frequency responsiveness.
    • Claimed higher frequency range than XM6.
  • Wired listening upgrade:
    • Audio jack path expands frequency response from 4 Hz to 40 kHz (per video claim).
    • Low phase noise crystal oscillator + gold solder; optimized for better SNR when using the audio cable.

Battery

  • Rated comparison:
    • XM6: up to 30 hours (ANC on)
    • Collection: up to 24 hours (ANC on)
  • Reviewer testing: near ~30 hours achieved on a charge with ANC on at a comfortable listening level.

Mic / call performance

  • Same mic count as XM6: 12 mics total (4 internal / 8 external); 6 beamforming mics for voice pickup.
  • ANC + pass-through testing performed.
    • Reviewer impression: clarity may be even better on pass-through, with ANC just as good or slightly better.
    • Voice pickup described as tested across quiet, noisy, and wind scenarios.

App features (Sony Sound Connect)

What the app shows / connectivity notes

  • Displays battery level and current codec (example shown: LDAC).
  • Multi-point pairing supported, but LDAC can’t be used simultaneously with multi-point due to bandwidth usage (as stated in subtitles).

Noise cancelling

  • Adaptive noise cancelling mode in the app.

Exclusive “Listening Mode” features (key differentiator vs XM6)

  • Music 360 up-mix
  • Game up-mix (boosts cues/direction)
  • Background music feature
  • XM6 had Cinema 360 upmix, but the Collection adds these new modes.

Customization

  • In settings, users can select which listening modes map to the new button (tick/untick).
  • Touch control customization and shortcuts (including favorite apps).
  • AI voice assistant shortcut.
  • Wear-detect and power saving.
  • Multi-point “scene” learning: adapts noise levels by location.

EQ

  • One professionally tuned EQ profile (“titled off”), described as by Koji Takamura with Grammy-winning sound engineers.
  • 10-band EQ, plus three custom profiles (manual/custom1/custom2 mentioned; subtitle naming is slightly odd).

Pros (from the video)

  • Significantly more comfortable than XM6, especially for long sessions/flights:
    • less clamping
    • better distribution despite added weight
  • Improved oil/fingerprint resistance vs XM6 black.
  • ANC performance described as same-class (or better) in reviewer impressions.
  • Better sound quality vs XM6, including:
    • clearer vocals / cleaner presentation
    • deeper, more rounded bass with more impact but not overpowering
    • superior soundstage and separation (noted especially with opera/orchestra)
    • improved detail/definition on instrument-focused and older/live recordings
    • better handling of aggressive tracks (example: Prodigy) without as much blending
  • New processing features (V3 processor + DSEE Ultimate) described as not app-dependent.
  • Exclusive listening modes via the physical listening mode button.
  • Battery life better than expected in practice (near XM6’s ~30 hours).

Cons / downsides (from the video)

  • Lower rated battery than XM6 (24 hours vs 30 hours), though real-world performance was close.
  • No folding mechanism like XM6—depends on the new case design.
  • Higher price gap: £550 for the Collection vs £200 less than XM6 (exact XM6 price not stated). The video focuses on whether the upgrade is worth the extra cost.
  • Reviewer wishes for additional color options (wants “midnight blue,” not available).

Comparisons made (head-to-head vs XM6)

  • Comfort: better on Collection
  • ANC: same level, possibly slightly better on Collection
  • Audio: clearer, more powerful bass, better soundstage and detail
  • Controls: Collection adds a new listening mode button + exclusive modes; XM6 has older upmix like Cinema 360
  • Battery: Collection rated lower, but reviewer testing suggests close real-world parity
  • Case/carry: new non-folding design vs XM6 folding capability

Ratings / numerical scores (as mentioned)

  • Price: Collection mentioned at £550
  • Price gap: >£200 difference referenced vs XM6 (exact XM6 price not stated)
  • Battery (ANC on):
    • XM6 up to 30 hours
    • Collection rated up to 24 hours
    • tester reached close to 30 hours
  • Wired frequency response claim: 4 Hz to 40 kHz
  • Mic count: 12 total (4 inside / 8 outside)

Overall verdict / recommendation

The reviewer concludes the Sony WH-1000XM “Collection” is worth it if you:

  • keep headphones for 3+ years, and/or
  • care about comfort, improved sound quality, soundstage/bass clarity, and the exclusive Listening Modes + V3/DSEE Ultimate.

ANC is described as class-leading and on par with XM6, so the decision largely becomes whether the upgrades/features justify the extra cost.

Unique points mentioned (complete list)

  • 10-year evolution naming/“Collection” branding; “X” = celebration.
  • Claims of unseen upgrades including “world’s first.”
  • 90+ hours burn-in/testing before review; real-world battery testing.
  • Material/R&D investment: 2 years into new materials.
  • Faux leather “resonate” theme; soft feel; gesture control relevance.
  • Oil resistance to reduce fingerprints (vs XM6 black).
  • Comfort differences: smoother (XM6) vs plush leatherette (Collection); wider headband; less clamping; improved weight distribution; heavier but less noticeable.
  • Reinforced USB‑C port and metal headphone jack; Walkman-style circuit components (crystal oscillator, gold solder).
  • Wired use expands response 4 Hz–40 kHz; reduced SNR; DAC/phone examples (Walkman/Xperia).
  • Metal power/noise-cancel/listening-mode buttons; listening mode button enables new features.
  • Ear cup depth reduced by 5.3 mm via split battery cell; tradeoff battery life.
  • ANC battery ratings: 30h (XM6) vs 24h (Collection); near 30h achieved with testing.
  • Quick charge mentioned.
  • New bespoke 30 mm driver details: carbon composite, softer edge, firmer dome, higher frequency range.
  • World-first integrated V3 processor; better onboard processing without app dependence.
  • DSEE Ultimate upscaling (AI), works when phone off / wired infotainment.
  • Premium hinge finish described as hand polished/individually finished; non-folding design.
  • New case: slimmer than XM6, magnetic buckle, “knuckle duster” description, airplane seat pouch fit, cable cutout, reinforcement.
  • Mic system: 12 mics; beamforming; voice isolation/wind/road noise reduction with AI.
  • ANC/pass-through impressions: pass-through clearer than XM6; ANC same or slightly better.
  • Sony app: battery level, codec display (LDAC example), multipoint support limitations with LDAC.
  • Adaptive noise cancelling.
  • Exclusive Listening Modes: Music 360 up-mix, Game up-mix, Background music; Cinema 360 on XM6.
  • App mapping of listening modes to the new physical button.
  • App customization: shortcuts, AI voice assistant, power saving via wear detect.
  • Connections: multipoint; location-based “scene” adaptation to noise levels.
  • Discovery page badges/usage log used to show hours tested.
  • EQ: professionally tuned profile by Koji Takamura + Grammy sound engineers; 10-band EQ; three custom profiles.
  • Sound comparison outcomes:
    • clearer vocals
    • stronger/deeper bass
    • better separation/soundstage (opera)
    • more definition in instrument tracks
    • improved detail on live recordings
    • improved separation on “The Prodigy” tracks

Speakers / views

  • Single main reviewer viewpoint throughout (no separate perspectives besides video narration/testing prompts).
  • The video includes occasional references to Sony statements (materials R&D, hinge finishing claims, processor “world’s first,” etc.), but these aren’t attributed to different speakers/reviewers.

Original video