Sony’s ‘The ColleXion’ headphones may launch May 19th, priced above WH-1000XM6 and AirPods Max 2: report
Sony appears to be preparing a new premium headphone that could sit above the WH-1000XM6, with early reports pointing to a May 19th launch in Europe and other markets. The product is expected to be called 1000X The ColleXion, and if the leaks are accurate, it will be more of a luxury add-on to Sony’s lineup than a direct replacement for the XM6.
According to a report from Dealabs, the new model was first teased by trademark filings spotted by TheWalkmanBlog under the name ‘1000X The ColleXion,’ covering headphones, earphones and portable audio players. The latest leak says it will launch in a single black colour option and be priced at around EUR 629 (around Rs 68,000) in Europe, which is well above the WH-1000XM6’s launch price of EUR 449 (priced at Rs 49,900 in India). That would also put it above the AirPods Max 2 in some markets, which launched at EUR 579 (around Rs 62,000 but priced at Rs 67,900 in India), though Apple’s premium headphones follow an ecosystem-focused pitch.
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New colour for the Sony WH-1000XM6
Sony is also said to be preparing a new Sandstone colour for the WH-1000XM6 on the same day, with pricing expected to stay in line with the current colour options. That suggests Sony may use May 19th to refresh the existing flagship and introduce the more expensive ColleXion model alongside it.
If the pricing holds, The ColleXion would not be a successor to the XM6. Instead, it sounds closer to a limited-edition or collector-style release, aimed at buyers who want something more exclusive than Sony’s regular premium model. That would also explain why the reported price jump is so steep compared with the current WH-1000XM6, which already sits in the premium noise-cancelling segment.
This comes at a time when Sony just expanded its 1000X family with the WF-1000XM6 earbuds, and the WH-1000XM6 itself is still quite new. A more expensive model arriving so soon after the flagship suggests Sony may be trying to stretch the brand upward rather than simply update it year after year.
Who will be the Sony The ColleXion’s competitors?
This part of the market is crowded, but the competition is not exactly identical. Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones remain one of the main alternatives for noise cancellation, while Appl’s AirPods Max 2 appeal more to iPhone users who want deep ecosystem integration and premium materials. Sony’s strength has usually been a balanced mix of sound quality, strong noise cancellation and lightweight comfort, which is why the WH-1000XM6 still matters even if The ColleXion turns out to be a niche product.
For now, the safest interpretation is that The ColleXion is a higher-end optional model, not a must-buy upgrade over the XM6. If you want Sony’s best-known tuning and features without paying a collector’s premium, the WH-1000XM6 still looks like the more sensible choice. If the new model arrives with cosmetic changes only, buyers will need to decide whether the extra cost is about sound, status or simply owning something rarer.
