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WH-1000X

MDR-1000X · 2016–2017 · headphones

Specifications

Cpu: Sony QN1 HD noise cancelling processor with dual-core analog and digital signal processing
Battery: up to 20 hours playback with NC on, roughly 3 hours from a 10 minute quick charge via micro USB
Drivers: 40mm dome type dynamic drivers
Os Support: latest: Sony Headphones Connect app, superseding the original companion app · shipped: Sony Headphones app (iOS/Android) for NC and EQ control
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1 (SBC, AAC, aptX) with NFC pairing, plus 3.5mm wired analog input; Sense Engine adaptive noise cancelling with atmospheric pressure and ambient sound sensors
Release Price: $399.99

Variants

Colors

BlackStandard launch finish.

BeigeAlternate launch finish, marketed alongside black.

Upgrade paths

battery

original internal lithium ion cell only · Sealed headband unit, not designed for user replacement: requires prying the earcup shell and desoldering the pack. Third party replacement kits exist for the successor WH-1000XM3/XM4 but are scarce for this first generation model.

~$40 third party cell plus labor

HARD

other

swap the stock ear pads for aftermarket protein leather or memory foam pads · Pads clip off around the driver housing; a common fix once the originals flake with age.

~$15-25

EASY

CPU

locked, no firmware path to later Sense Engine or LDAC support · The QN1 chip and Bluetooth codec set are fixed in hardware; the LDAC codec and later processing improvements arrived only with the WH-1000XM2 onward.

n/a

LOCKED