Description
The Focal Bathys Wireless are versatile high-end audiophile headphones designed for on-the-go listening. They're Focal's first pair of noise cancelling (ANC) headphones, but they also support aptX Adaptive codec for streaming high-quality audio via Bluetooth. If you prefer a wired connection, their USB-DAC mode converts digital audio signals from your device into an analog signal up to a resolution of 24 bits/192 kHz. They even have a companion app with a graphic EQ and presets, meaning you can finetune their sound to your liking. While they straddle both the casual and audiophile markets, there are a few design and performance choices that may not completely satisfy either crowd, especially given their high price point.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Focal Bathys come in one color variant: 'Black/Grey'. You can see our model's label here. If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Headphones
The Focal Bathys are high-end wireless audiophile headphones designed with casual use in mind. They have a premium design that's typical of this manufacturer's other offerings, like the Focal Celestee and Focal Clear Mg. However, they also have a noise cancelling system, aptX Adaptive codec support, and a companion app for customizing their bass-rich sound to your liking, making them more versatile than their strictly audiophile counterparts. While they don't block out quite as much ambient noise as the Apple AirPods Max Wireless, they can still reduce a very good amount of sound around you. Despite their high-end price point, they don't have features like multi-device pairing, and you can't fully turn off their ANC system.
The Focal Bathys look quite similar in design to other Focal headphones like the Focal Celestee. However, if you have trypophobia (or a fear of holes), you'll want to avoid looking too closely at them. They have aluminum ear cups with a circular cut-out design. In the middle of the ear cup is the manufacturer's logo, which has a white backlight when using the DAC mode. They only come in one color variant: 'Black/Grey'.
These headphones are comfortable. They're not as heavy as other Focal headphones like the Focal Clear Mg, and have soft padding, which feels good against the skin. This ensures you can wear them for long periods without causing a lot of fatigue. They clamp tightly on your head, and if you wear glasses or have a larger head, you'll experience more pressure from the headphones.
The controls are good. They have physical buttons on both ear cups that are easy to use. There are different chimes to let you know when you've registered a command, and there's also a tone when you reach max volume. However, you can't hear the max volume chime if you're already listening to music. That said, it's hard to tell the difference between chimes when switching between ANC modes. There are also no voice prompts when using the controls via USB-DAC mode.
The Focal Bathys aren't very portable. Although the ear cups can swivel to lay flat, you can't fold them into a more compact form.
They come with a great carrying case. It's smaller than other Focal cases, which helps make them a bit more portable, although it doesn't feel as premium. The case also feels sturdy and will protect the headphones from water and impact damage. Inside the case is a storage space and a mesh pocket to securely place the cables.
These headphones have great build quality. Although they look cheaper than other Focal headphones like the Focal Clear Mg or Focal Celestee due to their more plasticky ear cup housing, a few of their design choices reflect their premium build. What aligns them with their audiophile counterparts is that their aluminum-magnesium dynamic drivers are made in France, even though the headphones are made in China. There's leather padding on the ear cups and on top of the headband.
