I received the Focal Bathys for review from Headphones.com, but as always, the opinions contained here are mine and mine alone. This is one of the pricier Bluetooth headphones on the market, but it is known for its active noise cancellation (ANC). So, let’s take a look at its build quality, features, and performance.
Build Quality: Premium Materials or Just Looks?
Focal has also stressed that the Bathys is made of high end materials like leather, magnesium and aluminium. But when you look closer, some of it is plastic, like the ear cups and the glowing logo. The materials themselves feel luxurious on paper, but the headphone itself doesn’t feel quite as premium in person. It looks a little toyish, even when compared to competitors like the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 or the AirPods Max, which I think looks and feels more high end.
Comfort: A Win for Focal
Focal nailed it when it comes to comfort. The Bathys are smaller than their wired headphones, but still fit well over most ears. It is comfortable due to the oval ear cup design and lightweight materials as to wear it for long amount of time. It’s actually more comfortable than the AirPods Max, something many will compare it to.
Feature Set: Falling Short of Premium Expectations
Moving on, let’s talk about the features, where things begin to fall apart. When you’re asking for a premium price, you have to deliver premium features. The Bathys is a good sound and build, but the feature set doesn’t quite match the price point.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): The Bathys is decent, but not exceptional ANC. For some sounds it works well, but it doesn’t work as well for more variable noises. While it’s not the quietest ANC I’ve tried, it’s not the quietest ANC I’ve used, and even on lower priced models like AirPods Pro, I find some situations where the noise cancellation isn’t as good.
Limited App Features: The Bathys does have a companion app, but the app’s features are minimal. There’s a basic equaliser (EQ), noise cancellation modes, and some control over the LED lights. As it stands, the Bathys isn’t enough for the price and could have been helped by a more advanced EQ.
Bluetooth Issues: However, surprisingly, I had Bluetooth connectivity problems. The frustrating thing is there’s a noticeable delay between the start of a song and when the sound actually plays. However, this issue didn’t happen with other Bluetooth headphones with the same devices, so it appears to be a Bathys-specific issue.
Pass-Through Mode: Functional, but not impressive, the pass-through mode allows outside sounds to philtre through the headphones. This mode is not as high fidelity as competitors like Apple’s products and there is a constant high-pitched noise when this mode is active that can be distracting.
Sound Quality: High Fidelity, But Not Without Flaws
Midrange and Treble: But the Bathys isn’t perfect, and it doesn’t offer the most detailed sound I’ve heard in a Bluetooth headphone. The passband doesn’t have much roll off around 1kHz — meaning vocals and instruments don’t sound as full as a more detailed cabinet would — but it’s not a big problem. S’s and T’s are sharp, and the treble is sharp, and while the upper treble does offer detail, it’s a bit restrained, lacking the sparkle and airiness that you would expect from a high end headphone.
Bass Performance: The Bathys really shines in the bass. It’s not overpowering but very strong and clean and tight in response. Unlike some, it is not bloated and the sound is fast and punchy, making for an enjoyable listen, especially so with bass heavy tracks such as Kelela’s On the Run.
Soundstage and Imaging: The Bathys isn’t quite up to the same level in soundstage and imaging as competitors like the AirPods Max, which provide a more spacious sound. While the Bathys sounds great down low — even revealing bass detail — it’s not the kind of thing that will demand that you put your fingers in your ears.
Comparison: Focal Bathys vs. AirPods Max
For anyone in the Bluetooth headphones market, the AirPods Max is probably on their list of considerations if not their first choice. When it comes to performance, which includes audio, design, and controls—the AirPods Max remains the winner. But for the sound only, the Bathys might be the better option if you don’t mind not having features like active noise cancellation and spatial audio.
In case users are ready to use a wire connexion, the Focal Celestee has a far superior sound quality.
It is slightly larger, has a more pleasant midrange, and imaging, but it is not as portable and does not have Bluetooth as the Bathys.
Conclusion: Is the Focal Bathys Worth the Price?
Solid headphones with very good sound quality for a Bluetooth model, the Focal Bathys is. But it’s lacking features you’d expect from a premium headphone, and the design doesn’t quite match up to Focal’s usual standards. The Bathys is a good choice if you’re only concerned with sound quality and can live with its limitations. If you’re after an all-rounder with top tier features, the AirPods Max might be the better option.
