Focal Bathys review

The Focal Bathys offer ingenious versatility: they are superb, high-performance headphones, perfectly suited for critical audiophile listening at home, but also practical and conveniently wireless so owners can enjoy them on the go.

Focal has announced that it has named its first wireless noise-canceling headphones “Bathys,” after the deep-sea exploration submersible Bathyscaphe. The French brand says the vessel is “the embodiment of tranquility, depth, and absolute silence,” and it is certainly quite fitting that they have tied it to something with active noise cancellation… Until you remember that that “something” is designed first and foremost to make music hum to your eardrums. We are here with our Focal Bathys review.

Had the Focal Bathys been released a few years ago, they would have arrived with raised eyebrows and perhaps Reddit ridicule due to their unprecedented price in the Bluetooth headphone market. But since the release of the Apple AirPods Max in late 2020, the contradiction of being the “first” to push such parameters has been borne out, and expensive pairs such as the Mark Levinson No. In this time we will explain all the details below in our Focal Bathys review. All three have proven their worth in terms of sound quality, and now Focal Bathys can also be added to that list of excellence.

Focal Bathys review: Design

BATHYS may not seem special to those of you who are familiar with their wired headphones. But believe us when we say that this level of build and beauty in the Bluetooth headphone market is very rare and perhaps unheard of. With egg-shaped earcups the same size as wired headphones, perforated aluminum detailing, and a circular focal badge around the center, there’s an aesthetic that non-tripophobes will surely appreciate. but the Bathys come in a single black and silver finish for a more sophisticated look.

Focal Bathys review: Comfort

The Bathys’ wonderfully plush ear pads are made of supple black leather and provide plenty of space inside the cups for my ears – they feel positively cavernous compared to most ANC headphones. They feel so much roomier than most ANC headphones! Despite being portable headphones, they are as comfortable over-the-ear as many full-sized traditional hi-fi headphones we have experienced. The great padding is nicely distributed between the pads and headband, helping to create a secure and comfortable clamp on your head. The BATHYS also easily pass the “coffee break” test, and you won’t feel like they’re going to fall right off, even if you make a sudden move or tilt your head back.

Focal Bathys review: Connectivity

Bathys is Bluetooth 5.1 compatible and supports codecs SBC, AAC, Apt-X, and Apt-X Adaptive. Apt-X was tested with Hidizs’ AP80 PRO-X DAP and AAC with my iPhone. AP80 PRO-X is The AP80 PRO-X is compatible with all three BATHYS connection modes, making it the perfect test platform. The onboard DAC supports 192 kHz/24-bit playback. In this mode, I experienced a problem when switching over via Bluetooth, but after resetting the headphones and letting them sit for 15 minutes, they were able to reconnect wirelessly.

Focal Bathys review: Noise Cancelling

Aside from the decoding rate, Bathys BT features allow for the use of Amazon Alexa/Google Assistant voice technology and Google Fast Pair if your phone supports it. It also allows for some degree of customization of the controls through integration with apps. The final highlight is, of course, active noise cancellation, which has two primary modes: the third mode is called “Transparency,” which allows more background noise to be heard during use.

Focal Bathys review: Audio Performance

The Focal Bathys are not the French audio specialist’s first attempt at a beautiful can – in fact, the company makes some of the best over-ear headphones we’ve ever put on our ears. But the Bathys are Focal’s first foray into wireless headphones, and they’re also expensive. But being more expensive than the AirPods Max or the new Bowers & Wilkins PX8 is important and puts no small amount of pressure on the company.

Focal Bathys review: Call Performance

The Focal Bathys spec sheet is fine, but not excellent, given the presence of Bluetooth-only competitors in 2022. For example, the two ANC profiles and one transparency option are not adjustable, there is no range to optimize microphone or voice pickup during a call, and there is no wearer detection, so music does not pause automatically when you take it off. Those accustomed to music pausing when the earcups are lifted will quickly notice that this is not the case.

Battery and Charging

Companion apps come with smart audio devices, but the Focal & Naim app allows for even more fine-tuned control and configuration of the Bathys. In addition to providing listeners with information about battery life and the Bluetooth codec being played, it also allows control of LED lights and noise cancellation, over-the-air firmware updates, and customization of the Bathys’ tones with a five-band equalizer.

Conclusion

Although relatively new in the headphone field, Focal is no stranger to the audiophile world. They have taken their expertise in speakers and applied it to headphones, achieving success with headphones such as the Utopia and Clear, but also making a few missteps along the way. We hope you carefully read our article on Focal Bathys review and buy this. This time, Resolve and the Headphones.com crew had the opportunity to visit the French factory where they handcraft their speakers and headphones in person. In today’s review, we tackle the $1,300 Focal for Bentley Radiance. The odd name comes from the fact that Focal collaborated with Bentley to create these headphones in 2020. We will omit the Bentley part when mentioning them in this article.

Dian Erwin
Dian Erwin
Dian Erwin is a review writer for Bollyinside, covering topics related to computing, such as laptops, tablets, phones, and other hardware. Dian spends much too much of his free time on Twitter, reading speculative fiction novels, playing video games, and reading comic books. He also enjoys reading video game manuals.

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They have taken their expertise in speakers and applied it to headphones, achieving success with headphones like Utopia and Clear, but also making a few missteps along the way.Focal Bathys review