Focal Bathys

Focal Bathys Review

Great wireless headphone with spacious sound

Video review will be up soon!

Summary
The Bathys represent Focal’s attempt to enter the Bluetooth market. Priced around 700usd depending where you get it from, it provides quality sound, good ANC that works and wireless, no all in a package that looks stylish.



TLDR

The Focal Bathys may not be cheap, but it sounds better than most wireless headphones at its price range and once you consider all the functions, it is actually decent value if sound is your top priority but don’t want to break the bank. The two really major flaw is actually the led lights cause a weird hum when on and the headphones can’t be used passively.



Scoring
Bathys will be the first headphone I will use the scoring criteria. We as audio lovers prioritises sound quality but we should not forget build and comfort. A total 40 points will be given.

10: Tonality: timbre, accuracy, balance
10: Technicality: details, separation, clarity
10: Enjoyment: soundstage, dynamics, vocals
5: Build: how well is it built
5: Comfort: how Long can you wear

Bathys have the following score
Tonality: 7
Technicality: 6
Enjoyment: 7
Build: 3
Comfort: 5

A total score of 28/40

Introduction
I got this Focal Bathys before a recent travel of mine. I just wanted something that sound good and easy to carry. This is actually my forth wireless can, but not the most expensive as that belongs to solitaire T. I tried many along the way such as Sony, B+W, Bose, Beyerdynamics and B&O. Now most of them I no longer use, but I have a the Solitaire T which to me is the pinnacle of wireless, beating out the Mark Levinson when I tried for like 2-3hrs. So how does the Bathys fair?


Package and Build

The Bathys like most good headphones comes with its own carrying case. In it the two cables are provided. USB C and 3.5mm to 3.5mm. As the Bathys turns flat, the case also isn’t thick and is easy to keep.



As I got the dune version, I really like the colour of headphones and case. The white/beige with magnesium look was really attractive to me. The headphone is made of mainly plastic with metal parts for its hinge and headphone inner support, places where it matters. This usage of plastic and metal makes it light at just 350g. For this price point, I think it’s well built and even the plastic they use isn’t the cheap look types.

The headbands have decent amount of foam. Not too thin but definitely not the most plush. The ear pads are nice and thick with soft memory like foam. It’s not those cheap type that just springs back immediately but those that slowly move back to its shape. The cups are quite big so it does cover my entire ear. With such a big cup, the headphone is thus bigger than usual wireless ones.

The inner driver is angled towards your ears. This is suppose to improve imaging by push the sound forward. We will talk more about it in the sound section.



On the outer side of the cup there is a glowing logo. This is actually an issue to me, but it’s not the glow. There’s this soft high pitch whine that’s noticeable on my right cup caused by the light. Luckily once you off the logo, this whine goes away. I may send it into focal later but it doesn’t really affect my enjoyment.

Comfort
The headphone is relatively comfortable. The clamp force is mild and it does stretches quite abit. The cups are big and can fully cover the ear. The form is soft and headphone does rest nicely on the head. Due to its low weight and just the amount of clamp force, it does not slip when using. This headphone won’t have issue being used for 8 hrs.



Controls and Software

The controls are all button based, no funny touch panel, which is great. You can control most aspect of the headphone for the purpose of listening music with the buttons.

The app is needed for further controls. This is where things get interesting. First you can off the light which removes the whine for me. Then you can EQ the headphones. It’s not the most comprehensive but at least there’s the option and it saves properly in the headphone.

There’s one cool function, which is some sort of hearing test. I believed it’s called Mimi and it test your ability to hear various frequencies. Once tested, it will produce a compensation (or eq) to bring those levels with deficiencies up. I personally think it’s too much for me, making everything too crispy and alittle too sharp for me so I left it off.

One last thing on control, you can use the headphones with either USB C as a dac mode to remove the disadvantage of Bluetooth. This is great to remove latency and use a better bit rate.

There’s also the ability to use 3.5mm connection. However this is not a passive bypass and requires power to operate. This does mean it can’t be used with fancy amps, which is a bummer. It also means when the day the battery dies, a replacement battery is needed else it will no longer operate.



Sound quality

All test is done with no EQ.

Songs used

Love Ka (ADO)
Ultima (FF14 soundtrack)
Suzume (Radwimps)
Shatter Me (Lindsey Stirling)
Unravel (ADO)
The Brave (Yoasobi)
Avid (Sawano Hiroyuki)
Comet (Ari Anjou)

Soundstage:
The sound stage is relatively big and forward. I believe this is helped by the forward angle driver. The size I will put as medium size with good depth. It is actually quite big for a close back, better then my dca stealth.

Separation:
Seperation is average. You don’t get clear distinction between the sounds like a good planar or high end dynamics. It is comparable to most dynamic drivers headphone I heard of its price class. This is obvious in Suzume sound track where vocals + bass and treble instruments mixes, things can get alittle confusing and hard to peel apart.

Positioning:
Positioning is decent for its price. You can roughly tell where the sound is coming from. However it is not really precise till you can hear the movement of the bells in ultima which drifts if you listen on something like the bravura.

Tonality/Timbre:
This is a relatively neutral sounding headphone that’s alittle bright. Overall it sounds neutral with a touch brightness. However it is not cool sounding.

Details:
The details from the focal are pretty good especially in the upper mids to treble ranges. Go down to the bass and it has some resolution there but not great as you can’t make hear good distinction in really low bass brass instruments.

Bass:
Overall quantity is good. The impact is good but not the tightest. I notice in The Brave opening, the quantity is quite sufficient and impact was good but alittle rounded on the edges. It just wasn’t the tightest or hardest hitting. There is some sub bass level sound but it’s quite little. Bass texture is average, like in ultima where you have the tuba sound and there’s some texture but not the same as you get in much higher resolution headphones.

Mids:
They are generally well balanced and accurate. Vocals are relatively forward with good amount of focus and clarity. They are also generally smooth and for me which mainly listens to female vocals, a touch of airiness which is what i favour. Instruments in the mids are clear and accurate with good texture like guitars and violins. I do find there’s something about the trumpets I hear in Ultima. Like it’s a little recessed and a touch off.

Treble:
The highs are more on the sparkly side. It can get quite sizzling for me on some tracks like shatter me and tracks from yoasobi. On general though, treble in most tracks with bells and cymbal felt distinct, clear with good amount sparkle for a generally exciting track. The headphone has a higher tendency to be sibilant in tracks to me with the treble getting a little hot and bright at times. It’s never reach the point of actually discomfort but can break the smoothness of the treble area for me

Travels and Movies
For the purpose of travel and movies, this headphone is pretty good. It may not be able to run passively, it can definitely ANC while watching movie, providing good sound and sound stage. I enjoyed my flight with the Bathys for 6 hours.



Comparison with Solitaire T

General:

Build: solitaire T is better, much more sturdy built.

Fit: Bathys fits in easier. It covers the entire ear comfortably.

Compactness: the solitaire T folds more compactly than the Bathys.

App: Bathys app does a whole lot more

Connectivity: The Solitaire T has passive bypass, they can be powered by amps for better sound, not possible for Bathys as it is always using the inbuilt Amp.

Sound:

Soundstage: no comparison, Bathys is better

Separation: the solitaire T edges out as it’s more distinct between instruments

Positioning: both has its issue, solitaire T soundstage is too small cramping all together. Bathys seperation is not as great so positioning is also not really defined.

Tonality: Bathys is neutral with more treble, overall it sounds thinner then the solitaire T which has a richer sounding mids and a touch warmer sound. I prefer solitaire T here

Bass: the solitaire T has tighter and more impactful bass with better texture.

Mids: solitaire T is more forward with richer sounding. It also sounds alittle more accurate. When swapping to the Bathys, it feels that the Richness has taken a step back in exchange for a more open sounding mids.

Treble: the Bathys has better presence and clarity up top. However it does get hot at times and mask the details. The solitaire T is smoother, at times more detailed and defined. This is partially helped out by the better separation.

Overall: the solitaire T is the better sounding headphone all around. However for general listening and usage, I recommend the Bathys for its bigger sound stage and slightly more relaxed overall sound unless you are treble/sibilance sensitive.



Recommendation:

For the price, it is recommended especially if you want that great sounding, larger sound stage, Bluetooth close can with good ANC. Is it the best? Probably not to me. The solitaire T is my preferred still for most situations unless sound stage or watching movies. However at half the price, coming in two colour flavour with a really cool app, this is recommended unless you are an Apple user, then maybe try out the AirPods Pro. I tried many others but non can give the statisfsction as this focal. The solitaire maybe able to deliver a better sonic experience but its sound stage is definitely not for everyone and its twice the price.

Focal Bathys: The French Go Wireless & It Is Phenomenal

Bathys



Intro: Having heard many of the Focal headphones of the past, I was quite curious about the Bathys. @Wiljen reviewed this very set for eCoustics, which we both now write for. He told me I was in for a treat, and I anxiously awaited the arrival along with the B&W Px8 (review coming). Recognized leaders in the wireless headphone market would be the Sony WH-1000XM5 along with the Bose QC45 for their superior ANC technology. Sound-wise, the B&W Px7 V2 is recognized right up there along with the equally good Mark Levinson 5909.

This is Focal’s first effort into this type of ANC. While they have produced wireless headphones before (the Listen, which were average at best), they are shooting for the top in terms of sound quality, with their ANC seen has a benefit as opposed to the primary technology of the others. If their previous iterations od closed back headphones is any consideration (the Celestee are among my favorites at that price range), then the Bathys is a hit.

*TLDR: The Bathys are my current favorite wireless headphone, even against the B&W Px8; which are excellent as well.



Specs:

Type: Closed-back wireless headphones with active noise cancelling
Bluetooth technology®: 5.1 Multipoint
Bluetooth range: >15m
Bluetooth frequency range: 2402MHz - 2480Mhz
Audio codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX™ Adaptive, aptX™
Battery life: 30 hours Bluetooth® Noise Canceling, 35 hours Jack mode, 42 hours USB DAC
Voice assistants: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa
Other features: Google Fast Pair
Speaker drivers: 1 5/8" (40mm) Aluminum-Magnesium ‘M’-shaped dome, made in France
Frequency response: 15Hz to 22kHz
Harmonic distortion: rate <0.2% @1kHz
Microphones: 8
Weight: 0.77lb (350g)
Carrying case supplied: 9 7/16" x 8 1/4" x 2 3/4" (24x21x7cm)
Control application: Focal & Naim, iOS and Android compatible
Connections: Bluetooth® / Jack 3.5mm / USB-C®

Key points
• Portable headphones with Bluetooth® and active noise cancelling
• Two optimized noise-cancelling modes and a transparency mode, ideal for any journey
• Patented speaker driver technology, made in France
• USB-DAC mode enables a resolution of up to 24bits / 192kHz
• Battery life of over 30 hours in Bluetooth® and active noise cancelling mode
• Fast charging-compatible: 5 extra listening hours in 15 minutes
• Easily enabled voice assistants: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• Clear Voice Capture microphone technology for crystal clear telephone conversations
• App for accessing more custom settings: equalizer, sound controls, etc.



In The Box:

Focal Bathys
Multi-colored hard case
3.5mm to 3.5mm aux cable
USB-C charging cable


Gear Used/Compared:

Astell & Kern ACRO CA1000
iPhone 13 Pro Max

B&W Px8 ($699)
Sony WH-1000XM5 ($399)


Songs:

Hiromi
Monty Alexander
Taylor Swift
Charles Mingus
Lee Morgan
Ray Charles
Celia Cruz
Kenny Burrell



Unboxing:

In typical Focal brand awareness, the box opening is like a presentation. Opening the box, you are highlighted with the gray/black tight-knit weave of the semi-hard case. This is a slight change from Focal, with the colors matching the headphone itself. Personalizing each model with the color of the unit is a good thing.

Unzipping the case, you are presented with the typically good-looking Focal unit. In a triangular spot between the headband you find both cables neatly wrapped. The only thing I wished for here was a cover flap, much like the Sony & B&W. Once the cables come out, it is hard to get them back into the space easily.


Build/Fit:

Every Focal I have had the pleasure of reviewing has had very good to exemplary fit and finish. Some had a decent amount of plastic, but they were of a high quality, nonetheless. The Bathys fits into that exemplary category with degrees. Made of Magnesium, Aluminum and leather, the Bathys feels premium. A Magnesium yoke, Aluminum mechanical construction leads to a leather and micro-fiber covered headband, which is eminently comfortable. Typical as well are Focal’s cups, which seem to be just right in size and fit. Thicker pads help diffuse exterior noise but allow some breathing when worn.

The mix of leather and metallic surfaces works together well, and the black leather, under the increasing radiused holes make the “closed-back” Bathys look stunning. Of note as well is the most divisive design aspect to the Bathys, the lit “flame” logo on the outside center of each cup. Lit when connected, some have stated that this is a true distraction to the overall product and cannot be turned off. This is not the case. On the Focal/Naim app there is a button, which allows you to toggle between on, dimly lit, or off. Also, do you really care if the light is on? Maybe your partner does, but since you can turn it off, this is of no concern.

Adjusting the ear cups is straightforward, with detents acting at each “step.” I found a good fit, and pressure was fine for long wearing sessions. I found that pressure could be a bit high, while wearing my reading glasses, but when listening, not a problem.



Technology:

Utilizing an “M” shaped dome driver of Aluminum/Magnesium the Bathys shares the construction of other Focal models such as the Celestee. Angled forward slightly to give a better sound “timing” Focal states this allows the sound waves to hit your ears more directly where they need to, in your canal. The 40mm M-shaped cone dynamic driver is a patented design that was created specifically for Focal’s high-end headphone models and now finds its way into the Bathys; with some familial technology similarity to the Utopia.

With 8 microphones, you get plenty of help with the listening department, phone call wise. I did find that under noisier situations, the call quality diminished. Again, that is not the main focus here, but maybe a firmware update can accommodate that to our benefit.

Codecs covered are SBC, AAC, aptX™ Adaptive, aptX™, but no LDAC. Of course, when you use the USB-C cable, this all but becomes a moot point, since it can accommodate up to 24bits/192kHtz. Some have even purchased upgraded cables for that option. Of note with a cable, is that the unit must still be turned on regardless of listening option. In DAC mode, place the switch in that position. For all other options, the on position is required.


Functions:

Buttons are easily accessible on both earcups. Running from the bottom up on the right you have the Google Assistant or Alexa feature button followed by the on/off/DAC button. Above that are the volume up/down with the Bluetooth activate button in the middle. If you choose to use an external DAC for connecting, that middle button should be used for connecting. This allows the external DAC to do its job up to 24bits/192kHtz. The left cup runs the ANC functions from a “Silent” mode to a “Soft” mode, and a “Transparency” mode for pass-thru technology such as listening and talking. While not as “true” ANC as the Sony or Bose, which adds both low and high signal reduction; the Focal uses ANC to not diminish audio quality. First and foremost, the ANC here is to preserve audio quality, then silence the outside as a benefit. It works and is the best out there for preserving true audio quality. Period.



Battery Life:

With BT 5.1 “multipoint,” you can connect the Bathys to multiple sources, and I ran it through both my iPhone and the CA1000, with no issues. Running strictly BT, there is 30 hours’ worth of listening pleasure (verified 2x, 32 and 31 respectively), while using the USB-C cable afforded 35 hours. You cannot use and charge the Bathys at the same time either, which is a shame. On DAC mode, you can get up to 42 hours of listening, since the DAC is in external mode. A quick charge of 15 minutes gives you 5 hours of extra listening as well. Not otherworldly, but extra, nonetheless.


Sound:

Summary:

The Bathys mimicked somewhat the signature of the Celestee, but without the same note weights. Excellent clarity for a wireless headphone makes this top of the class to me. Mids were the stars, with everything from vocals to piano coming across with good weight and a slight warmth to it, personified by richness in tonality. The top rolls just like the lower end, but there is plenty of sparkle, so that the upper end not only shines, but extends the3 listening pleasures.

Soundstage is quite good for a closed-back headphone, easily as good as its competitors. To state it bluntly. This is to me the best sounding wireless headphone on the market.



Moar:

Bass has excellent definition with strong impact, but it never calls too much attention to itself. It does roll-off in the 30-32Hz range and some have noticed that a bit of the detail is lost at that point. Mid bass was on the cleaner side with good transparency and impact never overpowering the rest of the music. Kick drums had very good definition and impact. The timbre and accuracy of bass guitar’s is particularly noticeable through the Bathys; notes were clearly defined and had a very natural sound. Monty Alexander’s “Spunky” has an impactful bass line during the song and I was impressed at how the Bathys handled the percussion and piano lower notes; bass notes were very tightly defined, and the strums were strong and easy to discern within the soundstage.

There is a slight bleed from the mid bass into the lower midrange and that did add some warmth and extra weight to male vocals. Some might feel that this adds slightly too much emphasis in this range, but it never bothered me, and most recordings were reproduced with excellent clarity and accurate timbre. Guitar notes had ample energy and growl without being too hard or etched. Sustain and decay were very natural sounding.

Excellent clarity, resolution, detail, and accurate timbre ruled the signature as we moved up from those wonderful mids into the upper mid and lower treble range. Timbre was very accurate and getting violin notes to sound natural with the underlying rich signature is impressive. Focal did this right. That said, cymbals sounded quite good, but high hats did sound a bit analytical to me, detracting a smidge from the overall goodness. As one would expect, the ANC also limited upper extension, and as a result the soundstage, but regardless; the Bathys was quite impressive, especially against its competition.

Speaking of which, the ANC to me comes across as the best implementation on the market. The Px8 might have more, but the Bathys is better overall.

In terms of overall sound signature, the maturity of which Focal has addressed the sound combined with the ANC technology should have competitors addressing their shortcomings quickly.



Comparison:

Focal Bathys ($799) vs B&W Px8 ($699):

The B&W Px7 V2 was a designated target for Focal. Widely regarded as one of the best out there, including against the vaunted Sony WH-series, the target makes sense. This was also one of our most highly anticipated competitions as well. For audiofool’s excellent review on the Bathys, we followed that with a YouTube video. We both agreed that as good as the Px8 is, the Bathys is slightly better. Better sound characteristics as well as a less intrusive ANC technology makes for a tough act to beat. But the Bathys has all of that and more.

Better clarity comes across as a very clean, crisp signature; which is not usually the case for wireless headphones. That said, the Px8 has excellent bass quality, with better guttural grunt down low. Fit is a bit better to me personally as well. The Focal is very good, but those thicker leatherette ear cups tend to make for a larger fit. The Px8 simply disappear on my head.

Vocals on the Px8 comparatively are very good, where the Bathys are sublime. Upper end reach to me is a draw. The Bathys reach a bit higher and lend better clarity as a result; but the Px8 are smoother and more pleasing to my palette. If you want superb detail, the Bathys is the winner. If you prefer a smoother character, then the Px8 is the winner.


Focal Bathys ($799) vs Sony WH-1000XM5 ($399, sale as low as $298):

Widely regarded as the leader in the combined character of ANC technology and sound capabilities in the wireless headphone market, it is the target most shoot for. While not a true fair competition due to the price difference, it is still worthy due to that target.

The Sony is eminently easy to drive, the best of the lot. Fit is more on the economy side, though. So is the material construction. I understand why Sony did this, though. Making the unit affordable tends to pay dividends when looking at these (and testing) in the Big Box Store setting against its viable competition from Beats & Bose. That should not detract from what Sony has done here. It is remarkable. If a fun signature was the top category (and only), the Sony would win hands down. Excellent ANC technology and deep reaching bass makes for an excellent package.

It is when we delve deeper into the details that the Bathys separates itself. The Sony is good. The Bathys is great in terms of sound quality. Where the Sony pushes the mids forward to the front of the stage (good for commuting) the Bathys takes in the whole, enveloping the user in a finished product. The Sony is good. Very, very good. The Bathys is excellent.

Fit to me is below average as well. Those cheaper ear pads simply need more thickness and cushioning. The bottom tends to dig in when properly placed. Or when the stanchions are drawn in, while the pressure is even, the sound leaks. I am sure some aftermarket Dekoni pads would help, making this a better fit. Quality of materials is on the economy side as well.

All of that said, to me this is the market leader at the sub-$500 price. Hands down.

Finale:

Coming into this, I knew the Bathys would be good, based upon Will’s review. We share similar sound tastes and review patterns. But it wasn’t until I put them on, that I realized how good they were. Simply put, the Bathys is a superb example from a well-known manufacturer who waited the ANC game out until they could develop their own. And it is very, very good. To me it is the best implementation of ANC technology out there currently. Combine that with excellent sound characteristics and a level of detail, which resonates in the superb clarity and you have a top offering in the ever more competitive wireless headphone market.

Expensive? Yes. But if you desire one headphone, and one only based upon your needs to commute, work in the office and listen at home, then the Bathys might be an excellent choice as your only headphone. There are offerings at lower prices, which are quite good, but combined together fall behind the Bathys on one track or another.



DAC functionality:

If you choose to use an external DAC for connecting, that middle button should be used for connecting. This allows the external DAC to do its job up to 24bits/192kHtz. When the DAC mode is engaged, it will take a digital signal in through the the usb-c cable and use the INTERNAL DAC for the 24/192kHz resolution. If using an external DAC, you would use the 1/8" cable and place the mode switch to the "ON" position.