Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Focal Bathys review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2025. I’ll also be comparing the Focal Bathys vs Sony WH-1000XM6, Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3, Px8, Bang & Olufsen H95, Apple AirPods Max, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I’ve owned these headphones for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Focal Bathys review in short
The Focal Bathys is the best-sounding wireless noise cancelling headphone under $1,000 today, if you can live with its average to below average comfort and noise cancelling performance. Competes very well against Sony WH-1000XM6, Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, Bowers & Wilkins Px8, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Apple AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and Bang & Olufsen H95.
Watch this Full Review on YouTube!
Have any QUESTIONS for me?
Leave it in the YouTube COMMENTS and I’ll do my best to get back to you 🙂
Focal Bathys Pros and Cons
- Best sound quality under $1,000
- Very good build quality
- Built-in DAC for wired listening
- Can be uncomfortable for some
- Average to below average noise cancelling
- Looks a bit too flashy
Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Save up to $100 or More with USED!
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Focal Bathys Sound Quality
Stock sound first impressions…
Prior to reviewing the Bathys, the expectations were decently high based on Focal’s reputation in the audiophile world, along with the pro audio world.
In fact, I actually have Focal studio monitors at my desk as we speak.
I guess to no one’s surprise, the Bathys sounds excellent for a wireless ANC headphone out of the box.
What jumps out to me is the balanced yet engaging tonality, which is simply tuned better than pretty much any wireless headphone that skews towards that overly-bassy consumer sound profile.
As a contrast, the Bathys immediately sounds much more open, with a bigger soundstage and excellent spacing.
The mid-bass is very punchy and clear, while retaining detail up top in the mids and treble.
It wasn’t until I listened back and forth with the excellent Cambridge Audio Melomania P100, that I heard a bit of veiled vocals in the Bathys.
As with all my reviews, it’s EQ to the rescue, and Focal has a native 5-band EQ built into the app.
So, I’ll be sharing my best EQ settings below, and conduct the rest of this review using these settings…
Best Equalizer (EQ) Settings for Focal Bathys
V1 – Mainly for Pop, Hip Hop
Result: Less veiled vocals and more vocal-forward. More sub-bass with tamed mid-bass response. A bit livelier with more energy in the mids and airiness up top.
Sound Quality after EQ…
Make no mistake, I can still listen to the Bathys all day without EQ, and I still stand by its tasteful stock tuning out of the box.
That said, I wasn’t really aware of the veiled vocals until hearing it back to back with the very-revealing Cambridge Audio P100, so that was one of the main focuses of the EQ in areas to improve.
To my surprise, this actually opened up the Bathys to an even higher level of detail and liveliness, just when I didn’t think it could really get much better than stock.
Sidenote, the wired “USB-DAC” mode allows you to listen to the Bathys using the in-built DAC, although the EQ does not apply.
That said, the headphones sound even better in terms of clarity and fidelity without sibilance in this USB-DAC mode, and is a real treat if you don’t mind wired.
Only drawback to USB-DAC mode is the bass is on the lighter side, especially compared to Bluetooth mode with EQ.
Let’s do some sound comparisons versus its competitors and wrap up final thoughts below…
vs Sony WH-1000XM6
The Bathys can easily expose the XM6’s more narrow soundstage and lack of spacing.
Simply put, the Bathys sounds open-back compared to the closed-back sound of the XM6.
That said, one area that might impress over the Bathys is the XM6’s sub-bass which reaches down very low and with more quantity.
Overall, the Bathys is firmly audiophile-territory, whereas the XM6 is basically “very good for a wireless headphone” territory.
vs Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3
This comparison is more competitive than the XM6, but I still think the Bathys is in a slight level above the Px7 S3 when it comes to sound quality.
For sound profile, the Px7 S3 is noticeably more V-shaped, whereas the Bathys is more tastefully balanced with a more pleasing tonality.
The Bathys sounds closer to open-back than the Px7 S3’s smaller soundstage.
Like the XM6, there is actually more sub-bass slam and quantity in the Px7 S3, but I think the Bathys is more pleasing everywhere else on the frequency spectrum.
Also, I simply find the Bathys to be a more engaging and fun headphone to listen to, whereas the Px7 S3 is very technically-strong, but can be less exciting at times.
vs Bowers and Wilkins Px8
These have very different sound profiles, with the Px8 being warm, lush, and dark, and the Bathys being more balanced overall.
I think I actually prefer the mids on the Px8, but bass and treble easily goes to the Bathys in a very convincing fashion.
Also, the Px8’s soundstage is less impressive and on the smaller side, compared to the Bathys.
Overall, I much prefer the Bathys for most genres, but the Px8 can shine in its own way on more acoustic, older genres of music.
vs Apple AirPods Max
The AirPods Max is a bit brighter and more consumer-friendly out of the box, while the Bathys is more balanced in its tonality.
Luckily, EQ can make the Bathys sound more engaging, whilst retaining a higher level of detail across the frequency spectrum.
I think the Bathys is in another level when it comes to sound quality as a whole, but the AirPods Max still impresses me with its separation and layering.
vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra (with V2 EQ)
As much as I love the EQ’d Bose QC Ultra, I think the Bathys does everything and then some.
There’s just a higher level of resolution and clarity that we get with the Bathys when we really listen closely.
Also, the Bathys has better dynamics.
One area that the QC Ultra does do better, is having tons of treble detail while being smoother with less sibilance than the Bathys that can get peaky at times.
vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 (with V2 EQ)
I’ve heard some refer to the Momentum 4 as the “Baby Bathys” and I think that is a fair comparison.
In fact, I actually modeled the “V2 EQ” after listening to the Bathys more, and trying to get the Momentum 4 to match the Focal’s beautiful tonality.
Based on the comments on YouTube, I think we achieved this goal, and I’m very happy with how the Momentum 4 is sounding today.
That said, it’s called the “baby” Bathys for a reason, and I do think this is a logical upgrade if you love the Momentum 4, but want to jump up to that next level of sound quality.
vs Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
When I was first reading up on the P100, there were comparisons to the Focal Bathys, with some people even saying the P100 was superior in sound quality.
I was immediately skeptical. Bathys sound quality for almost a third of the price?
After listening to both back to back, I’ll say that these two are indeed in the same tier of sound quality, which means they’re at the top of the sub-$1,000 noise-cancelling headphone class.
Immediately, the stock Bathys sounds fuller, but slightly warmer and more muffled compared to the very revealing and brighter P100.
There is a slight veil over the Bathys, but the bass and mids are fuller and smoother.
The treble on the P100 is very impressive, as its smoother and slightly more detailed.
Soundstage has been an advantage for the P100 thus far, but the Bathys is slightly larger and more spacious. The Bathys has great spacing between instruments and vocals.
I prefer the punchier and more impactful bass of the Bathys, but the P100 seems to have the deeper sub-bass.
This one is close, but the Bathys still edges out the P100 overall and is more engaging and FUN to listen to for me personally.
(In fact, I forgot I was comparing the headphones and kept listening to the Bathys, lol.)
vs Bang & Olufsen H95
The H95 and the Cambridge Audio P100 are really the competitors to the Bathys right now, in my opinion.
The H95 is noticeably different in sound profile compared to the Bathys, opting for a brighter, more V-shaped consumer-friendly sound.
This can make the H95 sounds more exciting and lively at times, as it has great sub-bass with really resolving treble.
That said, the Bathys is more balanced and I prefer its tonality. Add a little EQ and we can make the Bathys just as engaging while retaining that balance.
One strength of the H95 is that I think it has a better sub-bass response.
But one weakness of the H95 is that it can be sibilant and even more peaky in its treble than the Bathys.
Either way, these are two of my favorite wireless headphones to listen to at the moment.
Overall thoughts on sound quality…
So there you have it, the Focal Bathys rightfully lives up to the Focal brand name when it comes to sound quality.
Personally, I’m not surprised as I have been a Focal customer in the past, with generally great experiences with their products as a whole.
I’d say these are my favorite wireless headphones to listen to at the moment, but they aren’t perfect.
They could use better sub-bass response in the deepest frequencies, and I found while EQ’ing that the treble can struggle with sibilance and harshness when pushed.
That said, considering these are wireless noise-cancelling headphones, we finally have audiophile-worthy sound quality and convenience in one package.
Sound Quality Score: 9.4 out of 10 (after EQ)
Focal Bathys Comfort
The Focal Bathys is 2nd heaviest in this class, as weighed on my scale:
- Bose QuietComfort – 236.1 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM5 – 245.9 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 252.8 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 254.4 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3 – 298.3 grams
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e – 305.2 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 – 320.1 grams
- Bang & Olufsen H95 – 323 grams
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 – 329.9 grams
- Focal Bathys – 357.1 grams
- Apple AirPods Max – 387.8 grams
Comfort is definitely one of the biggest issues with the Bathys, and you’ll hear mixed reviews online.
The heavier weight combined with a not-so-plush headband and a fair bit of clamping force is likely the culprit for most people, especially those with larger heads.
Personally, I don’t find them much different than the AirPods Max, which is 30 grams heavier, but has a more comfortable headband design.
What I do like about the Bathys is that it has very large earcups with tons of interior space so my ears aren’t touching the inside at all, unlike the Sony XM6 for example.
Overall, I can personally wear the Bathys for hours without much issue (you get used to the weight over time), but I could see others rating these slightly lower in this category.
Comfort Score: 4.0 out of 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
The Focal Bathys was released in October 2022 and has many modern wireless ANC headphone features:
- Multiple built-in microphones for taking calls
- Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX Adaptive
- Multi-point connection (Can’t choose which devices via app)
- Active Noise Cancelling (2 levels)
- Transparency Mode
- Companion Smartphone app to customize EQ, settings, and update firmware
- “USB-DAC” mode for wired listening using in-built DAC (great feature)
- 5-band EQ
- Includes a large-sized premium Hard Shell case
- USB-C to USB-C charging cable
- 3.5mm Stereo to stereo cable
Focal Bathys Build Quality
The build quality of the Focal Bathys is very solid, and deserving of the price.
There’s a ton of metal here, most notably in the headband which feels extra durable.
The leather on the earpad cushions and headband exterior is premium.
There is a suede material on the interior of the headband, and I just wish there was more cushioning there to offset the heavy weight.
Focal Bathys Battery Life
The Bathys is rated at “over 30 hours” on a single charge, which is slightly above average:
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 – 100 hours
- Marshall Monitor III – 70 hours
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 60 hours
- Focal Bathys – “Over 30 hours”
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 40 hours (ANC off), 30 hours (ANC on)
- Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 – 30 hours
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Px8 – 30 hours
- Sonos Ace – 30 hours
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 24 hours
- AirPods Max – 20 hours
In my testing, I found this figure to be accurate.
There is also a fast-charging feature where 15 minutes of charging can create up to 5 hours of listening time.
Focal Bathys Noise Cancelling Performance
The Focal Bathys is towards the lower-end of the class for its noise cancelling performance.
Focal is a great audio brand, but clearly a bit newer to the active noise cancelling game, and sadly I think it shows a bit in the Bathys.
The Bathys can be decent at times when it’s set to “full” ANC mode, and with music playing at moderate volumes, but it’s overshadowed by the elite options today from Sony, Bose, and even Bowers & Wilkins’ newest offering, the Px7 S3.
Don’t get me wrong, the noise cancelling can be considered average at best, but it’s clear that this is one of the overall weaknesses of the Bathys versus the competition in the wireless ANC class.
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling Performance Score: 4.0 out of 5
Value
The Focal Bathys is a bit older now, having been released in 2022, and originally retailed at $699 USD.
Thankfully, the price has come down now to a market price of around $590 brand new on average, to as low as $524 at the time of this writing.
If you’re willing to look at Used (Like New), prices can be under $500.
At that full retail price of close to $700, I was fully ready to give these about a 3.5 out of 5 for value.
Their excellent sound quality is really the most redeeming factor and value proposition of the Bathys, since we’re dealing with average comfort and noise cancelling.
But now that the prices have come down, I do think that for about a similar price to the AirPods Max (or even less on sale), you’re getting real-deal audiophile sound quality.
So, all in all, I think the Bathys is an appealing package with its lower market price today.
Value Score: 4.0 out of 5
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality: 9.4 / 10 (after EQ)
Comfort: 4.0 / 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.0 / 5
Value: 4.0 / 5
Total: 21.4 / 25
Is the Focal Bathys WORTH IT?
I would say at the $699 retail price, the Bathys was a bigger question mark due to its average to below average comfort and noise cancelling performance.
But the sound quality is so good for this class that I’d seriously still consider them at that price.
Luckily, prices have come down to under $600, and even approaching $500 depending on sales and if they’re Used.
At today’s prices, these are my favorite wireless headphone to listen to under $1,000.
I will say, however, if comfort and noise cancelling performance are part of your top priorities, then the Bathys finds itself in a bit of a tougher spot.
For me, the Bathys is really all about its excellent sound quality while being convenient enough, but is not an elite option for comfort and noise cancelling today.
I’d personally buy them (and did), but if they were to be used for frequent travel where noise cancelling is a priority, then I would consider other options.
Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sony WH-1000XM6
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e
- Apple AirPods Max
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- JBL Tour One M3
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Beats Studio Pro
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Apple AirPods Max
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs AirPods Max
- Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max
I highly recommend you check those out next!
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Save up to $100 or More with USED!
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3 Review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review
Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e Review
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Headphone Review
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
