Focal Bathys Hi-Fi Headphones review

Focal has a reputation for crafting precise and pristine audio equipment. For example, its Grande Utopia speakers system is considered one of the best in the world - and the most expensive. So, when offered a pair of Focal headphones to review, we had to hear what they could do. What can the makers of the finest speakers bring to the world of portable audio, and does it have what it takes to rank among the best headphones available?

The spec sheet of the Focal Bathys makes for an interesting read. A wireless headphone designed for travel and portability, it has Bluetooth 5.1 and a battery that can go for over 40 hours. It has several ANC modes and onboard controls. So far, so standard. The 40mm drivers are Focal-designed and thus should be of the highest quality - a little more exciting. But what raises an eyebrow is the presence of a USB-DAC, a feature that might turn a good headphone experience into something sublime.

Precision audio, DAC on deck

I tried to be cool and calm heading into this review - Focal is but another brand, after all. My attempted stoicism was short-lived. The reason? The soundstage. It’s excellent.

The first track through the cans was The xx ‘Crytalised’ via the Bluetooth 5.1 connection. Closing my eyes, I could point to the position of the male vocals, as though they were in the room - centre, but just off the left. The female vocal breakthrough - centre right, closer to me, more off to the right than the male. Drums just behind - as in, they sound physically behind the vocalists. It’s engineering black magic, and it's phenomenal.

Jumping onto some Tame Impala, I appreciated the rich and precise bass of the Bathys - the 40mm Aluminium-Magnesium drivers punch with the accuracy and power of Muhammad Ali. The mids are natural and carry vocals, synths and guitars simultaneously without a hint of crossover or muddling. The highs are balanced, adding detail and sparkle. The tightness of the Bathys ceaselessly impresses and is akin to listening to a high-quality setup in a well-soundproofed and treated room.

What’s more, this supreme quality comes through a mere Bluetooth connection - there’s more to come with the DAC setting.

For those who don’t know, a DAC is a digital-to-audio converter which translates digital audio files into acoustic audio - i.e. it transforms computer language into human music. Laptops, smartphones and tablets all have a DAC, but by using an external DAC of higher quality, you get better audio quality. The one in the Focal Bathys will allow your music to hit up to 24bits/192kHz - this result is a louder, richer audio experience.

The difference in sound quality between the standard Bluetooth connection and the onboard USB-DAC is transformative. It’s like listening to a great set of bookshelf speakers before someone walks in, drops two floor-standing speakers into the mix and thwacks on a subwoofer.

Through the DAC setting, tracks are given a huge expansive soundstage, with incredible clarity and instrument separation. Magically, this expansive sound never strays into the distance - though huge, the listening experience still feels intimate. ‘The Pot’ by TOOL is a perfect track to experience this atmosphere, with the loud hard-panned guitar riffs punctuating silence, tight-centre bass work and jittery stereo effects placing you in the centre of musical expression. A superlative feature that’s worth putting up with being tethered to a device.

The only time this soundstage isn’t welcome is when a track has hard, repetitive and violent panning. Here, the spread of the panning can feel like a physical attack. I wouldn’t consider this anything to worry about, though - I tested the Bathys for many tens of hours and it only happened twice.

For the bold, for the traveller, for the peace and quiet

The physical design of the Focal Bathys is something of a crowd splitter - anyone familiar with Focal’s other product designs won’t be surprised to read this. While the gun-metal grey - Focal calls it Black Grey - is undoubtedly a chic colour choice for the backs of the cups, the presence of the holes is less of an aesthetic certainty. If I had a pound for every time someone mentioned Trypophobia - the fear or disgust of patterned holes - I’d have made myself at least a tenner by now.

While nowhere near enough to buy me a pair of the Bathys, many people don’t know what to make of the design. Yet, despite this, there is an odd confidence in the design. They look like a serious bit of 'Design' with a capital D, which, love it or hate it, is more than be said for many generic headphones on the market today. Their spirit reminds me of the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin or the Harman/Kardon Soundsticks - not to everyone’s taste, but bold and iconic nonetheless.

Looks aside, the ergonomics and user experience of the Bathys are overwhelmingly positive. Part of Focal’s travel-ready range, the headphones are built with aluminium and magnesium, and weigh 350g. This isn’t the lightest we’ve seen, with the Sony’s WH-1000XM5 we've reviewed previously sitting at a mere 250g. However, with the robust and comfortable leather and microfiber padding and the just-right pressure placed on the ears, this 100g of extra weight is quickly forgiven.

Adding to the travel-ready application of the Bathys is the active noise cancellation (ANC). Three modes are available - Silent, Soft and Transparency. Transparency is a hear-through mode, keeping you in touch with your surroundings, while Soft mutes some of the outside worlds to help you concentrate without completely secluding yourself. Silent is as it suggests, silent, and it’s not just good - it’s very, very good. The shouts of the sales team across the office when they hit their target, the screaming kids on the bus, that horrible screeching sound on London’s Northern Line - all of it's gone, reduced to a distance utter that you can, if you want, pick up on - but it’s easy enough to ignore completely. The Silent mode is a real treat.

The button controls rely on actual buttons as there are no touch features here. It’s a solid choice by Focal, making any time you need to control the Bathys a certainty - solid clicks and presses replace hopeful combinations of taps. There are even 3.5mm and USB-C outlets for when you want a physical connection.

The Focal app can be downloaded to your smartphone of choice, allowing you greater control over the headphones. The EQ is the most useful section, allowing you to find the headphones to your genre of choice - I found a slight bump in the mids to bring mine alive. In the app, you can also control the ANC and dial back the brightness on the Focal flame icon.

The carry case is a reasonable size and offers some protection and organisation for the Bathys for when you’re moving through security at the airport - I found the nylon loop particularly useful for hooking the case onto my backpack with a carabiner during the morning commute. Not as portable as a set of in-ear earbuds, but still decent for a set of full-blown audiophile headphones.

Any downsides?

Dropping the headphones around my neck or placing them on my desk was liable to knock the ANC button, switching the mode without my say-so. Confusing at first, as I didn’t realise I was catching the button and wondered why the Silent mode was suddenly in Transparency, I soon released what was happening and this became only a small pain in an otherwise flawless test of the headphones themselves.

Price and competition

The Sony WH-1000XM5 has the same battery life, carries excellent audio quality and weighs a trim 250g. Not only that, but they are half the price. If you are only interested in Bluetooth connectivity, then there is a solid argument for picking the Sony offering over the Focal Bathys. For the money saved, you could even book yourself a night away somewhere.

However, if you are someone who adores audio quality and is content hooking up to a device, then the DAC does take these headphones above and beyond anything I’ve tested before.

Verdict

Focal is known for its design sensibilities and audio prowess, and with the Bathys, it manages to combine these reputations into something rather special.

With travellers in mind, the Bathys are comfortable over long periods, carrying up to 42 hours of battery and boasting a powerful Silent ANC mode, the headphones more than meet the mark. Long-haul flights and packed commuter trains are now peaceful havens.

The audio quality via Bluetooth is excellent and expansive, full of energy and power. But it’s when the DAC is activated that you hear the reason the Bathys are such a high-end product. Transformative in effect, the DAC allows you to enjoy true audiophile quality when you’re away from home - and that’s something worth getting excited about.

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How this product was tested

The Focal Bathys were received at the beginning of April and tested until mid-March. During this time, the Bathys were used for music from an array of sources, including Spotify, CD and vinyl using both wireless and wired connection. The DAC was primarily used at my desk using a Macbook Air. The headphones were also used for commuting and video calls.

William Lobley is the Deputy Tech & Fitness Editor for What's The Best. Here, he oversees, curates and researches listicles and reviews as many products as his home office can handle.

He has spent nearly five years writing about tech, audio, outdoors and fitness and has reviewed everything from smartphones to ice baths. In addition, he's well-versed in sniffing out the best deals and savings the internet offers.

When not at his desk writing, reviewing or deal-hunting, he'll be relaxing with Japanese crime novels, bingeing some classic anime, strolling the countryside or at the gym listening to the heaviest metal Spotify has to offer.

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