Focal is a premium hi-fi audio brand from France since 1979 and manufactures their products in France. For years, they have focused on audiophile wired headphones and achieved a good reputation among the head-fi community. They have only just released their first wireless headphones with ANC, catching up on this inevitable trend. Retailing in Singapore at S$1199, the Bathys is a great entry to appreciate Focal headphones.
Retaining the iconic earcup design similar to other premium Focal headphones, the Bathys is fitted with patented 40mm aluminium-magnesium “M”-dome speaker drivers made in France using technologies from the finest Focal headphones. The Multipoint feature connects two devices at the same time so you will not miss any audio events or calls when you connect to two smartphones. The smartphone app offers the ability to apply EQ, select ANC modes, adjust the LED intensity on the earcups, select voice assistant, firmware update.
There are no doubts about the audio quality of Focal Bathys, given its rich experience in wired headphones. The Bathys deliver detailed treble, clean warm midrange, and tight punchy bass. The instrumental separation is not as meticulous as the Mark Levinson No. 5909 but still brings out musical qualities effortlessly and does not sound slouchy. The cosy sound staging is enhanced with the intense bass yet does not fog up the rest of the music. The treble does not sound brittle or over-emphasized, achieving great cohesion that makes one immerse in the Bathys without feeling fatigue.
In addition, the Focal Bathys have a dedicated DAC mode which you can enable from the power switch. In this mode, you connect via the USB-C cable to the laptop or smartphone, delivering high quality audio in 192kHz 24-bit resolution, and transforming the Bathys into a headset for office teleconference meetings. There is no passive mode on Bathys, so you have to power up the headphones even if you want to listen via a 3.5mm analog cable, which will automatically turn off Bluetooth. There is also no option to disable ANC, but you could toggle the ANC mode to a lower intensity by press-hold the ANC button. The DAC mode over USB has a slight advantage in bringing out the treble airiness and space a little more. The Bluetooth audio supports aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC and SBC, and while it sounded a little less extended and slightly compressed, maintains excellent details and dynamics.
Being designed for travel, the Bathys can endure up to 30 hours of continuous use. I use the Bathys regularly on the MRT, and while the Transparency mode lets me hear the ambience sufficiently well, the ANC could not help me enjoy my playlist in full detail compared to other wireless headphones. Focal is also very upfront that they have compromised ANC quality for audio quality, which we respect that. Switching between ANC and Transparency mode will disrupt audio streaming, which is a little annoying especially when in a call.
Overall, the Focal Bathys delivers excellent audio balance with good bass weight and treble details without feeling too excessive in either ends. Consumers familiar with Focal headphone products will know that the Bathys is the most affordable headphones in the catalog now. Unlike the T+A Soliatire T who has perfected on their first attempt at wireless headphones, Focal hopes to win new fans with a relatively more palatable price at S$1199. Thanks to Zeppelin & Co. for lending this review unit, you will be able to audition the Focal Bathys without inhibition at their Sim Lim Square audio cafe which opens all days except Mondays.
