This is the official thread for the Focal Bathys
This thread is for discussion and reviews.
- Type: Over Ear
- Amp needed: No
- Closed Back Bluetooth ANC
Focal Link[Reviews]
Z Reviews…
No LDAC and $800 uff they would have to sound pretty close to the clears for me to really think about getting them.
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Haven’t watched any of them myself yet, just compiling the ones I can find. Mostly seem to be from retailers with YT channels, so standard grains of salt should be had.
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From the headphones show yt video they said they tuned it like the focal radiance with a little more bass. If that helps at all. So it might end up being u-shaped or mild v-shaped.
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My thoughts on the new focal bathys wireless noise cancelling headphones . This is based on my first impression trying it in an audio cafe .
Sub bass is punchy and mid bass is not bloated although there’s a peak. Reasonably good for a wireless headphone .
Lower Midrange is recessed but upper midrange is forward but not sibilant . Soundstaging isn’t that spacious.
Treble in general is not bright or too sharp it is pleasant and easy on the ear.
Overall excitement and dynamics is fine . Not the best but considered pretty alright for a wireless ANC headphone.
But for a wireless ANC headphones , these are good to me . Better than the AirPods Max , XM5, Bose QC45 or even the momentum 4.
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I really like the Radiance, so this sounds like it is probably the best ANC headset on the market for my taste…
I am also curious how it sounds in USB DAC mode… if that DAC mode allows it to plug straight into an iphone, also how the set sounds analog on a desktop rig… $800 is alot but for a good Focal set that also has bluetooth anc built in? I might trade in my Elegia and Elex for this one…
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Picked them up from audio 46 with a decent discount. I want to see if these are decent instead of judging from advertisement and frankly I feel like my first post was a little brash without putting my money where my mouth is. I’m on a long work trip and basically always traveling in loud environments when I’m not in my office so it should be a good test.
Also being that this is a probable headphone from focal I’m hoping it will bring up my confidence in the brand after an Elex shit show.
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Well my Sony MX4 iems have been stolen so hopefully the focal’s will be a suitable replacement.
For those wondering, I asked Focal about battery replacement. This is what they said:
Yes, we will be offering service for battery exchange for this model. Since this is a recent release we do not have the price list for the replacement parts and the fee attached, so I may not supply an answer for this request at the moment. However a repair via focal this at $100 technician fee plus parts. In this case the battery may cost roughly around $100 in parts. I will be in the measure to confirm this once the parts list in completed
So it’s good that you will be able to get the battery replaced and it won’t just be ewaste, though $100 is a lot especially considering you already paid $800 for the headphone in the first place. Sort of like a $100 subscription you pay every 5 years or however long the battery lasts. Still might be worth it to some who really want the functionality, and it is the lightest of the “premium” Focal headphones.
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Thanks for that info!
Seems like they could have made it user replaceable though. Agree with you on that fee. If I have to mail it to Focal to just change the battery, at least only charge me for the battery. I’ll probably end up just riding it out until the battery barely charges and then… oh damn, it won’t work in passive wired mode. Aw hell.
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Sounds like the repair may be closer to $200? That’s $100 for the battery and $100 for the technician’s labor fee.
That’s pretty damn steep.
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You’re right. Seems a lot to pay $200 to keep using my $800 headphones.
Seems like they know who their target market is though and it’s people with LOTS of expendable income.
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If mine end up dying I’m definitely going to take them apart and replace the battery on my own. At that time the warranty will be gone anyways.
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Yep. The Focal house sound also seems to be one of the more polarizing in the community. People either love it or hate it; there’s not a lot of “Focal? Meh.” sentiment in audiophile land.
And from what I’ve read and watched, this is most definitely a Focal headphone in terms of sound quality. Focal didn’t really go nuts to tune it to more of a V-shaped, consumer-oriented sound signature like Sony, Bose or Beats.
Replacement pads for my 250€ AKG K712 are 100€ for the pair.
The only way!
I mean the have to use a generic battery just like every other company right? Well hopefully they do otherwise it would be another focal letdown for me.
I would assume a normal LiPo cell, maybe if they felt special LiFePo (unlikely).
No other battery tech makes sense for an application like this.
Yeah that’s what I figured as well.
Only thing I can imagine is that they use a very uncommon size to f with us 
right to repair. you only have to pay for the battery. but yes, its 100% that. focal’s arent cheap. and people who buy them have money. and i feel like 90% of people who buy them, are buying them for vacations and stuff like that. where the battery will last longer. not as an otg everyday driver. and if/when the battery dies, its still usable wired. so you don’t actually have to replace it to keep using it. its also about the same proportional price as replacing a cellphone battery.
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