While True Wireless earphones, like the new AirPods Pro, have become objects of desire for many, headphones have not had their last word. Emblematic French hi-fi brand, Focal launches Bathys, its first wireless noise reduction headphones. Sold at the price of a good smartphone (799 euros), the device is far from cheap, but it stands out in more ways than one, such as 20 minutes saw it during his tests.
On-the-go hi-fi is growing
It’s a fact: the Bathys headphones arrive a little late on a field already marked out by Apple and its AirPods Max headphones, but also Denon and its AH-D7200, or Audio Technica and its ATH-AD2000x. “There is a huge market on the high end,” explains Mégane Montabonel, product manager at Focal. Who notes: “that of headphones for the home remains a niche market, very targeted audiophile, but more and more consumers are looking for nomadic products with high added value”. It is in this universe that Bathys and its aluminum alloy loudspeakers made in France wants to assert its ambitions and play its part.
A little heavy, but comfortable
Delivered in a rigid and fairly thin transport box (practical to slip it into a backpack), Bathys is somewhat reminiscent of Stellia, its wired elder, in its aesthetics. Quite imposing, weighing 368 grams (against 384 grams for the AirPods Max), non-foldable (its shells do not fold under its headband), it looks great with its honeycomb finish which sets it apart from all.
If it is not light, it remains very pleasant to wear, and offers real comfort of use. Distributed on each of the hulls, its physical control buttons are intuitively accessible. An application (Focal & dwarf) offers access to a five-band equalizer, but also to noise reduction controls: Transparent, Low Level and Silent.
Signature required
Strangely, only two audio presets are accessible: House and Loudness. “We tried a lot of things; the Rock, Pop… modes of the competition do not speak to us much. This distorts the sound a bit. We start from the principle that our signature goes with all styles of music”, justifies Mégane Montabonel, at Focal. So don’t hesitate to play on the frequency curves to personalize Bathys, whose listening is naturally very bassy and fleshy.
Subtleties revealed
But it is above all very rich, precise. The surprise comes from the width of the soundstage that these headphones are able to offer, with a very open stereo reproduction, which leaves plenty of room for instruments, to the point of revealing the subtleties of musical ranges that headphones more classic would be hard pressed to share. Jazz or classical lovers are likely to rediscover the true flavor of certain pieces.
About us, the Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood by Nina Simone, or Hilary Hahn’s violin revisiting the slow test by Pablo de Sarasate left us blissful. As for contemporary repertoires, the shock is up for auction. Listening to Return of the Dream Canteen, the new album of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, was a big slap in the face, both for the power deployed by the Bathys headphones and the precision of the frenzied guitar riffs, the hammering of the drums and all the nuances of the voice of singer Anthony Kiedis . Nostalgic for our disco years, we even had a little fun pushing the volume to the max on the 2022 cover of the supernatural by Cerrone. The headphones’ speakers are extremely dynamic, yet precise.
A DAC for purists
For purists, Focal has gone so far as to slip a DAC into its headphones. “It was about the credibility of headphones in hi-fi,” explains product manager Mégane Montabonel. According to him, Focal wanted to go much further than headphones to only listen to compressed music on his smartphone… especially at this price (“it would be a shame, according to the product manager). Wired to an audio source with the supplied USB cable, Bathys therefore makes it possible to go even further in the quest for quality with its integrated digital/analog converter which will further boost listening.
As for active noise reduction, Focal (who admits to not being an expert in the matter) does not deserve it. Admittedly, the system offered does not equal that of Sony on its WH-1000XM5 headphones, but the insulation offered by the French headphones, which incorporates six dedicated microphones (plus two for telephone calls), is really of a good level. . And this noise reduction does not affect the autonomy of the Bathys, which is 30 hours when activated. A very good score.
Of course, with its price of 799 euros, Focal’s Bathys headphones will remain out of reach for many. Those who are lucky enough to be able to afford it will discover with it, as we did, a somewhat hybrid headset, striking in mobility with a quality and listening power that is difficult to find on the market. But also extremely appealing at home to not just hear music, but really listen to it.