Focal Bathys: A Wireless Headset Offering Up to 30 Hours of Battery Life
The Focal Bathys is a wireless over-ear closed-back headset designed for high-fidelity listening. It features 40 mm electrodynamic speakers made from an aluminum and magnesium alloy, crafted in Focal’s workshops in France. The Bathys delivers precise and clear sound, balanced across the entire sound spectrum.
Focal’s patented “M” dome drivers provide detailed and dynamic sound reproduction, with deep, punchy bass, natural mids that highlight vocals, and smooth, precise highs. The acoustic design, inherited from the brand’s high-end wired hi-fi headphones, offers a wide and immersive soundstage, excellent instrument separation, and high fidelity of timbres.
Optimal Comfort and Refined Finishes
The Focal Bathys stands out with its elegant design and premium materials. Available in Black Silver or Dune finishes, it features smooth, sleek curves with rounded earcup grilles incorporating an activatable white backlighting system.
Designed for optimal comfort, the Bathys is equipped with memory foam ear cushions covered in genuine leather, perfectly conforming to the head’s shape. Its padded headband ensures even pressure distribution. Despite its 350-gram weight, the headset becomes unnoticeable even during long listening sessions thanks to its stable fit and ergonomic design.
Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode
The Focal Bathys includes an efficient active noise cancellation (ANC) system for total music immersion. With its eight microphones, it continuously analyzes ambient noise and generates an inverse signal to effectively neutralize it. Three ANC modes are available via the dedicated app: Silent for maximum isolation, Soft for gentler attenuation, and Transparency to hear your surroundings.
The Transparency mode is particularly useful for staying aware of your environment or conversing without removing the headset. It allows you to naturally perceive external sounds while enjoying your music. The Bathys also features a wear sensor that automatically pauses the music when the headset is removed.
Versatile Connectivity and High Resolution
Highly versatile, the Focal Bathys offers multiple connection options to suit all uses. In addition to multipoint Bluetooth 5.1, which allows simultaneous pairing of two devices, it is equipped with a 3.5 mm jack for traditional wired use, as well as a USB-C port utilizing an integrated DAC.
The USB DAC mode supports audio resolution up to 24-bit / 192 kHz, allowing you to enjoy high-definition sound from a compatible computer or player. The Bathys supports lossless codecs aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC, and SBC for superior audio quality over Bluetooth with compatible devices.
Generous Battery Life and Intuitive Controls
With a battery life reaching 30 hours on Bluetooth with ANC activated, and up to 35 hours without ANC, the Focal Bathys is highly durable and suitable for long journeys. It also benefits from fast charging, providing 5 hours of listening in just 15 minutes.
The headphone controls are easily accessible on the ear cups. On the right ear cup, there is a multifunction button for play/pause and call management, as well as volume buttons that also allow you to change tracks. The left ear cup includes the ANC button to select the noise reduction level, along with a dedicated button for Google Assistant and Alexa voice assistants.
Focal & Naim App for Personalizing the Experience
The Focal Bathys comes with the free Focal & Naim app, available on iOS and Android. This app provides access to numerous settings and features to finely personalize the listening experience according to your preferences.
The app allows you to adjust the ANC level, activate Transparency mode, manage Bluetooth connections, view battery level, and update the headphone firmware. A parametric equalizer is also available to adjust the sound signature. Finally, a hearing test developed by Mimi allows you to tailor the sound to your own hearing.
Does the Focal Bathys require an app to function?
No, the Focal & Naim app is not essential for using the Bathys. It offers additional features to personalize the experience, but the headphones are fully autonomous and can be used without the app.
Are the headphones compatible with all smartphones?
Yes, the Focal Bathys works with any Bluetooth device, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, computer, or music player. However, the supported audio codecs depend on the source devices.
What is the difference between Bluetooth and USB DAC mode?
Bluetooth is a convenient wireless connection but compresses the audio signal. The USB DAC mode uses the high-performance digital-to-analog converter built into the headphones to directly process the digital audio stream sent by the source, providing optimal quality up to 24 bits / 192 kHz.
Can the headphones be used while charging?
No, the Focal Bathys cannot be used while charging, whether in Bluetooth or wired mode. You need to unplug them to turn them on and use them. A full charge takes about 4 hours.
Is the headband adjustable?
Yes, the headband of the Focal Bathys is adjustable in height with several notches to fit all morphologies. The ear cups also pivot in two axes for optimal positioning.
Are the headphones foldable for transport?
No, the Focal Bathys is not foldable, but the ear cups pivot flat to facilitate storage in the provided hard carrying case, which protects them effectively.
