FOCAL Bathys review -- BETTER than Apple AirPods Max? (& more)

👉🏻 This episode is brought to you by Patreon:

🎥 Camera: Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
💰 Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan

🛋 My listening room in 2022:

0:00 Intro
1:28 The basics
5:30 vs. Sony, Bowers&Wilkins
10:44 vs. Apple
18:07 vs. Mark Levinson
22:29 WYSIWYG

👉🏻 As seen in this video...

Focal Bathys

Sony WH-1000XM5

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2

Mark Levinson No.5909

Apple AirPods Max

Google Pixel 6

Focal factory tour

#focal #airpodsmax #bluetooth
__________________________________________________________________
⏰ HOW OUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS GET MADE:

Darko.Audio FAQ:

Why are/were comments turned OFF?

What the bloody hell am I talking about?

How is Darko.Audio funded?

Darko.Audio may earn a small commission from items purchased via affiliate links.
__________________________________________________________________
DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE A PODCAST?

__________________________________________________________________
Darko.Audio is a web magazine covering new and exciting developments in the audio world and we aren’t afraid of indie rock or techno.

[DarkoAudio]

PLEASE READ *before commenting*!
1) All comments here are moderated by a third party
2) Polite comments that advance the conversation are most welcome
3) No URLs, racist/sexist remarks or conspiracy theories, please

CORRECTION: the Focal Bathys sell for €799 (and not €699). Apologies.

[maemoone]

What I love about your videos, even if I'm not in the market for whatever product is being reviewed, is that I'll always get some nice, new-to-me tunes out of it when the intermissions come up. ♥️

[DarkoAudio]

CORRECTION: the Focal Bathys sell for €799 (and not €699). Apologies.

[sapitts]

You need to do a FOCAL Bathys vs. B&W Px8 which are closer priced. This would be very helpful to decide which higher price one to go with.

[EastPlanet]

Thanks for this - next closed-back I buy will be these bad boys. Just got the Clears and my life is forever changed lol. I really appreciate that Focal took everything into account here - controls/features, aesthetic, comfort, and of course sound/ANC quality. Nothing was compromised, and it still comes in at a fair (albeit expensive) price. Leave it to Focal to set a new standard for the audio market :)

[atmunn]

Love your review style. It is honest and well articulated. You also somehow make it both raw and well polished. Just the right balance of objective and subjective, and we really get the sense of how these make you feel. With audio equipment that is really what it is all about; how it makes you feel. Thank you. Subscribed.

[NoahBershatsky]

The DAC via USB isn’t missing the point. It IS the point. Wired lossless active noise cancelling? The Sony and Apple can’t do that.

[pauljordan]

Great review , I have the bathys and I’m very happy with them, I like the dac mode wired to my iPhone, Would I say the dac mode beats the Bluetooth mode, blows it out the water, night and day !!!! Well slightly better but Bluetooth is getting closer and closer which can only be good news

[GMG]

Great review! (as usual)

Sorry for the side question, but since you have close access to a Naim dealer, how about a review of the Supernait3?

[thetenor]

Love these reviews. Darko audio are the very best on the web IMHO.

[jarjared]

How do the Bathys compare to the Bowers & Wilkins PX8? NOT the PX7 S2, but the PX8.

[robinmercier]

Great review, and agree with all as a Bathys and sony owner. Dac mode for me has had fair amount of use in office as I travel to work, and do notice a good improvement in sq once switched. It's a good "ace" for us niche peeps. Soft setting in NC is niche as well but helpful in office.

[Benvos]

I know you’re not a wireless headphones channel, but the PX8 is the natural final piece to this puzzle.

[arthurxu]

would love to see your thoughts on B&W PX8 VS. Focal Bathys

[mariostresow]

Thanks for your detailed and well-rounded information. Clear pronunciation and a sympathetic voice.

[eugeniorenzi]

Thank you for this nice video. I dont see myself wearing this kind of product (nor any other all ear headphones) in the street. But your videos are always very pleasant. So I did enjoy. Take care. E

[brothatwasepic]

I have the XM5 the Panda the Momentum 4 and the Airpods Max and had the Ananda BT. (Ignoring wired and true wireless). Ask away in case it helps with your Bathys decision in any way:
The sound quality winner: The Momentum 4 even with APTX ( thus missing AptxHD/Aptx lossless for now).
The Anc winner: the XM5 and Airpods.
The biggest waste: The Drop Panda.
The shallowness earcups: The Xm5.
The quickest degrading/dirt gathering case : the XM5.
The lightest : Xm5.
The most premium feeling but heaviest: Airpods Max.
The second most premium feeling: Momentum 4
The highest bitrate codec stably streaming: The Xm5 with LDAC manually set to 990Kbps.
The battery that already died in less than a year with no company support: The Pandas.
The best imaging Momentum 4.
The most natural timbre: The momentum4
The softest most comfortable best sealing earpads: The Momentum 4.
The most breathable feeling/lowest heat: The Airpods Max
The best transparency mode: The airpods max.
Best background noise cancelling in the mics so that others hear my voice easily: The Xm5 and Airpods Max
The goofiest still can't answer a call all the time: Momentum 4 but it's probably my own user error haha
The one I reach for the most: Momentum 4. Something about the sound and those soft plush earpads
The one whose sound quality will improve a lot if you have the new 2023 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 plus chip that supports the new Aptx Lossless codec such as the 2022 Asus Rog 6 or any flagship android in 2023: Momentum 4 and Focal Bathys
What sounds better: Almost any wired headset over $300 if you even have a cheap dac Amp such as the bang for buck dual dac Fiio Btr5 or 7
Bathys vs Momentum 4 sound quality over Bluetooth on the same codec: many have noted the Bathys is way better than the airpods max in terms of sound quality. I conclude it sounds better than the Momentum 4 (Ignoring price differences) as well as the Momentum 4 sounds better than the Xm5 and Airpods Max.
The bass winner: Sony Xm5 and Sennheiser Momentum 4
The clearest sounding withiut siblance or eq: Momentum 4 even with only Aptx (not Aptx lossless or Aptx HD enabled) and Airpods Max even though it's AAC
The easiest to lock in the highest bandwidth codec: Sony Xm5 since you can EASILY TURN ON DEVELOPER OPTIONS and lock LDAC 990Kbps as long as your device can push it without stuttering. HINT TURN OFF POWER SAVING AND turn on overdrive if you have it on your android.

P.s. For reference on sound conclusions above here are my wired cans: I have an HE1000SE, HD800, Clear with a D90 A90 stack so I am knee deep in the addiction/hobby.

[TorToroPorco]

It’s Bathys Day! I was one of the ones who asked about the Bathys although I don’t remember adopting John’s tone of voice. I always like the way John integrates the music he listens to with his sound quality impressions. It helps to solidify the descriptions of his sound impressions

[pauliusb]

Nice review! Would be awesome to see B&On H95 vs Bowers & Wilkins PX8 vs FOCAL Bathys

[nineteen]

I use the Bathys in an office environment day to day and I always use it in DAC mode. But then I'm one of those audiophankers that used a portable DAC/AMP and wired headphones.