Focal Bathys Deep Black

The Focal Bathys is Focal's first wireless, noise-cancelling over-ear headphone, representing the French manufacturer's entry into the premium Bluetooth headphone segment. Focal is well established in audiophile circles for its wired headphones (including the Elear, Celestee, and Utopia), and the Bathys carries forward the same design ethos: a focus on driver engineering, premium materials, and an unapologetically audiophile approach to sound.

Driver and Sound

At the heart of the Bathys is a 40mm Aluminium-Magnesium M-shaped dome driver developed in-house in France, the same driver lineage that first appeared in the Elear open-back and subsequently in the Celestee closed-back. The result is a sound character that reviewers consistently describe as spacious, clear, and full-bodied, with a balanced tuning that retains strong vocal presence. What Hi-Fi awarded the Bathys five stars, praising its "compellingly big, spacious, clear sound" and "pleasingly full-bodied balance".

Wireless and Wired Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity supports aptX Adaptive (capable of up to 24-bit/48kHz at low latency), aptX, AAC, and SBC, covering the range from hi-res Bluetooth down to standard streaming. Multipoint pairing allows the headphones to maintain connections to two devices simultaneously. A 3.5mm analogue input and a USB-C port are both provided for wired use. The USB-C connection goes beyond charging: the Bathys includes an integrated USB DAC and headphone amplifier capable of 24-bit/192kHz playback, offering a genuine hi-res wired listening mode without any additional hardware. Both a 1.2m 3.5mm jack cable and a 1.2m USB-C cable are supplied in the box.

Active Noise Cancellation

The ANC system offers two modes, selectable via the Focal and Naim companion app: a softer mode for partial isolation and a stronger Silent mode with approximately 30dB of attenuation. A Transparency mode passes through ambient sound when situational awareness is needed. Voice assistant integration covers both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, with Google Fast Pair supported for quick pairing on Android devices.

Battery Life and Charging

Battery life is rated at up to 30 hours in Bluetooth mode with ANC active, 35 hours via the 3.5mm wired input, and 42 hours when using the USB-DAC wired connection. Fast charging provides five hours of listening from a 15-minute charge. The headphones require power to function in either wired mode, which is worth noting before travelling without a charging cable.

Build and Design

The Bathys shares the family aesthetic of Focal's wired headphone range: sizeable oval ear cups with a distinctive perforated aluminium housing around the driver, a central Focal badge, thick memory-foam ear pads finished in leather, and a well-padded headband. The Deep Black finish is an all-black colourway with subtle silver accents, giving a cleaner, more understated look than some of Focal's bolder colour options. The ear cups fold flat for travel and a rigid carry case is included. Total weight is 350g.