[SlydZ]

The prices for Celestees dropes since the release of the Bathys. From 699 to 599 and now 579
Probably the new Elegia in terms of price in a few weeks. I think there need to be a price gap that the Celestee is interesting enough beside the Bathys.

 

[Death_Block]

The prices for Celestees dropes since the release of the Bathys. From 699 to 599 and now 579
Probably the new Elegia in terms of price in a few weeks. I think there need to be a price gap that the Celestee is interesting enough beside the Bathys.

If I was looking for closed backs and the sound performance was comparable, I'd cough up the ££ and get the bathys

 

[SlydZ]

If I was looking for closed backs and the sound performance was comparable, I'd cough up the ££ and get the bathys

Yes, me too. I will definitely order the Bathys if there are in stock at a german retailer.

Review from Headphonesty with a rating of 3.5/5:

https://www.headphonesty.com/2022/10/review-focal-bathys/

WHAT WE LIKE

• Typically superb Focal design language
• Stable Bluetooth connection
• Comfortable and relatively lightweight
• Good functioning ANC and Transparent modes
• Buttons are easily manipulated
• Simple app

WHAT WE DON'T LIKE

• Cheap plastic cables are unbefitting
• ANC must be enabled for listening
• Plastic bits don’t seem up to Focal’s high standards
• Sound good but still like a pair of ANC headphones
• Premium cost

BOTTOM LINE

The Magnesium yokes and Aluminum cup grills look and feel great - pure Focal decadence. But the impact is lessened by the plastic bits on the underside of the band. Real leather band and pads - terrific. The included cables - a disappointment. I would take a few more grams and, if necessary, a few more dollars to have the Bathys feel a little more premium and more in step with the rest of the Focal lineup. It was likely inevitable that the Bathys would be the odd stepchild, but I hoped Focal could solve all the inherent compromises of wireless ANC. They sound good. The ANC works well. Balance achieved.

FR of Utopia22/Stellia/Celestee/Bathys

3.5/BT/DAC Modes

They sound good. The ANC works well. Balance achieved.

But for pure music listening, the Bathys understandably lag behind the rest of Focal’s traditional headphone lineup. And compared to the wireless ANC market, I’ll leave it up to you to decide if the cost difference is justified.

Source: Headphonesty.com

 

[mainguy]

Yes, me too. I will definitely order the Bathys if there are in stock at a german retailer.

Review from Headphonesty with a rating of 3.5/5:

https://www.headphonesty.com/2022/10/review-focal-bathys/



FR of Utopia22/Stellia/Celestee/Bathys


3.5/

The FR graphs are brilliant, but that last line of the review is hilarious

'And compared to the wireless ANC market, I’ll leave it up to you to decide if the cost difference is justified.'

Im pretty sure thats the whole point of the review.

 

[C_Lindbergh]

Do the buttons feel tactile and premium?

And still no word if Focal will do a battery replacement for a fee after warranty period? That along with headband replacement worries me a bit, these types of ANC headphones will have to deal with more real world useage than a pair of wired cans.

 

[catom]

The prices for Celestees dropes since the release of the Bathys. From 699 to 599 and now 579
Probably the new Elegia in terms of price in a few weeks. I think there need to be a price gap that the Celestee is interesting enough beside the Bathys.

They're all the same driver aren't they? I mean makes sense. How else would the Bathys be priced at $800 after adding the ANC and Bluetooth?

They have a great driver to use. Probably a lot of them. Excited to see this trend. First the Elegias and now the Celestee. Means when my Elegias kick the bucket or if I want something to gift my wife, I can get the Celestee or even the Bathys.

This is only good news here.

 

[SlydZ]

Do the buttons feel tactile and premium?

And still no word if Focal will do a battery replacement for a fee after warranty period? That along with headband replacement worries me a bit, these types of ANC headphones will have to deal with more real world useage than a pair of wired cans.

I think that is a new generation of headphones and it is a headphone which would be normally used for 3-5 years, because of battery and electronic inside, the app (like the Airpods Max).... I think the lifetime is not comparable and completely different to the analog generation with 10+ years liftetime.

 

[deafenears]

The FR graphs are brilliant, but that last line of the review is hilarious

Resolve's initial review is up and it also contains measurements - https://forum.headphones.com/t/focal-bathys-wireless-hifi-headphones-with-active-noise-cancellation-official-discussion-thread/18861/34

Here's it comparing to the 5909.

 

[HipHopScribe]

Also smartphone usage. The best smartphones, and most popular ones, dont use LdAC. The rather rubbish xperia phones do but they're less than 1% of the market.

I think its wise to leave it out and so few users will deploy ldac

That's just not true, the LDAC encoder has been integrated into Android since Oreo, plenty of Android phones beyond Sony support it. Samsung phones support LDAC and they're the biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world. What Samsung doesn't support is AptX Adaptive, making the lack of LDAC here a bit of an issue for anyone using a Samsung phone

 

[xxx1313]

I was lucky to get the chance to listen to the Bathys already and I am quite surprised by its great sound quality and flexibility. Do not be misled by the stock tonality of the Bathys. Out of the box, it may sounds close to the Radiance, with a clear emphasis on bass and lower mids. However its frequency response can be tuned to any taste. Overall sound quality is close to the Clear Mg and to the Elegia with the Celestee pads imo. The 5 eq bands, easily adjustable by App, are enough to alter the frequency response to one’s liking. To my ears there are no disturbing peaks in the frequency response which cannot be eq’ed out. The Bathys can be used with and without headphone cable, as well as with and without active noise cancelling. Active noise cancelling works very well, by the way.

I have ordered my Bathys already. It is a game changer imo and a perfect travel companion for those who (like me) do not like IEMs.

Cheers,
xxx1313

 

[C_Lindbergh]

I think that is a new generation of headphones and it is a headphone which would be normally used for 3-5 years, because of battery and electronic inside, the app (like the Airpods Max).... I think the lifetime is not comparable and completely different to the analog generation with 10+ years liftetime.

Still, for this price point! Even 2-3 years of heavy usage can leave its mark on the battery.

Would also be great for second hand value.

 

[starfly]

Resolve's initial review is up and it also contains measurements - https://forum.headphones.com/t/focal-bathys-wireless-hifi-headphones-with-active-noise-cancellation-official-discussion-thread/18861/34

Here's it comparing to the 5909.

Ah, I actually had the 5909 for a week or so before I returned it due to the very poor ANC. So it looks like the Bathys follows the Harman curve quite well, except for that big dip around 800-900hz. The 5909 did have slightly emphasized treble, so the Bathys should sound smoother by comparison. Loved the boosted sub-bass on the 5909, really excellent and sounded very clean. So the Bathys would need to be EQ'ed a bit to match it.

 

[starfly]

Still, for this price point! Even 2-3 years of heavy usage can leave its mark on the battery.

Would also be great for second hand value.

Just also for environmental reasons, all these headphones should at a minimum have manufacturer replaceable batteries (but ideally, user replaceable). Otherwise these all end up at the junkyard within 4 years, which is such a waste.

 

[deafenears]

Ah, I actually had the 5909 for a week or so before I returned it due to the very poor ANC. So it looks like the Bathys follows the Harman curve quite well, except for that big dip around 800-900hz. The 5909 did have slightly emphasized treble, so the Bathys should sound smoother by comparison. Loved the boosted sub-bass on the 5909, really excellent and sounded very clean. So the Bathys would need to be EQ'ed a bit to match it.

Yeah, don't forget the EQ applied via the app is saved to the HP. I'm not sure which of the 6 bands lines up with which frequency.

 

[mainguy]

Resolve's initial review is up and it also contains measurements - https://forum.headphones.com/t/focal-bathys-wireless-hifi-headphones-with-active-noise-cancellation-official-discussion-thread/18861/34

Here's it comparing to the 5909.

He directly compares it to radiance, that is insanely high praise for a portable headphone. Blimey.