Focal Bathys 6 months later (vs Sony XM4!)
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- čas přidán 14. 06. 2024
- This video is sponsored by Headphones.com. Check them out here: headphones.com
It’s been six months since I first tried the Focal Bathys. What are they like today? Are they worth buying in 2023, and how do they stack up against my favourite headphones of all time?
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CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
00:33 - The plan
01:29 - Bathys specs
02:30 - Bathys firmware update
04:38 - Bathys vs Sony XM4
07:30 - Should you buy them?
Who's got a pair of Bathys?
Not me
Nah....they look sooo damn ugly like aliens boobs. I owned Focal wired siblings though. Bathys no where near the built quality and even sound as their wired siblings. How I wish Focal put more attention in their design team.
Good catch up and comparison Mark. I bought my Bathys about 6 weeks ago and they sound just as you describe. I didn’t buy them from your sponsor but another hifi specialist (sounds similar to a town in Kent and an English tree) and I received a very welcome discount without even asking. I’ve used them quite a lot recently and have only charged them once since purchase - I’ve even got 40% battery life charge left! Therefore, they were a perfect buy.
Got mine about 1 month ago for 599€ - some german shop updated the price and made a mistake. Luckily they still shipped them. The difference in Sound (via Bluetooth) just blows you away. And then there is the DAC mode … oh boy! Sold my Focal Elegia and Momentum 4 for them - no regrets!
Have you tried out the Yamaha Yh e700a or L700a. They sound amazing too.
I envy you being able to a/b test headphones. I’ve just spent a solid week reading/watching every headphone review (including all yours) and my head is about to explode. You really need to test drive them to know which one you’re gonna like.👍
Will you do a 6-month video of the PX8 as well? B&W also (surprisingly) released an exciting firmware recently which fixed and improved many of the issues I had with it.
Also, I’m one of the few who is NOT a fan of the XM4 sound, too muddy. However I was very pleased with the XM5.
Have yet to try a Focal headphone. This video made me want to.
Bought a pair of Bathys about 2 months ago. Got them on sale at a Focal authorized dealer so I went ahead and took the plunge. They are amazing and love every minute I use them, whether I'm listening in Bluetooth or DAC mode.
Same.. got mine "used-like new" from an authorized dealer on amazon for 529. Showed up brand new in a sealed box. Mine ended up having an issue with the dac and Focal replaced them with another brand new set. Great customer service. Def recommend going that route for anyone wanting to save a little cash
How do I use the Dac mode
@@keith12311 I plug them into my Mac with a USB-C to USB-C cable, then put the power switch into the center position, which puts them into DAC mode. They'll come up in the list of sound outputs and once I select them the computer's sound comes on.
I would be very interested to hear if you found that the sound quality of the Focal improved with time. Focal themselves say that their headphones need to be ‘run-in’. I have found that B&W headphones improve considerably with use, this was true for the Px5, the Px7 and now for the Px7 s2. What have you found? Did I see the px8 in your video here? Long term feedback on them would also be much appreciated 👍
what would you recommend between Bathys, Mark Levinson 5909 and Solitaire T+A?
I'll use them ( sometimes ) with the external amp dac Signature
Thank you
I got the bathys and im really debating what to dom they sound amazing but leave my ears sore after 2 hours. I really want to keep them but they numb my ear and are hot in the summer. I really want to keep them but theyre bot comfortable for me. I have 3 weeks to return. What do you think?
I own the Bathy's and love every moment of listening to music with them. Night and Day listening when compared to my XM4, and PX7's.
Im thinking of getting these ..What genre of music do u listen to.. and do you use them for TV/ movies ..
😎
How does Focal compare to BO H95? I have XM4 (returned the XM5) and AirPods Max, looking for an upgrade :)
I got the Bathys straight after your 1st video..absolutely wonderful headphones in both bluetooth mode and especially in dac mode..money very, very well spent Mark…cheers 😀👍
Awesome!
Which one is better for Hip Hop/ R&B? I want to feel the thump and strong punch of the bass with great detail.
Nice review. Compare to Mark Levinson 5909s??
Apples and oranges but how does the bathys compare to your 560s in terms of sound quality?
As an owner of Focal loud speakers, and Clear’s, your review makes buying the Bathys’ an easy choice.
is it possible to use chaging + DAC mode(connect to laptop) + ANC?
I recently bought a pair of Bathys and they are worth every Penny. They sound amazing - not the best anc but everything else is excellent 👌🏻 😃👍🏻
Well done. Good job ❗❗👍👍👍👍👍👍
Just bought a pair of Bathys, did an a/b test in store with Px8 and Air Pod Max. It was such a clear defeat, Focals just had something special, PX8s sounded muddy in comparison. However when I got them home and did the sound test for my ears….. Even better again, such clarity
Has anyone tried the Shure Aonic 50s? I have a pair and I’m not sure how much better the sound quality is with the bathys because the Aonic sound really good and they’re 100s of dollars cheaper
Is it possible to use EQ with USB-C in DAC mode connection ?
How does it compare to the a800 technics?
Hello Mark…enjoy your channel ! …
I have the Beoplay H95 (Chestnut Version) which are comparable with the the Bathys and the PX8s….you’re welcome to borrow them for a review if you want…there’s no rush for them back. My main headphones are the Hifiman Arya V2, Fostex TH909 and the Senheisser HD800S. Cheers mate 👍
Hmm. Any actual usable feedback on extended listening wear? e.g. 2.5 hours on head without physical adjustment / re-positioning. 20 mins with XM4's and your ears sweat. Sony have pushed frugality too far; lightweight doesn't mean good value for money or good quality (Sony MDR-MV1 etc).
Will these be good for mixing and mastering for audio engineers/producers???
Oh god no! Please get yourself a pair of studio monitor headphones! You need a flat response.
Hi Mark would like to order a pair of headphones from this company but they dont ship to the UK
Seen that, disappointing really, how did you do it Mark?
Great video! Thanks for the great comparison to a much more well known headphone in the Sony.
I own XM3, and tested PX8, H95, Momentum 4 and Bathys. In terms of confort mom4 > xm3 > h95 > bathys > px8 but in terms of sound the bathys are just magical. I would say Bathys by miles away from everything else. I have focal audio on my car which i love, they are absolutely great. The problem i have with bathys is they are quite heavy and didn't find them that comfortable. The xm3 are really comfortable, i can stay all day with them, also momentum 4 but they sound the worst from all above. I find sony to beat everything else in terms of price per what they offer, but bathys in terms of sound are magical. I tested them only bluetooth , i wonder whay my fiio k11 will put into these if i manage to buy them as they are 3x price of xm4
Do they Bathys have LDAC codec capability? I dont want to plug into my phone every time i want to listen to hi-res.
No, the Bathy's don't support LDAC
Hi Mark, WH-1000XM5 owner here. Couldn't help but mention that before purchasing the XM5 I went through countless 'higher-end' or 'ultra-premium' brands in search of the best sound from ANC cans, but found that for the money, they had some 'quirks' that were complete dealbreakers and that I could not live with for such huge monetary sacrifice. For example, I found that with the Bowers & Wilkins PX8's ANC switched ON, listening to a track such as Megadeth's Symphony of Destruction, my 'headphone killer' track (as you call yours), the drivers seemed to rattle audibly like a speaker with high distortion. Not an issue with ANC off for some reason, but in my opinion, there's no use in using an ANC headphone when the ANC destroys the sound. With the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95, the headphone volume seemed to be generally extremely low. I understand that the H95 aim to please with clarity and precision, in which they do excel, but 100% volume on the H95 is equal to about 60% to 70% on any other headphone I've tried, which is frustrating when you want to get lost in your favourite tunes. As for the Bathys, I found that for some reason they had a completely different sound signature depending on which part of my ears they sat on, which isn't ideal when you just want to throw on some headphones and listen. Great when you finally find the same setup as the previous listening session, though. When I got my XM5s, I was very very impressed. They're light, comfortable, easy to use, have great ANC, have a fantastic app and EQ, have no deal-breaking quirks (as of yet) and can reach loud volumes at high sound quality with no distortion - not to mention they're half the price of the headphones I had previously tried. I knew immediately they were the ones I wanted to keep. I would recommend the XM5 to anyone who is struggling to make that purchase choice. I've now been using my XM5s since March with no issues. Had you noticed any of these things during testing any of these headphones? Cheers for always making informative reviews Mark!
can the bathys reach high volumes ? currently owning Bose qc35 II and they sometimes give distortion when listening to metal
@@PowerrayX Yeah the Bathys have plenty of volume, way more than than the B&O H95
my dealbreaker for xm4, which I used for over a year, was a completely horrible control interface. Voice control likes to call random people when I wear the headphones on my neck, and if I turn it off, the touch panel will eventually turn it on once again randomly. Looking at the touch panel on xm5 I highly doubt they fixed all of these issues. This is not mentioning how much messed up the switching between two devices is.
I’ve been struggling picking one from the high-end headphones you mentioned for these exact reasons but I’ve tried the XM5s and the sound is just not for the genres I listen to, it just sounds muddy and foggy to me. I’m glad you were able to find ome that fits you after the struggle
@@ketchupinpasta1392what genre is that?
I'm listening to my Sony 720N sounds fantastic. have the settings to my liking at 0, 2, 3, 2, 1
Enjoy your videos. I had the XM4s for about a week and then returned them. They were not as bright and clear as my AirPods Max and AirPods Pro 1. And my KZ VXS was best of all three. The VXS do not have noise cancelling but the answer to that is to turn the volume up until you cannot hear anything else.
KZ are incredible. Got ZS6 and (girlfriend uses ZST)... still can't find any wireless headphones which could compete with them.
Bought WH-1000XM3... those sound terrible! I just throw them away, since I can't listen to that 💩even at gym.
GF has same opinion about her WF-1000XM3. No more Sony for me in any kind.
@@8000860you guys talk about that hearphone 35 dollars onThewib?
@@8000860For Sony, you want to go for their IEMs like M9 or Z1R
@@samuelsong342 ?
Thank you for your reviews, Mark! Got the XM5 for the #1 call quality + really good base EQ :)
Pleasure! Glad you're enjoying the XM5!
Don’t like the design and the case on xm5 so got xm4
Is Bathys much better than Bose Ultra headphones in sound quality?
Yes
Hi Mark, I think your Patreon link in video descriptions has ellipsis at the end thus taking to a 404 page, you might want to update all videos to fix the link.
Well spotted - thank you
As a long-time owner and fan of the Sonys, I have to admit I was blown away by how much better and clearer even the similarly-priced Marshall Monitor 2s sounded compared to the XM4; much more detailed lows and low-mids, heavy distortion guitars sound much better and an overall wider soundstage. Now Ive yet to try the Bathys, but Id assume they would blow away the Marshalls easily, so thats most of what you should know about this comparison. The Sonys in general have a really ugly, dense and undetailed bass response, now Ive come to realize theres really not much to them except for ANC. I really cant stress enough how much more important audio quality is compared to any other feature when it comes to headphones, once you experience good sound, you can never go back. Ill definitely get the Bathys to replace my XM4s.
Nice video
Yes I basically agree the xm4 is really valuable that's just a matter of fact. But after the B&W I just can't go back to Sony or Bose sound signature.... I immediately notice the 700 has a weird thing which disappointed me, and the Sony feels so boxy and unbalanced as hell in the basses....
Forget Iphone for making a serious evaluation. Try with Ldac for Sony and Aptx for Bathys. I got the Bathys and they lack Ldac . I have other headphones with Ldac and the difference is audible.
Done loads of research and you’ve swayed me, just tried to buy myself a set of open box Bathys but hifi shop had just sold out but they gave me the same £200 discount on a new set and also 5 years warranty. Looking forward to pairing them up with my new iPhone Pro 15 and its USB C slot.
Just arrived today and after set up, wowser! Way better than they sounded in the store and a huge upgrade on my Sony’s and that is way before they are broken in. Delighted with them.
@@brianmuir9059I have an iPhone 14 max, how are these for volume ? I have to have AirPods Max and xm4 nearly full volume to truly enjoy and would like to know if the focals at least match these headphones for volume and not less. Thanks
Love my bathys , upgrade from my sony xm3 and bose qc35 as my travel companion :) money well spent
How are the bathys in flights?
The xm5 is a straight up upgrade for the xm4, the cushioning are just better quality. But I do love the XM4 clamp force, they firmly sits exactly on my head without any sort of discomfort.
I have enjoyed the Bathys, the PX8 and the H95 for about a year, and overall the Bathys are my favourite though I love them all.
Mark There is something you or most people don't know about the Sony XM4 when using your mobile phone and that is you haven't listened to how good the Sony XM4 really is. What do I mean? You have to use a DAC/AMP player like FiiO. The FiiO M11S is good enough for the XM4. I have the Sony MDR-Z7M2 and the FiiO M11S isn't Powerful Enough to Power the MDR-Z7M2 so I tried the FiiO M17 and WOW! You've not listened to Sound this good until you buy a FiiO M17. I listened to the Astell & Kern KANN MAX and that is Powerful enough for the MDR-Z7M2. Another DAC/AMP Setup is Creative SoundBlasterX with the Anker USB-C to USB 3.1 Adapter when using mobile phone. When I use the SoundBlasterX with my Sony XM4 and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra I have Base as Powerful as my Beats Studio 2 (USA Purchase, UK limits Base and Volume). Now there is the Astell & Kern KANN ULTRA which I will buy. I didn't keep my FiiO M17. So now I have to buy the KANN ULTRA and FiiO M17 to see which is best.
Mark test them out - The Sony XM4 via FiiO M11S or FiiO M17 or KANN ULTRA. If you use the DC mode on the FiiO M17 then you will need the IFi iPower Elite 12v. The standard Power Supply isn't good enough.
The Sony XM4 is actually better than you think right now if you haven't used a DAC/AMP like KANN MAX/ULTRA or FiiO M11S/M17.
I will buy the Bathys after I buy one of the DACS and see how good they really are and is there enough Base?
normal headphone users dont by a Bathys :-) So yes you are going to attract audiophiles. But all explanation are good IMO.... sound is subjective beside the technical stuff.
Great review. I like you camera work.
u are the hbomberguy of headphones 😊
You stil prefer the XM 4 to the XM5? Why?
Was about to ask the same thing. Mark?
Sound quality, comfort, case.
@@MarkEllisReviews I agree re case and that the XM4 fold up whereas the XM 5's don't.
Tried them both xm4 sound better got to agree with him
Bathys are the best headphones I’ve ever heard and I’m not saying just Bluetooth
Yeah they’re quite well tuned honestly. Not bad at all. Of course, they are surpassed by proper open back and closed back headphones like the Focal Radiance but damn they perform amazingly well for a wireless headphone.
XM4 is muddy as hell. still like them for the comfort and convenience though.
I got mine running quite well with a little eq not perfect but acceptable
You could try the newly released Audio Technica M50x-BT2 which is far cheaper..better treble accuracy, better mid accuracy, more soundstage at just 200 dollars
Or you could get these for a “slight” more bass accuracy (which focal bathys beats audio techinca for 800 dollars )
And if you are into V Shaped sound, Go for Sennheiser Momentum 4
If you like the bathys you will LOVE the Utopia 2022 😂😂
Forget all those...for $300 only just buy audeze maxwell. Yes it's a gaming headset and a bit bulky and heavy...but the sound they are damn good. It's a planar and because it has battery make it super easy to drive. I owned BW Px8 and tried bathys, but i think the maxwell easily match and better.
This guy managed to squeeze two advertisements into a single video: one for Bathys, and another for Sony.
Did you read the video title, Leonid?
Bar-tease??😂
そ
Overrated, overhyped headphone. Not sure what reviews are talking about when they say this is among the best sounding BT headphones. The treble is too dull, almost hollow. The bass all the way to the lower midrange is great, but falls apart after that, at least within the context of a $800 BT headphones. Maybe reviewers are just Focal fans. Maybe confirmation bias from all the hype, I don't know really.
The fact your comparing the xm4’s to a much expensive and high caliber headphone says a lot
@@MarkEllisReviews you’re doing awesome on your comparison videos, really helps me narrow down my decisions on which option to navigate towards. Good job buddy 👍👍👍
The real reason is that the xm4 is probably the most popular anc headphone. Not because they’re close to the bathys
Sony have great Anc ! Sounds 🤮
It's amazing that Sony makes high end headphones, their speakers and phones have always been cheap sh1t. I could never buy Sony phones.
The xm4 are over prices af... How can say they are the best for the money when you can literally buy soundcore heaphones that sound better and have better battery life for literally less than half the price..