I have a huge head (like every hat I buy is set to max) and the clamp on mine is just right. I usually wear them for 3-4 hours at night with no problems
3 Likes
some gripes:
-
volume control is comically course. seems like a devastating oversight. I hope they can fix this with a firmware update because it makes the Bathys way less compelling as a âmobileâ option because I have no way to finely adjust volume with Spotify and IOS.
-
I found the Mimi personalization pretty much totally useless. The âmeasurementâ process was not inspiring and the results just sounded too bright to me - even when set to 50%.
-
The Naim app EQ (which you can only adjust while in Bluetooth mode!) is also too broad to be really effective at tuning the Bathys.
I hope Focal continues improving all of the above because the Bathys really does sound great
3 Likes
-
Volume control is not a Bathys problem but an iOS/Apple problem. With my Samsung I can alter every db step (also directly on the Bathys headphone)
-
EQ works fine, you just have to try out and invest some time. Of course parametric EQ would be better though.
-
Mimi does its job, but you have to stay under 30%. I am at 15% at the moment. Itâs just that tiny bit of clarity boost without being too bright.
2 Likes
I just heard this at CanJam SoCal. Brief impressions:
Pros- Great sound quality and tuning with app presets. Sounds like a 80% Celestee which I directly compared this to. Standard excellent Focal build quality and aesthetics. Easily the best looking wireless headphone. Competitive noise cancelling ( I have tried every notable ANC headphone).
Cons- Not enough headroom/volume for older/quieter recordings (deal breaker for me). Controls are not quickly intuitive. If ANC not needed, Audeze Maxwell sounds better at 1/2 the price. (Audeze Maxwell controls are not intuitive either).
5 Likes
Okay, so far I have bought the Momentum 4, XM5, Edifier Stax S3 and returned them. The first 2 because the sound quality just wasnât there and the S3s because of the suprising lack of bass and the over all build quality. They creak a lot when you move your head. Plus its case is awful. After reading and watching all the reviews of the Bathys I was convinced that they would be the ones. Hereâs what suprised me the most: the fact that the 399 edifiers absolutely blow these out of the water on sound quality. Aside from having audible bass. After listening to music with the S3s, the Bathys sound bland and muffled. You also miss a lot of small details you can hear with the s3s too. They arent nearly as loud either. Going to give a few of the recommend eq settings some of you guys left a try and see if I can enjoy them more. I want to love them so bad. They are beautiful and the quality is top notch. I got them for 525 from amazon used âlike newâ. They showed up brand new in a sealed box just that had a tiny little dent in one of the corners. Cant beat that deal lol
3 Likes
You can push the EQ up to the extreme. This way the Bathys gets a lot louder. It doesn´t alter the sound of course. Just gets louder 
1 Like
Firmware update - seems like the two ANC and transparency mode are improved. Nice.
2 Likes
Hi guys,
I recently got these headphones and love them. They are by far the nicest headphones Iâve owned and Iâm continuously blown away by the sound quality, battery life, and the overall package.
One thing I am struggling with is trying to use DAC mode on my iPhone 15 pro max to take advantage of lossless audio.
When I connect the headphones to my phone using the supplied cable and turn on DAC mode, my phone says âthis accessory requires too much powerâ and wonât connect to my headphones.
If I am understanding correctly, previous models of iphone could get around this using some camera adapter dongle. Now that the iPhone uses USBC Iâm struggling to find any recommended solutions to get around this issue.
Iâm not super tech savvy and def not a headphone nerd so any tips on getting around this, maybe specific devices, dongles, wires or whatever I should look into would be greatly appreciated! Thank you
3 Likes
It should work without issues and doesnât need adapters.
Assuming the firmware is up to date on both the Bathys and the iPhone, and the battery is charged, it is likely a cable issue - probably a simple fault in this case since youâre using the included cable.
Try a different, known-good, cable (the one that came with the iPhone will probably NOT work, but it wonât hurt to try). And if youâve tripped the power-error then power-cycle the phone before trying to connect it again.
Ideally you want to put the headphones in DAC mode and then connect them to the iPhone (though it should work if theyâre already plugged in).
USB-C charging modes are a pain, because theyâre negotiated.
In DAC mode in normal use, Bathys uses 5V at 300mA or less (1500mW or 1.5W), which is less than the standard, USB 2.0 capacity of 5V @ 500mA (2500mW or 2.5W). And iPhone 15 Pro Max can deliver up to 4500mW (5V @ 900mA) - which is the extended power profile for USB 2.0 (prior to USB BC 1.2) without PD/QC support.
Both are more than enough.
A damaged cable can result in the negotiation not happening correctly and the device trying to charge using USB BC 1.2 spec (5V @ 1500mA ⌠which usually requires a 2A charger, as recommended in the case of the Bathys) or PD/QC modes ⌠and which is/are more than the iPhone USB-C can provide.
In short - try a new cable, probably not the iPhone-included one, and power-cycle everything before trying to connect them.
4 Likes
I am with @reallyoldcob here - the volume increments are bafflingly terrible and it isnât just an IOS thing.
I have the same issue on my A&K DAP over Bluetooth - it ignores the first 7-8 clicks of volume and then jumps up (or down) the same huge step that it always uses.
I get that it seems to be resolvable for some Android users, but I donât have this issue with any other Bluetooth audio devices connected to my IOS or DAP - they are able to adjust volume in far finer and more usable steps.
The Bathys are always a little too loud or a little too quiet for me and it is primarily for this that I am probably going to sell them on after a week of ownershipâŚwhich is a shame, because they sound great and fit nicely.
2 Likes
Get yourself a Samsung (I have the s10e) and download the app âsound assistantâ in the Samsung store. Now you can adjust the volume in dB steps. I have 1 dB steps and it works flawlessly.
This EQ made my bathys phenomenal⌠Very bassy but my library consist of mostly Hard techno, Hardstyle, trance, drum n bass etc⌠All in the realm of heavy EDM. I owned them since they came out and itâs the only headphone I use even for mixing stuff or doing anything really.
2 Likes
Download USB Audio Player Pro app. I connect to my Qobuz account using this app. There is a tab to access equilizers/etcâŚwithin this tab/page at the top, is a horizontal slider for software volume control. This allows to fine tune between the (agreed) wide volume steps. I use andtoid, but hopefully the app works and looks the same on apples.
1 Like
Would you mind sharing the preset values? Have you tried comparing this EQ preset to the âDynamicâ preset in the Focal app? That original dip in the 1kHz region is just⌠bleh.
You can just pull down the control screen and control it very precisely by swiping up/down on the volume. More annoying than the physical buttons, but solves the issue rather easily.
1 Like
Did you ever measure the presets for this? I have been reading to see if you have any EQ recommendations, but I donât see any.
1 Like
Not the other presets. Mainly just the effect of the personalization.
1 Like
Thanks a lot. Could you please share the link of the meeva cable you purchased? By the way I loved your video about the focal bathys.
Turn off usb C device charging in your phone
The bass on these is incredible, digs super deep. I dare to say itâs the best bass of any of my headphones even though itâs the cheapest one