There's some audio equipment you can't help but covet, despite how high-end and out-of-reach it seems.
One of those products is undoubtedly the Focal Bathys, super-premium headphones that sound as good as their sleek honeycomb design looks. Luckily, the premium pair are now quite a bit more obtainable thanks to a £250 discount: they're currently £449 at Peter Tyson.
While certainly still a decent chunk of change, this is an impressive price for the premium pair, which we reviewed at a more substantial £699. They're now even cheaper than rivals such as the Apple AirPods Max 2.
Our expert testing team put the Focal Bathys through their paces, and we're happy to report that the costly cans live up to their price and premium reputation – they're one of the best pairs of wireless headphones you can buy.
Being a Focal product, the Bathys sport the usual eye-catching design, with hole-riddled aluminium ear cups and light-up logos. It's a level of build and beauty that's quite rare in the Bluetooth headphones market.
The Bathys offer 30 hours of battery life and charging via a USB-C port, which also doubles up for a USB-DAC mode that supports 24-bit/192kHz. A 3.5mm port jack is also included.
Codec support extends to SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive, while there's a multitude of listening options also: a 'Transparent' mode lets in noise when it's convenient, while noise cancelling can be tweaked to either 'soft' or 'silent'.
This is all quite impressive, but does the sound quality live up to expectations? The resounding answer is yes, and then some.
"We always find it difficult to resist playing Mogwai loudly, after all – especially when it comes through sounding as big, clear and weighty as it does through the Focal Bathys," our Focal Bathys review reads.
"Instantly we recognise the smooth, warm, full-bodied tonal balance the company’s wired headphones have found so much success with, and here too that is complemented by very good levels of resolution, dynamic subtlety and rhythmic ability within the context of their type and price."
The Bathys offer one of the most engaging performances we've heard from a pair of wireless headphones, and the USB-DAC mode does indeed add a degree of refinement and tightness.
Whether you're an audiophile or not, the Focal Bathys are highly recommended to anyone if your budget can stretch. Get the convenience of portability in a premium pair of headphones, now with £250 off at Peter Tyson.
MORE:
How do active noise-cancelling headphones work? Are they worth it?
The best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy
And our pick of the best wireless headphones
