We're all allowed to have dreams, right? To have fantasies that we know won't come true, but which we indulge anyway in order to pull us, if only briefly, out of the mundanity of daily life.
We're strictly in the realm of consumer goods here (I'm not talking about those fantasies), of shiny smartwatches, bulky air fryers and, of course, all things headphones and hi-fi.
£500 for the Lego Millennium Falcon? That's £200 off! I'd be a fool not to buy it...
Don't tempt me, Focal!
That's what I mean when I say that I'm eyeing up the Focal Bathys Mg this Black Friday. No, it's incredibly unlikely that I'll be buying a set for myself, nor is there much of a chance that I have a wealthy great aunt willing to fork out £1000 for a pair of wireless over-ears as an early Christmas present, but there's no harm in dreaming, especially if prices do drop a little in the Black Friday sales.
And I never said that you, dear reader, shouldn't be tempted to pick up a pair, did I?
So what's the appeal? Well, part of the fascination with Focal's range of over-ear cans comes from the way that they look. I've coveted the standard Focal Bathys in the past, but the Mg version take things up a notch. Once again, they showcase that bold honeycomb earcup and high quality construction we've come to expect from Focal's range of luxury over-ears.
There's a sense of occasion to the Bathys Mg – and that's just what you want from headphones costing half your monthly wage. They're large, yes, but rarely to the point at which they are uncomfortable to wear or difficult to live with.
They are well stocked with features, of course. Support for higher quality aptX and aptX Adaptive streams from compatible sources is available, while wired listening is available via a 3.5mm jack or by using Focal’s built-in DAC supporting rates up to 24-bit/192kHz.
Oh, and a 35-hour battery life with ANC switched off isn't too bad, either.
Naturally, it's their boundary-pushing performance which gives the Bathys Mg that ultimate sense of allure. And boundary pushing really is the term. While we've heard great headphones at this price, including the Mark Levinson No. 5909 (£999 / $999 / AU$1599) and T+A Solitaire T (£1200 / $1600 / AU$2160), the Bathys Mg do feel as though they set a new wireless benchmark for on-head sound.
To steal from our review: “Like an excellent pair of stereo speakers, you just aren’t aware of the Focals adding or taking anything away from the music. They give you a natural, balanced account of any genre of music you care to play through them.”
Everything, from their lifelike reproduction of instruments to their subtlety, poise and wonderfully natural temperament, makes the Bathys Mg appealing. And, once you've heard them, it's hard to go back to less talented alternatives.
Will I be buying a pair this Black Friday? No, almost certainly not; barring a colossal discount of, well, nearly £1000.
But do I want a pair?
Absolutely.
MORE:
Two years on, I'm still waiting for this gaping hole in the wireless headphone market to be plugged
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Check out the best wireless earbuds: top pairs tested by our reviewers
Black Friday quick links
- Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
- B&W speakers: save £200
- Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
- Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
- Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
- Denon AV receiver: save £500
- Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
- ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
- Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
- John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
- Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
- Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
- TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
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