Focal Bathys MG wireless headphone review
Did Focal make the best-sounding noise-canceling headphones even better?
T
he striking Focal Bathys MG headphones are the French audio company’s latest refinement to their next-level noise-canceling series. For over a month, I’ve auditioned these premium wireless headphones through work shifts and on road trips.
I’m as enamored now with their look, feel, and sound as I was when they arrived on day one. And they make quite the statement right out of the (fully recyclable) box.
When Focal debuted the original Bathys a few years back, there were few headphones like them — and they're still among the best-sounding wireless noise-canceling headphones ever created.
With the Bathys MG, Focal has surpassed that lofty benchmark with even better sound quality, comfort, and noise cancellation. They use magnesium-based drivers — inspired by their top-rated Clear MG wired audiophile headphones — to catapult the beloved Bathys series into the sonic stratosphere.
A striking first impression and relaxed, sturdy fit
Focal started with their familiar design motif and "chestnut" color pattern of the Clear MG, then added some extra flair and flourishes. Most noticeably, the backlit logo that illuminates when you pair to your phone. (You can dim or turn off the LED within the Focal & Naim app, a free download for Apple® and Android™.)
I chose to keep the logo illuminated, but you can use the mobile app to dim the LED or power it off.
These headphones are similar in size to the original Bathys — named one of Crutchfield's top 5 most comfortable headphones. They're not as robust as Focal's wired audiophile offerings, but larger than the average set of over-ears. However, their weight is nicely distributed, and their real leather ear pads hug the head, so I could wear them for hours without fatigue. The well-padded earcups are held together by an aluminum frame and smooth-sliding headphone yokes that help keep the fit secure yet relaxed.
Magnesium-based drivers for powerful, nuanced sound with deep bass
In each earcup, you'll find Focal's fast-attack drivers, complete with their acclaimed "M"-shaped diaphragm domes that allow for fluid movement. Here, they're made completely from magnesium — just like the Clear MG. Magnesium is rigid and lightweight with strong damping characteristics, so there's less harmonics and sound coloration, particularly in the mids.
The drivers are designed similarly to the ones Focal developed for the top-rated Clear MG — with lightweight magnesium domes.
While the earcups are still larger than most travel over-ear headphones, they're much smaller than the open-air chamber where these drivers are housed in the Clear MG. To compensate, the team shrewdly placed vents around the glowing Focal logo to release excess energy and avoid distortion.
Stronger noise cancellation that preserves sound quality
Along with higher-grade drivers, the Bathys MG also features an upgraded microphone system with better noise-canceling circuitry. That's notable because Focal was very deliberate and selective when creating the original Bathys — product manager Mégane Montabonel told me they went through 22 different models of mics before choosing. This time around, the goal was to maintain sound quality while doing an even better job of canceling external noise.
During my trip to New York, the noise cancellation peacefully lifted my music above the city's hustle and bustle.
I tested the noise-canceling chops of the Bathys MG when I took the Amtrak up to New York for CanJam NYC 2025. Even with no music playing, these headphones created a nice blanket of quiet, free of excess hiss. It wasn't the absolute strongest noise cancellation available, but it established a low noise floor for my relaxing acoustic travel playlist.
Battery life and high-res wired listening options
When fully charged, you can listen to these headphones wirelessly for up to 30 hours with noise cancellation. And if you need a quick fuel-up, a 15-minute charge will give you up to five hours of wireless listening. Focal also included cables for optional wired listening, including a 3.5mm miniplug cable.
The headphones pack neatly into their form-fitting travel case.
Just note there's no "passive" listening mode — the headphones need to be charged up even when you listen wired. (And since you're using the circuitry built into the headphones, there's no benefit to connecting to a separate headphone amp.) But you can plug the included USB-C cable into a compatible phone or computer and bypass that device's audio circuitry. And of course, the Bathys MG headphones have an internal DAC that's capable of playing high-resolution audio files.
My listening impressions
Since these are primarily wireless headphones, that's how I spent most of my time listening. Music plays via Bluetooth 5.2 — one of the newer, more reliable versions of Bluetooth. I could keep my phone at my desk and move around my basement freely with no audio dropouts.
The overall sonic presentation is well-spread-out, but not overly spacious. I'd describe the soundstage as just outside the head, with excellent separation and sense of place. Vocals, for example, generally emanated from the front-center, while the instruments created a more holographic, all-around sensation.
Smooth, multi-layered, and powerful
Like the Clear MG, these headphones are tonally well-balanced with strong bass emphasis. In fact, even though the drivers are similarly constructed, the bass punches harder in this closed-back design. It was evident with the quick-hitting bass thump throughout the perennial audiophile test track "Day is Done," from the Charlie Hunter Quartet featuring Norah Jones. (You'll find this track on our playlist Crutchfield Speaker Setup on Qobuz, the high-res streaming music service.)
As strings and horns entered, they were smooth and articulate, the highs nicely detailed without sounding harsh. Jones' breezy vocals sounded a tad recessed, something that's true of vocals in general through the Bathys MG. I use this track as an example because I've heard other speakers and headphones where those same vocals jump out at you — here, they are a bit removed, yet still sound clear and natural, rather than veiled or muddy.
Focal's signature dynamics
A calling card for Focal headphones is their pronounced dynamics — those loud-to-soft musical moments are on display here. On the 2025 instrumental track, "The War on Hugs," hip-hop producer Blockhead creates a haunting loop of chants and chamber music chords laid over a bed of old-school boom-bap beats. The Bathys MG handled the wide-ranging soundscape with grace and power.
Both the subtle and high-impact moments were given their proper level of nuance and vigor at once — and never at the expense of each other.
I could wear the Bathys MG for hours on end without fatigue — and enjoy those Focal dynamics everywhere.
Details
- made of high-grade materials like leather, aluminum, and magnesium
- Bluetooth® 5.2 for wireless music and phone calls
- high-quality aptX, aptX Adaptive, and AAC audio streaming
- two levels of noise cancellation and "Transparency" mode
- 40mm dynamic drivers with lightweight magnesium diaphragms
- designed, developed, and assembled in Saint-Etienne, France
- specially designed "M-shaped" domes provide fast, uniform motion
- smooth, well-balanced response with powerful, articulate bass and pronounced dynamics
- rechargeable battery provides up to 30 hours of wireless use
- secure, snug fit with oversized, plush earpads and headband padding
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