I said it on our 100th podcast: the biggest trend in headphones over the last four years isn’t just for travelers—it’s wireless with active noise cancellation (ANC) for everyone. Bluetooth, batteries, DSP—these things have all gotten better, and today’s wireless headphones deliver sound quality that, not long ago, would have seemed impossible. Even the dongle market, once red-hot when we started this podcast, has cooled. People have decided the convenience of wireless outweighs whatever tiny edge wired models might offer. After all, most of us don’t listen in some quiet, idealized audiophile cave. We’re at work, on the train, stuck in the house with screaming kids, or in the den.
However, the wireless headphone market has matured fast, and the landscape in 2025 is very different from 2022, when the Focal Bathys racked up nearly every award a wireless headphone can win. Advances in Bluetooth, power management, and ANC processing mean older models—no matter how celebrated—struggle to keep pace with today’s top performers. Among the newer contenders are the Sony WH-1000XM6, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, and the Noble Fokus Apollo, all of which deliver excellent sound and features in their own right.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Focal introduced the Bathys MG on May 26th, 2025. Anyone familiar with Focal’s lineup will recognize the MG badge from the Clear MG wired headphones, and for good reason: the Bathys MG shares the same M-shaped magnesium dome diaphragm first seen in the Clear MG, as well as the same chestnut-and-dark-copper colorway.
The new Bathys MG doesn’t replace the original Bathys—it carves out a new spot above it, both in performance and price. The Bathys will continue serving the mid-tier wireless crowd, while this new model, retailing at $1,499, takes aim squarely at high-end competitors like the Mark Levinson No. 5909 and DALI IO-12. Focal isn’t subtle about it: this is a statement headphone, and they expect it to be judged as such.
Focal Bathys MG Wireless Headphones: Comfort, Craftsmanship, and Durability
Externally, the Bathys MG closely resembles the original Bathys, aside from the copper-accented colorway, with familiar design language and controls in expected locations. Construction combines aluminum, magnesium, and leather, and with the mid-sized cups and redesigned headband and pads, weight is well distributed, resulting in very good comfort.
As with its predecessor, the Focal logo on the cup faces is backlit, illuminating on power-up and fully controllable via the companion app. Controls are minimal but functional: the left cup houses only the ANC button, positioned just below the rear gimbal attachment. The right cup is busier, featuring a three-way button beneath the rear gimbal (the center button also doubles as the pairing control), a three-position switch for off/DAC/on, a voice assistant button, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm auxiliary input.
The included kit is straightforward and practical, consisting of a color-matched hard case, a USB-C cable, and a 3.5mm auxiliary cable.
Technology and Internals: Drivers, ANC, and Bluetooth Performance
Internally, the Bathys MG features upgraded electronics, including Bluetooth 5.2, improved ANC, and extended battery life. Bluetooth supports multi-point connectivity for use with multiple sources and is compatible with SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, and the step-down aptX codecs. While I would have liked to see Bluetooth LE, AptX Adaptive still delivers very good performance.
Battery life varies depending on usage: Focal advertises 30 hours in Bluetooth ANC mode (longer with ANC off), 35 hours in 3.5mm wired mode—which aligns with our ANC-off experience, since the headphones must remain powered for wired use—and 42 hours in USB mode. Note that while USB mode draws less power, the headphones do not charge and play simultaneously. Quick charge is supported, delivering roughly 4 hours of listening time from a 15-minute charge.
USB mode also allows bypassing some of Bluetooth’s inherent limits, supporting 24-bit/192kHz lossless audio for listeners who want to extract the absolute maximum from the drivers.
The Bathys MG employs Focal’s legendary 40mm M-shaped magnesium dome drivers, with a frequency response of 10Hz–22kHz and a THD of <0.2% at 1kHz. This driver design has been a cornerstone of Focal’s headphones and tweeters for years and has been continually refined. The magnesium version used here slots between the aluminum/magnesium hybrid driver of the original Bathys and the Beryllium driver found in the Utopia.
Those familiar with Focal’s Clear series will recall the Clear MG, which upgraded from an Al/Mg hybrid to a pure magnesium driver, delivering a substantial sound improvement—setting high expectations for similar performance gains in the Bathys MG.
Volume control has also been improved, now moving in 3dB increments rather than the 5dB steps of the original Bathys. On the original, I occasionally found myself just a hair off the perfect level, so the narrower increments here are a welcome, precise adjustment.
Control App
The Focal app extends the Bathys MG’s controls, offering EQ and sound personalization, as well as sidetone adjustment for calls. Overall, the app is simpler than some of the more feature-rich options, like Sennheiser’s, but I appreciate the combination of presets and custom tuning via the EQ and sound personalization.
That said, I do wish it offered a true parametric EQ. It never fails—if I want to lift 1.5kHz, the app only gives me 1kHz and 4kHz bands, which either cover too wide a range or leave the target frequency at the edge of the band. To reach the desired level, I often have to crank the band’s center to absurd levels. A small frustration, but one that doesn’t negate the app’s usefulness.
Focal Bathys MG Wireless Headphones ANC Performance
Focal has always been upfront about ANC on the original Bathys: the goal was never miracles, just enough noise reduction to make listening more pleasant without compromising sound quality. The Bathys MG follows the same philosophy—first, “do no harm,” and then reduce noise.
Having experienced the original Bathys, I expected more of the same—but the MG pleasantly surprised me with noticeably improved ANC. There are three modes: Transparent, Soft, and Silent. Importantly, there is no true off setting; the headphones must remain powered because the signal always passes through the DSP, regardless of input path. USB or 3.5mm modes don’t amplify outside sounds like Transparent, but they still require power to operate. Transparent lifts voices from the environment clearly, making it easy to hear conversations when music isn’t playing—much more effective than passive isolation alone.
Soft mode attenuates low-frequency noise well but struggles as sounds move into the mids. Predictable noises, like a steady whistle, are handled nicely, but unpredictable sounds—like a baby crying—still cut through with some regularity. Silent mode performs similarly, more effectively removing top and bottom frequencies than mids. In busy environments with multiple conversations, some noise will still get through. It’s reduced, yes, but compared to top ANC models, it’s a step back.
If your goal is the maximum possible noise reduction, Sony and Bose still lead—but don’t expect them to match the sound quality of the original Bathys or the MG. For anyone who prioritizes keeping noise manageable while preserving the best audio fidelity, the Bathys series remains a top choice.
Focal Bathys MG Wireless Headphones Listening Notes
Many readers know I usually cover ANC after discussing the sound signature—or during the listening notes—because switching ANC modes often alters how headphones sound. That isn’t the case here. With the Bathys MG, changing ANC modes made no discernible difference to the audio. That’s a rare achievement in wireless headphones and something Focal deserves real credit for.
Another positive: if the default tuning isn’t to your taste, the app offers some flexibility. The Dynamic preset closely mirrors the Harman target, while the built-in 5-band EQ allows you to fine-tune things to land somewhere between the preset curves. It’s not the deepest customization, but it’s enough to adapt the signature without sacrificing Focal’s core sound.
Sub-bass presence is improved over the original Bathys, though texture below about 30Hz still leaves a little to be desired. Above that mark, things tighten up considerably—textures become more convincing, definition improves, and the Bathys MG delivers a low-end that feels deliberate and well curated. Detail is strong, rumble shows up when called for without overstaying its welcome, and the driver’s speed keeps even the heaviest hits from turning sloppy.
The mid-bass is where the Bathys MG really shines. Kick drums carry satisfying slam without smearing, while string bass retains a natural, believable tone. Either of these is difficult to pull off—drums demand snap and agility, bass lines demand weight and fluidity—but the Bathys MG manages both in the same driver. That balance alone speaks to the refinement of the design.
The lower mids continue the tonal balance established in the mid-bass, carrying good weight and timbre with just a touch of warmth that adds to the musicality. Strings sound fluid and natural, while guitar growl has the grit and bite it should.
Moving upward, the Bathys MG proves versatile across genres. Strings retain energy without tipping into stridency, vocals come through clean and well-weighted without drifting nasal, and piano tone lands convincingly realistic. There is a slight lift in the upper mids—these aren’t ruler-flat monitors—so purists may grumble about the coloration. But in practice, I found the deviation from neutral enhanced rather than detracted from the experience.
I pushed the Bathys MG with tracks as varied as Haydn’s Opus 76 No. 1, Van Halen’s “Eruption,” and Beth Hart’s “Damn Your Eyes,” and the mids held their ground every time. No weaknesses surfaced, and the presentation felt consistently engaging.
The lift in the upper mids carries into the lower treble, and this is the first part of the Bathys MG’s signature where the praise becomes a bit more measured. The fluidity present in the lower ranges gives way to a more assertive, occasionally sharp character. It’s not that the Bathys MG is inherently bright or harsh—most of the time it isn’t—but every so often Hyde slips through Jekyll. On tracks mastered hot, the MG leans in, and fatigue can set in.
Percussion benefits here, with snare hits carrying excellent snap, but cymbals are more hit-or-miss—some recordings sound crisp and well defined, others come off too hot. That’s likely not the headphone’s fault so much as a mirror reflecting questionable mastering choices. Still, for treble-shy listeners or those with a library full of bright recordings, the Bathys MG may occasionally push into uncomfortable territory.
The Bathys MG presents a soundstage that feels natural in scale, with slightly more width than depth and a convincing sense of height. On my go-to test track, “So Lonely” by the Cowboy Junkies, echoes landed at the right angles—accurate if not reaching into the cavernous depths an HD800 can conjure.
Orchestral seating showed no gaps or odd placements, and instrument separation proved excellent, as expected at this level. Imaging is also precise, with movements easy to follow and positions locked firmly in space. While it doesn’t push into exaggerated expansiveness, the Bathys MG delivers a well-proportioned, realistic stage that keeps the music engaging and immersive.
The Bottom Line
The Focal Bathys MG is a complicated beast—in the best way. Sonically, it’s outstanding, with clear improvements in sound quality and ANC that fully justify its premium asking price. While the absence of Bluetooth LE or LDAC feels like a missed opportunity, the supplied codecs deliver more than enough fidelity to satisfy serious listeners.
The real complication lies in the branding. By calling it “Bathys,” Focal has set expectations for it to be a direct, twice-the-price upgrade over the original. That comparison doesn’t always do the MG justice, as it arguably deserves its own identity. Add to that the polarizing “Dynamic” EQ option, and you’ve got a headphone that will spark debate depending on which camp you’re in.
All that aside, the Focal Bathys MG is, simply put, the best-sounding wireless headphone available today. If you have the budget, it’s worth every consideration. Just approach it on its own terms, not as a sibling to the original Bathys—and you’ll hear exactly why it commands the crown.
Pros:
- Redesigned headband and pads improve long-term comfort
- Detailed, fluid sound with excellent imaging and separation
- Choice of sound signatures, including the “Dynamic” EQ option
- Effective ANC that preserves the headphone’s core sound quality
- Premium build and sonic performance that justify its high-end status
Cons:
- Expensive, with a price nearly double the original Bathys
- Limited app functionality and basic EQ controls
- No Bluetooth LE or LDAC support, restricting wireless codec options
- Branding as “Bathys” sets unfair expectations against its predecessor
Where to buy:
Related Reading:
- Podcast: Best Wireless Headphones & Earbuds Of 2025
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 Headphones: Better Sound, Better Noise Cancellation, But At What Cost?
- Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones – The New High Bar?
- Mark Levinson No. 5909 Wireless Headphones: Review
