Focal Bathys MG Review: Luxurious Build, Hi-Res Sound, But Is It Worth The Price?

If you’re shopping for a luxury wireless headphone that bridges the gap between audiophile performance and everyday convenience, the Focal Bathys MG deserves your attention. As the upgraded sibling to the original Bathys, the MG version infuses Focal’s signature premium design with a magnesium driver borrowed from its high-end wired models, most notably the Clear MG. But at a hefty $1,500 price point, the question looms: does the Bathys MG deliver flagship-grade audio over Bluetooth, or does it fall short of the audiophile hype?

What You Get

• Rigid carrying case
• 1.2m (3.9ft) Jack cable
• 1.2m (3.9ft) USB-C® cable
• Quick start guide

Look & Feel

If you’ve seen the original Bathys, then the Bathys MG won’t be too far of a departure from that design. What it tries to do is take the build of the Bathys and give it an upgrade, taking inspiration from what Clear MG did to the Clear. That is, add a fresh coat of bronze paint on the headphone’s aluminum frame. This gives the Bathys MG a real luxury look, which is familiar territory for Focal. Genuine leather for the earpads and headband also adds to this premium aesthetic. Everything about the Bathys MG is impeccably constructed. It’s a sturdy build that feels like it’s built to last, ensuring long-term value as long as the headphones are properly cared for. Comfort-wise, I have no complaints. I wore the Bathys MG for hours, and they always felt snug and without considerable pressure.

Design & Functionality

The most important aspect of the Bathys MG’s design is its 40mm magnesium driver. It uses Focal’s M-shaped dome, which is consistent with their mainline audiophile headphones, which is a major upgrade for any Bluetooth headphone to have. It’s what makes the Bathys MG more of a headphone that happens to have Bluetooth functionality, rather than what you usually find on the market. That also means that some features like ANC feel like afterthoughts. I don’t think the ANC on the Bathys MG is even bad, it’s perfectly functional. However, it shouldn’t be your main concern when deciding whether or not you’re willing to dish out the money for the Bathys MG. What you should consider, though, is one of the MG’s more interesting features, that being its DAC mode. Using its USB connection, activating DAC mode will enable high-resolution playback with sample rates up to 24 bits/192kHz.

There is a companion app you can use with the Focal Bathys that houses EQ and other sound personalization features, but its functionality is hit or miss. For me, the app was very glitchy, and the EQ was very limited, so it didn’t factor much into my overall experience with the Bathys MG.

Bluetooth

The Bathys MG supports Bluetooth version 5.2, which generally has strong connectivity and fast pairing despite not being the latest version that far less expensive wireless headphones use. You also don’t get many CODEC options, but you do get aptX and aptX Adaptive. It also features multipoint, which is a huge plus.

Battery Life

For a headphone at this price, the battery life is pretty disappointing. Similar to how I felt about the Sony WH-1000XM6, the Bathys MG is far overpriced in this regard, offering a listening time of roughly 30 hours with ANC on. Both wired modes also have a battery life that isn’t much better, with DAC mode only being available to you for about 40 hours.

Soundstage

In terms of stereo imaging, the Bathys MG adheres to the standards set by wired closed-back headphones rather than Bluetooth ones. It has audiophile headphones’ precision and spatial identity, especially when switching over to DAC mode. There is a dimension of sound offered with the Bathys MG that doesn’t exist on a lot of wireless headphones. Channel separation is very distinct, resulting in a wide space for instruments to showcase strict positioning. You get a level of accuracy that is unique to these headphones, where everything is pushed forward and hovering around you. The headspace has barriers, but I never get the feeling that the soundstage is restricting the stereo field in any way. There’s a slight elevation to the soundstage, but it still has an interior presence.

Low End

Despite being capable of featuring more depth than most Bluetooth headphones can, the timbre of the frequencies is not what I was expecting. Without EQ, the bass has a ton of resonance. However, I find the tone a tad muddy. Sometimes, the bass is able to dive deep into the sub-bass and supply some rumble to the sound signature. Other times, the low frequencies become foggy and bleed through the mix. You can clean some of this up with EQ, but you’re also sacrificing a bit of power in the bass. It’s tough to find a good compromise, which might not be what you’re looking for when spending fifteen hundred dollars. I would rather the bass be a lot more defined for what I’m playing, but the MG is surprisingly inarticulate with its detail.

Mids

The midrange is where the Bathys MG makes its statement. This is where the instruments come alive, featuring great clarity and power. There’s a notable resolution that exists here that makes certain instruments cut through the mix. Electric guitars are chunky, and piano notes strike with a significant force. The tone is rich and has a lot of weight behind it that supports each performance. It makes the sound elements sound very meaty, which gives the Bathys its most textured, musical properties. While the instruments appear clear and detailed, I was surprised that the vocal response never quite got there for me. They seemed a bit more veiled than the rest of the midrange frequency response.

Highs

I liked a lot of what the high frequencies had to offer. It has no problem showing crisp, shimmery details, but you won’t have to worry about any sibilance or piercing properties. There are moments where the treble extends with good height, and sound elements wash over you with a blissful tone. Listening to bells and chimes through the Bathys MG results in a satisfying ring that feels smooth and concise. Even then, I still liked to raise the EQ a bit and add more crispness to the frequencies. This made female vocals sound a lot better by cutting through the mix more and generally sharpening up their tone.

Summary

The Focal Bathys MG is not your average pair of wireless headphones. With a magnesium driver, luxury materials, and detailed sound, especially in the mids and highs, this is a product made for discerning ears. However, it’s not without its flaws: inconsistent bass performance, glitchy app integration, and mediocre battery life make it a less-than-perfect package, particularly at the $1,500 price point.

Still, if you’re seeking high-resolution Bluetooth headphones that come close to the experience of wired audiophile cans, especially when using DAC mode, the Bathys MG makes a compelling case. It’s a niche product for a niche audience, but for the right listener, it just might be one of the best-sounding wireless headphones money can buy in 2025.

The Focal Bathys MG is available at Audio46.