I spent a weekend being seduced by Focal’s new flagship wireless headphones

When was the last time you felt spangled? Even if you don’t know the phrase, you know the feeling. It’s grappling with realities while wrestling with fantasies. Finding grace in everyday grit. Not letting disrepair turn into despair. Becoming overwhelmed by the smallest details. Becoming so unfocused you see the bigger picture. Sharing smokes and whiskey-fueled hubris. Writing a history of the future in real-time.

Great music lets you bridge the gap between insider and outsider. Great audio products let you walk the divide between going delirious and getting serious. I’m thinking about this as I listen to songs of weariness and endurance. I’m thinking of this as I listen to the new Focal Bathys MG.

Building on 2022’s Bathys—an incisive pair of $699 Bluetooth ANC headphones that found immediate success among audiophiles—the Bathys MG introduces an even more premium experience. As with the Focal Clear MG headphones, the “MG” stands for magnesium (or Magnésium if you’re French, like Focal). Whereas the original Bathys had an M-shaped driver made primarily of more affordable, less eloquent aluminum with a small percentage of magnesium, the dome in the Bathys MG is, you guessed it, pure MG. This material contributes to a lighter, more rigid membrane. And that, in theory, translates to unrestricted clarity and precision.

Having spent a weekend with the Bathys MG, I can say the sonic signature is, in a word, effortless. In my first impressions, it’s not so much about greater separation as it is greater immersion. While the original Bathys may appear to hit harder, the Bathys MG feels like it reaches deeper. You can look at the frequency ranges and confirm (15Hz to 22kHz versus 10Hz to 22kHz), or think of it like the difference between a little edgy and more organic, linear vs. lithe. The soundstage of the Clear MG is more spatial, less confined to a single plane. I find myself paying close attention less and being present more. It’s not that detail isn’t present; it’s that the expression is so fluid I’m not obsessed with flaws. Whether that’s right for you depends on how much you like sweating the small stuff and how spicy you like your treble. Sometimes perceived purity is pleasing.

As for the rest of the experience, it’s equally plush. New memory foam ear cushions and improved active noise cancellation help create your heady haven—and the illusion that the headphone is actually lighter than the Bathys OG, though both are around 345g. I’ve done my listening primarily with an iPhone 16 Pro through USB (yes, I wired a wireless headphone), which uses an internal DAC to decode hi-res, lossless material up to 24-bit/192 kHz. If you prefer to operate untethered, there’s Bluetooth 5.2 with the SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX Adaptive codecs. And if you have an external DAC/amp you like, an analog input is available. The Focal&Naim mobile app gives you access to EQ and other personalization options. As for battery life, the Bathys MG is rated at 30 hours wireless, 35 via jack, and 42 with the USB-DAC.

The Bathys MG, only available in the Chestnut finish shown for the time being, will go on sale in May for $1,299.

The post I spent a weekend being seduced by Focal’s new flagship wireless headphones appeared first on Popular Science.