I've lived with these five-star Focal wireless headphones – this early Black Friday deal is a steal

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I've been lucky enough to listen to a lot of headphones in the last few years, and while I've heard some spectacular examples (and quite a few duds), it's a pair from a couple of years ago that I still hold in high esteemed as some of the best noise-cancelling cans around.

I'm talking of course about the Focal Bathys, the premium headphones which I was constantly banging on about last year. Such praise was for good reason, as they're an exceptional set of wireless over-ears that, after having fallen from £699 to just £549 at Peter Tyson, Sevenoaks and Richer Sounds in the early Black Friday sales, demand your consideration.

Best Focal Bathys wireless headphones deal

The Focal Bathys' name refers to a bathysphere, the deep-sea submersible used for exploring the ocean depths, an apt moniker considering that, like the aforementioned vessel, their price is also sinking rapidly. Down from £699 to £549, we don't often see the Bathys enjoying major discounts, though when prices do drop, they tend to drop pretty hard. Hold out for a possibly better deal or nab this one while you get the chance.
Five stars

Deal also at Sevenoaks and Richer Sounds

The Focal Bathys are some of the finest Bluetooth cans you can buy at the market's higher end, and while you'd expect some decent performance from a pair that costs around twice as much as the Sony WH-1000XM5, the French-made over-ears are capable of wowing you with their sparkling capabilities.

This being a pair of Focal headphones, the Bathys go big on design, although they just about manage to reign it in enough to temper the look-at-me nature of those large, hole-ridden aluminium ear cups and squiggly light-up logos with enough class and subtlety to be taken seriously.

Features-wise, the Focal offer 30 hours of battery life with charging provided via USB-C, while noise cancelling is impressively implemented across 'soft, 'silent' and 'Transparent' flavours of ANC. Codec support is strong, too, offering standard SBC and AAC alongside the much-coveted aptX and aptX Adaptive and aptX standards.

It's how they sound, though, that will make you fall in love with Focal's premium wireless cans. These are headphones that do a startling job of giving music a bold, meaty presence within a wide, all-encompassing soundscape, granting you the sort of cinematic listening experience that is rarely found in wireless models. The Bathys are capable of making music sound atmospheric, emotive and musically involving, with rich mids and lows providing substance to the music without clouding those key details or particulars elsewhere. To quote our review: "For a wireless headphone performance, it’s among the most engaging we have heard".

If I had the money and was forced to pick my favourite early Black Friday deal, this would certainly be an early contender.

MORE:

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Harry McKerrell is a senior staff writer at What Hi-Fi?. During his time at the publication, he has written countless news stories alongside features, advice and reviews of products ranging from floorstanding speakers and music streamers to over-ear headphones, wireless earbuds and portable DACs. He has covered launches from hi-fi and consumer tech brands, and major industry events including IFA, High End Munich and, of course, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show. When not at work he can be found playing hockey, practising the piano or trying to pet strangers' dogs.

Best Focal Bathys wireless headphones deal

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