Likelihood is, if you go to spend $700 on a pair of headphones, you’d want to make sure you’re getting a good deal. What are all the added features that come with it? Is it comfortable? Will I use it all the time? These are questions that you might be asking yourself when considering this type of purchase. Here’s a question you may not have considered: what do you do when you have two similar products priced at the same amount?

Today, we look at two Bluetooth headphones that are both currently retailing at $699. One is from the French company Focal: the Bathys. This is a high-end brand that people know for their audiophile headphones. The other comes from Bowers & Wilkins: the Px8. They are a reliable brand that focuses on good quality sound in each of their designs. How do the two stack against each other? 

What Comes In The Box

Aesthetics and Functionality

The look of these headphones are quite different. The Focal Bathys sport a more metallic design, with the magnesium and aluminum making a great design with little circles on the main body of the headphone. The design is robust and heavy in your hand, and it speaks to the durability of the headphones. They err on the larger side, but I don’t mind it because of the ease of wearing. They are adaptable to any head shape and have enough adjusting capabilities for added comfort. The leather ear pads and headband are very comfortable on the head and are great for long listening sessions. Turning them on and pairing was a breeze, and the logo that lights up allows me to easily know when they are on or off. 

The Px8 from Bowers & Wilkins, on the other hand, has a rather minimalist design. Instead of large ear cups that make a statement on your head, they are thin and sleek. They are just big enough to fit over most ear sizes. They are quite small but pack a punch in sound. I am not a fan of the thinner headband, as it feels easily breakable when I go to put them on. It clamps tightly over the head and feels very restraining to maneuver. It was tiring to wear them since they were so tight around the head, and the fact I wear glasses did not make that easier.

Personally, I much prefer the comfort that the Bathys bring to the table over the Px8. The bigger size allows for a little more flexibility around the head, and it’s less restraining to wear. With my glasses, the soft plush earpads on the Bathys molded a bit more to the stems over my ear. The Px8’s more rigid cushion did not offer the same. Everybody has their own comfort scale, so I can only speak to how they felt to me. 

Tech Specs

There’s a couple elements in the tech department that separate these two devices. The Px8 has a more updated Bluetooth version, which helps with connectivity across devices. Additionally, the Px8 has a wear-detection sensor, so you don’t miss any music when you take them off. The Focal Bathys don’t have these features, which can be a deciding factor for some. Instead, the Bathys have an extra two microphones integrated into the design, making calls and phone conversations easier and clearer.

Listening Review

Soundstage and ANC

The soundstages on both headphones are quite impressive. Expansive and immersive, detailed and clear, colorful and full of character: both pairs offer a lot in terms of sound quality. I really enjoyed the immersive nature of the Bathys. Putting them on immediately took me into my listening, and all the ambient noise around me faded away. The Px8 was an immersive listen as well, but sort oppositely. The music I listened blended seamlessly into my environment, especially when the noise canceling aspect was off. I liked how both had a fairly wide soundstage that wrapped around my head, and the frequency responses were detailed with height and depth. The Focal Bathys had a more bass-leaning response, and the Px8 was more treble-leaning.   

When it comes to the active noise canceling, I have to say I was let down by both. Yes, they both had the feature and were quite effective in blocking out ambient noise; however, I found it hard to differentiate between when the feature was on or off. That goes for both the Bathys and the Px8! I felt the Bathys had more natural noise-canceling qualities due to the physical design. The Px8 fell short since it already was quite lightweight, and there was just too much ambient noise passing through. I was happy that the volume controls allowed for the noise canceling to really take effect. Still, I worry for my hearing in the long run if I have to blast the volume to get noise cancelation. 

Low Frequencies

Each headphones’ low end is very powerful. With the addition of noise canceling technology, the low frequencies come out with impeccable detail and texture. Particularly, in the Bathys, I could feel the low sub frequencies when they hit in each track. The Px8 also had a very detailed bass, but the smaller and thinner design didn’t allow for as much immersion into it. I was very much more impressed with the sound of the bass on the Bathys, as it was a great foundation for the other frequencies to build off of. I was listening to a lot of rock music in my testing, and I liked the way the kick drums and bass lines were accentuated in detail in both headphones. 

Mid-Range Frequencies

The mid-range textures are definitely something to note in both headphones. There is a lot of clarity that comes in all the different timbres of instruments, and nothing gets lost in the mix. The Bathys had a much more pronounced low midrange, while the Px8 opted for a higher sound signature that was accentuated on the top of the range. I didn't mind this difference between them, as it made it clear that these had different signatures. I listened to some indie music, particularly from Unknown Mortal Orchestra, to get a feel for the mid-range in each headphones. I loved the detail I could hear in both, and how neither of them turned muddy with an increase in elements in the range. It was interesting to hear how the low rhythm guitar was more present in the Bathys, and the high synth keyboard was a highlight in the Px8. 

High Frequencies

The high end is where I found the most differences between the two sets of headphones. The Px8 had a brighter high end, with a lot of airness and crisp detail. There was a lot of character brought out in this range, with orchestral reverbs and guitar harmonics able to ring out and keep my attention quite well. The Bathys were certainly more low-end centered, and it showed on the more conservative high end signature. It was like the high end was a bit held back, and it let the low and mids have center stage. That’s not to say the sound was unbalanced; in fact, the high end was just present enough to be noticeable and a great complement to the other frequencies. I very much enjoyed listening to more acoustic instrumentals on both headphones, but I could tell the Px8 had a sharper and more finely tuned sound in this range. 

Summary

To conclude, there’s a lot about both headphones to love. While they may be priced the same, there are key differences between them that may sway you one way or the other. The Focal Bathys offer a lot of comfort and extremely detailed listening, and you know you would be able to wear these for long sessions if needed. Meanwhile, the Px8 from Bowers & Wilkins gives you a look into a bright sound signature and a sleek design for those who may want a minimalist design. 

I strongly recommend trying the headphones out for yourself before deciding which one you may want. You may walk away with a different opinion than what you started! Everyone hears differently, so it's definitely worth listening for yourself to decide which is for you. 

The Focal Bathys and Bowers & Wilkins Px8 is available for demo and purchase at Audio46.