Why Jules Verne Would Love These French Wireless Bathys Headphones From Focal
Preparing for the unexpected is now expected.
If the great 19th century French author Jules Verne were still around, he’d be wearing the Bathys wireless headphone from France’s Focal on his travels. Verne, of course, is the godfather melder of travel, technology, and adventure, dreaming up the Nautilius submarine for 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and a high-tech balloon that China would envy (and emulate) for Five Weeks In A Balloon to mention just two of his forward-looking novels. The highly aesthetic design of the Bathys even appears to evoke the Verne age with a look reminiscent of the early bathyspheres that explored the ocean depths. The design includes a backlit flame in the center of the earpiece that signals engaged but can be turned off for a less definitive marking of private space. Verne, while remembered for his novels, also was a talented pianist who sprinkled musical references throughout his work. The Bathys headphone would undoubtedly satisfy Verne’s love of music, travel and technology.
What makes the Bathys wireless headphones remarkable is that they may simply be the best wireless noise-suppressing headphones you’ve ever heard. While noise-suppression headphones are a travel requirement in my book, especially for noisy environments like airplanes, critical music lovers consider most wireless Bluetooth headphones a compromise to convenience compared with wired models. Focal’s Bathys wireless headphones put talk of sonic compromise to rest.
Two noise suppression modes on the Bathys headphones offer a sound choice. The “silent” mode wraps you in an acoustic cocoon while the “soft” model substantially reduces outside interference while still being able to hear the flight attendant asking about your meal choice. Controls are at the bottom of the left earpiece except for one on the right side for use with digital assistants. A phone app is useful for tailoring the sound to your taste. The clever versatile bit is that the Bathys also can be used as wired headphones for home use, with an internal circuitry acting as an amplifier to boost sound levels.
I’m delighted with the sound quality of the Bathys headphones and I’m pleased that the Bathys headphones are light and comfortable, a key consideration for long journeys. And they look chouette! (French slang for cool!) Personally, I can’t imagine flying without noise suppression headphones. I feel noticeably less fatigued upon arrival at my destination. Otherwise, it’s like flying with a raging vacuum cleaner in the next seat—the noise just wears me out. And if flying makes you anxious, then a quiet cocoon reduces anxiety. At $799, the Bathys carry a high price tag but Focal makes audiophile-grade headphones that are double or triple that in price so when viewed through that prism, the Bathys look more reasonable in cost. Focal’s audio lineup is at www.focal.com but you may want to check out headphones.com for a more complete look at the can scene where you’ll undoubtedly find a pair of headphones that suit your inner Jules Verne.
One last note about my new book called Made In New York. If you’ve ever lived in or visited New York, then you’ll love these stories of inventions that made it in New York and went everywhere around the globe. Brassieres, submarines, teddy bears, potato chips, Batman and hip hop music are just a few of the modern aspects of life with a New York origin story. Made In New York is now available for pre-order via Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as directly from the publisher, sunypress.edu/Books/M/Made-In-New-York