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Head to head · for music listening
Apple AirPods Max vs Focal Bathys
More people recommend the Apple AirPods Max overall (44 vs 19). Only 1 of the 14 comments naming both explicitly choose one (0 for the Apple AirPods Max, 1 for the Focal Bathys), too few to call a winner.
- Comments naming both
- 14
- Say they own both
- 0
- Choose the AirPods Max
- 0
- Choose the Bathys
- 1
Preference evidence:Limited1 explicit choice among 14 comments naming both.What the levels mean
Counted across 7 review videos, harvested Sep 2026. A comment counts as a choice only when it says so in plain words (prefer X over Y, upgraded from Y to X); questions never count. Quotes are whole sentences of 12 words or fewer, linked to where they were said. How we count.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $549cheaper | $699 |
| Overall rank | #16higher | #26 |
| People who recommend it | 44more | 19 |
| Say they own it | 45more | 28 |
| Mentions | 802more | 316 |
| Type | wireless ANC over-ear | wireless ANC over-ear |
| Known for | CommuteiPhoneNoise cancelling | WirelessSound firstTravel |
| Best for | Recommended to iPhone and Mac people who want one pair that just appears on every device. | Recommended as the wireless pair for people who care about sound first and noise cancelling second. |
| Buy | Amazon · $549Direct | Amazon · $699 |
#16 overall
Apple AirPods Max
1 of the 14 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Auto-switching between iPhone, Mac and Apple TV is the feature owners say they cannot give up
- Metal build that other headphones get compared against
- Called the most comfortable Bluetooth headphone by more than one commenter, and friendly to glasses
The complaints
- Price: the single most repeated objection
- Clamp gets tight after an hour for some heads
- Condensation inside the cups after long sessions; sweat kills the headband electronics
- Battery is not user-serviceable and they are dead without it
- Heavy
In their words
“I have the Apple AirPod MAX and I love them”
A commenter under The Truth about the New Beats by Dre! (Marques Brownlee) · Jul 2023
“So I had to get the AirPods Max”
A commenter under Beats Studio Pro | Don't Buy Until You Watch This (Aesthetic AL) · Aug 2023
“my daily drivers are some Airpods Max which i think sound amazing”
A commenter under Is Sennheiser's new headphone REALLY an upgrade? (The Headphone Show) · Feb 2023
#26 overall
Focal Bathys
0 of the 14 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Owners of Utopias and Clears say it is the wireless pair they actually use
- Wired DAC mode that owners say beats Bluetooth by a wide margin
- 40-50 hours of battery; built to last
The complaints
- Price: three times a Sony
- Noise cancelling is behind Sony and Bose
- Bass depth is modest for some tastes
- Battery is not user-replaceable
In their words
“I bought the Focal Bathys MG, best choice I've made”
A commenter under The BEST (sounding) Premium Wireless Headphones (crinacle) · Feb 2026
“I got my Bathys last week and love it”
A commenter under FOCAL Bathys review -- BETTER than Apple AirPods Max? (& more) (Darko Audio) · Oct 2022
“i recommend you Focal Bathys or bower and wilkins px8 bluetooth headphones”
A commenter under Which Sony Headphones Are Actually Worth the Money? 🎧🤨💰 (Liz Espinoza) · Mar 2023
Questions people ask about this pair
Every answer is built from the counts on this page, not from our own listening.
- Is the Apple AirPods Max better than the Focal Bathys?
- Only 1 of the 14 comments naming both choose one (0 for the Apple AirPods Max, 1 for the Focal Bathys), too few to call a winner. Overall, 44 people recommend the Apple AirPods Max and 19 the Focal Bathys.
- Which is cheaper, the Apple AirPods Max or the Focal Bathys?
- The Apple AirPods Max is cheaper: $549 against $699 when we last checked. Prices move, so the buy buttons show the live price.
- Which do more people recommend, the Apple AirPods Max or the Focal Bathys?
- The Apple AirPods Max: 44 people recommend it against 19. On the site-wide leaderboard the Apple AirPods Max is #16 and the Focal Bathys is #26.
- Do people own both the Apple AirPods Max and the Focal Bathys?
- Not that we found. Of the 14 comments naming both, 1 come from owners of the Apple AirPods Max and 0 from owners of the Focal Bathys, and none says they own both.
- What do owners complain about on the Apple AirPods Max and the Focal Bathys?
- The most repeated complaint about the Apple AirPods Max: price: the single most repeated objection. About the Focal Bathys: price: three times a Sony. The full lists are on each side below.