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Head to head · for music listening

Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Focal Bathys

More people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5 overall (96 vs 19). None of the 12 comments that name both says outright which one to buy, so read the loves and complaints and decide by taste.

Comments naming both
12
Say they own both
2
Choose the WH-1000XM5
0
Choose the Bathys
0

Preference evidence:Limited0 explicit choices among 12 comments naming both.What the levels mean

Counted across 6 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.

At a glance the better number on each row is highlighted
Sony WH-1000XM5Focal Bathys
Typical price$300cheaper$699
Overall rank#6higher#26
People who recommend it96more19
Say they own it146more28
Mentions1,124more316
Typewireless ANC over-earwireless ANC over-ear
Known forCommuteNoise cancellingBatteryWirelessSound firstTravel
Best forThe default noise-cancelling pick people recommend for planes and trains, if you can live with plastic hinges.Recommended as the wireless pair for people who care about sound first and noise cancelling second.
BuyAmazon · $300DirectAmazon · $699

#6 overall

Sony WH-1000XM5

3 of the 12 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.

What owners love

  • Noise cancelling that owners rank at or near the top of anything they have tried
  • Comfortable, light, and the touch controls grow on people
  • Several owners bought them on a deep sale and call them the best headphone they have used

The complaints

  • The hinges and swivels: more than one owner had a pair break within a year
  • No longer folds flat, which travellers miss from the XM4
  • Bass is thick out of the box; audiophile commenters call it bloated and point at the Momentum 4
  • Ear pads are not user-replaceable; not sweat resistant

In their words

#26 overall

Focal Bathys

3 of the 12 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

Questions people ask about this pair

Every answer is built from the counts on this page, not from our own listening.

Is the Sony WH-1000XM5 better than the Focal Bathys?
None of the 12 comments naming both says outright which one to buy. Overall, 96 people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5 and 19 the Focal Bathys. Read what owners love and complain about below and decide by taste.
Which is cheaper, the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Focal Bathys?
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is cheaper: $300 against $699 when we last checked. Prices move, so the buy buttons show the live price.
Which do more people recommend, the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Focal Bathys?
The Sony WH-1000XM5: 96 people recommend it against 19. On the site-wide leaderboard the Sony WH-1000XM5 is #6 and the Focal Bathys is #26.
Do people own both the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Focal Bathys?
Yes. 2 of the 12 comments that name both come from people who say they own both pairs. 3 say they own the Sony WH-1000XM5 and 3 the Focal Bathys.
What do owners complain about on the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Focal Bathys?
The most repeated complaint about the Sony WH-1000XM5: the hinges and swivels: more than one owner had a pair break within a year. About the Focal Bathys: price: three times a Sony. The full lists are on each side below.

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