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Bathys
Company ProductName Specs




Ear Stick
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

The Focal Bathys offers superior overall sound quality, promising a more immersive music experience, and excels in noise isolation, thanks to active noise cancelling, making them a solid option for air travel or noisy environments. They are suitable if you prioritize audio fidelity and are okay with a larger size and higher price. On the other hand, the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is more portable, features a case that extends battery life, and has a better microphone for calls. These earbuds are a good fit if you seek a lightweight option for general use that won't break the bank and still delivers adequate sound performance. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Focal Bathys
  • Very good for music
  • Excellent for gaming
  • Best in class for TV and video
  • Very good for air travel
Advantages of the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick
  • Very good for phone calls
  • Very good for podcasts and audiobooks

Key differences

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Music

8.0
Bathys
Ear Stick
6.1
The Focal Bathys is very good for music, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is only fair.

Gaming

9.3
Bathys
Ear Stick
8.1
The Focal Bathys is excellent for gaming, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good.

Phone Calls

5.2
Bathys
Ear Stick
8.6
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for phone calls, while the Focal Bathys is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

6.2
Bathys
Ear Stick
8.4
The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Focal Bathys is only fair.

TV and Video

10.0
Bathys
Ear Stick
7.5
The Focal Bathys is best in class for TV and video, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is good.

Noise Reduction

8.3
Bathys
Ear Stick
2.5
The Focal Bathys is very good for noise reduction, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick is poor.

Battery

31.0 Hours
Bathys
Ear Stick
5.0 Hours
The Focal Bathys has 31 hours of battery life. The "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick has 5 hours of battery life.

Cost

$699
Bathys
Ear Stick
$99
Product image
Product image

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

$350

$400

The Focal Bathys has a price of $699 and the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick costs $99.
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Key similarities

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Build Quality

9.0
Bathys
Ear Stick
9.0
The Focal Bathys and "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick both have excellent build quality.

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We’re constantly working to improve.

How the Focal Bathys and the "Nothing" Brand Ear Stick compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Focal Bathys"Nothing" Brand Ear Stick
Focal Bathys"Nothing" Brand Ear Stick

GENERAL

Price
$699
$99
Brand
Focal"Nothing" Brand
Release Date
October 1, 2022November 1, 2022
Form Factor
HeadphonesEarbuds
Connectivity
Wired + WirelessWireless

SOUND

Music Score
8.1/106.2/10
Phone Calls Score
5.3/108.7/10
Gaming Score
9.4/108.2/10
TV and Video Score
10/107.6/10
Exercise Score
6.6/107/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
31 Hours5 Hours
Wireless charging
NoNo
Charging time
1.5 Hours1.2 Hours
Bluetooth version
5.15.2
Case Battery Life
N/A22

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesNo
Noise Reduction Score
8.4/102.5/10
Virtual Surround
NoNo
Android App
YesYes
iOS App
YesYes
Mic Quality
6.5/108.5/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
9/109/10
Comfort score
8.4/107/10
Size
N/ASmall
Weight (headset or single earbud)
350 Grams4.4 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedIntegrated

Shopping

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Focal Bathys

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Dig into reviews and images

Soundguys

Christian Thomas | May 2023
"As much as I hesitate to recommend a headphone that sells for $800 USD, if you’re looking for the best sound quality you can find in the ANC space: it’s the Focal Bathys."

"Nothing" Brand Ear Stick

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Dig into reviews and images

Sound Guys

Jasper Lastoria | December 2022
"If the Ear (stick) fits your ears, its light weight means you can easily wear it until the unimpressive battery life totally drains. The IP54 rating of the buds lends some confidence that it’ll survive some light abuse too. Finally, for the person who only wears earbuds at their desk, the Nothing Ear (stick) with its decent microphone could offer a reasonable Zoom meeting solution."

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Why trust us

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.

By the numbers

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
122,600
Recommendations made
18,390
Consumer hours saved

About the Earbuds or Headphones team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Luis Torres

Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.

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