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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For an immersive music experience with superior sound quality, the Focal Bathys is the right choice as it delivers excellent overall sound and a powerful performance for gaming and TV. However, it comes at a high-end price and might not be as suitable for making calls due to its lower mic quality. On the other hand, the Sennheiser HD 250BT is more budget-friendly and offers good sound quality, a better microphone for calls, and a slightly longer battery life. It also supports a low latency codec, making it a better option for gaming and watching videos. Neither is ideal for exercise, but for air travel, you may prefer the Bathys for their higher noise isolation. Additionally, if portability is a concern, consider the weight and size of each as the Bathys are heavier and larger. 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
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD 250BT
- Good for phone calls
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
8.0
6.5
The Focal Bathys is very good for music, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Gaming
9.3
8.8
The Focal Bathys is excellent for gaming, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good.
Phone Calls
5.2
7.2
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is good for phone calls, while the Focal Bathys is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.2
8.1
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Focal Bathys is only fair.
TV and Video
10.0
8.4
The Focal Bathys is best in class for TV and video, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good.
Noise Reduction
8.3
6.0
The Focal Bathys is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Battery
31.0 Hours
25.0 Hours
The Focal Bathys has 31 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD 250BT has 25 hours of battery life.
Cost
$699
$64
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Focal Bathys has a price of $699 and the Sennheiser HD 250BT costs $64.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Focal Bathys and Sennheiser HD 250BT both have excellent build quality.
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How the Focal Bathys and the Sennheiser HD 250BT compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Focal Bathys | Sennheiser HD 250BT |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$699 | $64 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Focal | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.1/10 | 6.6/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.4/10 | 8.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.6/10 | 6.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 31 Hours | 25 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 1.5 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.1 | 5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 8.4/10 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 350 Grams | 125 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
Sennheiser HD 250BT
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Headphone Check
Pete Scholßnagel | 2020
"As a lightweight, robust audio provider with a long battery life, the Sennheiser HD 250BT offer a lot for their price: very good Bluetooth codecs, an app connection and an extremely understated design. These headphones may not be among the most comfortable, but they deliver adequate sound – without overdriving or distortion."
Get a great deal on the Focal Bathys or the Sennheiser HD 250BT
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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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.
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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.
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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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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