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Bathys
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WF1000XM4
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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

If you prioritize top-notch sound quality for music and a full over-ear experience, the Focal Bathys may be better despite their high cost; they also offer active noise canceling for travel comfort and are suitable for wired use. On the contrary, if portability and a more compact form factor are essential, and you need something for exercise or calls, the Sony WF1000XM4 earbuds are more fitting and feature effective noise isolation with sweatproof certification, at a lower price point. Both offer long battery life and are optimized with app controls for customization, but only the Sony has wireless charging. 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
  • Excellent for gaming
  • Best in class for TV and video
Advantages of the Sony WF1000XM4
  • Excellent for music
  • Best in class for podcasts and audiobooks

Key differences

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Music

8.0
Bathys
WF1000XM4
9.0
The Sony WF1000XM4 is excellent for music, while the Focal Bathys is very good.

Gaming

9.3
Bathys
WF1000XM4
5.6
The Focal Bathys is excellent for gaming, while the Sony WF1000XM4 is poor.

Phone Calls

5.2
Bathys
WF1000XM4
6.7
The Sony WF1000XM4 is only fair for phone calls, while the Focal Bathys is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

6.2
Bathys
WF1000XM4
10.0
The Sony WF1000XM4 is best in class for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Focal Bathys is only fair.

TV and Video

10.0
Bathys
WF1000XM4
6.0
The Focal Bathys is best in class for TV and video, while the Sony WF1000XM4 is only fair.

Battery

31.0 Hours
Bathys
WF1000XM4
9.0 Hours
The Focal Bathys has 31 hours of battery life. The Sony WF1000XM4 has 9 hours of battery life.

Cost

$699
Bathys
WF1000XM4
$220
Product image
Product image

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The Focal Bathys has a price of $699 and the Sony WF1000XM4 costs $220.
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Key similarities

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Noise Reduction

8.3
Bathys
WF1000XM4
8.3
The Focal Bathys and Sony WF1000XM4 are both very good for noise reduction.

Build Quality

9.0
Bathys
WF1000XM4
8.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Focal Bathys to have excellent build quality, while the Sony WF1000XM4 has very good build quality.

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We’re constantly working to improve.

How the Focal Bathys and the Sony WF1000XM4 compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Focal BathysSony WF1000XM4
Focal BathysSony WF1000XM4

GENERAL

Price
$699
$220
Brand
FocalSony
Release Date
October 1, 2022July 1, 2021
Form Factor
HeadphonesEarbuds
Connectivity
Wired + WirelessWireless

SOUND

Music Score
8.1/109.1/10
Phone Calls Score
5.3/106.7/10
Gaming Score
9.4/105.6/10
TV and Video Score
10/106/10
Exercise Score
6.6/106.7/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
31 Hours9 Hours
Wireless charging
NoNo
Charging time
1.5 Hours1.5 Hours
Bluetooth version
5.15.2
Case Battery Life
N/A24

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesYes
Noise Reduction Score
8.4/108.4/10
Virtual Surround
NoYes
Android App
YesYes
iOS App
YesYes
Mic Quality
6.5/105.4/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
9/108.9/10
Comfort score
8.4/108.9/10
Size
N/ALarge
Weight (headset or single earbud)
350 Grams6.5 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."

Sony WF1000XM4

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Dig into reviews and images

What HiFi?

What HiFi? | March 2023
"The headphones deliver a satisfying user experience, class-leading battery life, some of the best noise-cancelling we’ve heard in this category, and absolutely stunning sound quality."

Get a great deal on the Focal Bathys or the Sony WF1000XM4

About Sony

Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.

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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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