Is the Focal Bathys worth the upgrade from the Audeze Maxwell 2?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Focal Bathys actually scores 10.3 points below the Audeze Maxwell 2, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on battery (9.5 to 7.6) and calls (9.0 to 8.1). On paper: weight 560 g to 350 g, full charge time 120 min to 90 min and microphones 2 to 8. Worth checking: battery life goes 80 h to 30 h and bluetooth goes 5.3 to 5.1. And it costs $470 more for a lower score, which is hard to justify on the data alone. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound9.59.2
- Battery9.57.6
- Calls9.08.1
- Value7.57.4
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Maxwell 2 | Bathys | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 80 h | 30 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive | |
| Weight | 560 g | 350 g | |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.1 | |
| Full charge time | 120 min | 90 min | |
| Driver size | 90 mm | 40 mm | |
| Microphones | 2 | 8 | |
| Driver | 90 mm planar magnetic | 40 mm dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 50 kHz | 15 Hz - 22 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Maxwell 2 to Bathys". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.