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Can I thin the herd? Bathys, Bose, Oppo, AirPod

Can I thin the herd? I keep accumulating stuff and never seem to get rid of anything.


I just received a new pair of Focal Bathys as a gift from Focal America. I had started to research headphones and asked a question in a post I made in April 2025 but lost interest and never did anything. Where will Bathys fit in my available options?

I already own a pair of Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones for Apple Devices I bought way back in March of 2016. I have used these for travel though I sometimes use my Apple AirPods Pro. Ear pads are in poor shape but I have new pads to put on if I get motivated.

I also own a pair of Oppo PM-3 headphones and both an OPPO HA-2SE Portable Headphone Amplifier & DAC and an OPPO HA-1 Headphone Amplifier, DAC and Pre-Amplifier from 2016 and 1018.

I can’t say I use headphones often; primarily for travel, listening to music and watching TV or laptop outside or at the lake when I don’t want to bother the neighbors.

george_r
loomisjohnson
2,021 posts
 

The bathys are about as good sounding as Bluetooth gets..I'd probably keep your bose as a knock around pairbut use the Focal for more critical listening 

elliottbnewcombjr
7,696 posts
 

My only headphone use in the last many years was to block sound so I could get some rest while in Cardiac Intensive Care for 11 days, so keep the best for that just in case!

george_r OP
70 posts
 

I had hoped the DA could be disabled, and ANC could be disabled, so I could use one of my headphone preamps. (USB from Apple device to preamp, analog from preamp to Bathys jack input).

Are they really different? I also believe ANC is always active for all conections at all times and can not be turned off.

A bit confusing and a distinction without a difference. The Bathys DAC isn't used but ANC requires the analog input to be converted to digital, processes an active noise reduction mode in the digital domain, and back to analog again. ANC is always active in one of three modes, 2 noise reduction modes and one transparency mode. A USB-C input doesn't require the additional analog to digital connection jack mode does. Clear as mud, for Jack mode, the DAC mode isn't used but an ADC > ANC > DAC is still used.

Am I understanding correctly? Not a big deal, I just want to know how it is working. Thanks.

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