If you want a wired, open-back headphone for focused listening at home with your Switch, choose Harman AKG Pro Audio; if you need wireless Bluetooth, active noise cancelling, and more freedom to move, choose Focal BATHYS Over Ear. For Switch use, the deciding question is whether you want a simple wired setup or a feature-rich wireless headphone.
Harman AKG Pro Audio vs Focal BATHYS Over Ear at a Glance
• Focal BATHYS Over Ear: Bluetooth 5.1, active noise cancelling, transparency mode, and over 30 hours of use with Bluetooth and ANC. The trade-off is a more involved feature set than a straightforward wired headphone needs.
• Harman suits: Switch players who listen in a quiet room and want an open-back, wired headphone.
• Focal suits: Players who want wireless listening, noise control, and the option to use the headphones beyond the Switch.
The K701 is a wired, open-back over-ear headphone built around a 62-ohm impedance and a 3 m cable. Its stated frequency range is 10 Hz to 39.8 kHz. The two-layer Varimotion diaphragm is designed for detailed high frequencies and accurate bass response, while the open-back construction is intended to create a broad listening presentation.
That design makes the K701 a sensible fit for someone who plays Switch at home in a relatively quiet space and wants a direct, uncomplicated listening setup. The shaped 3D-form ear pads and padded leather headband are part of its comfort-focused design. I’d also consider it for someone who already wants a wired headphone for music and other stationary listening, rather than a headset built around travel features.
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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-18 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
The Bathys is the more travel-oriented option. It supports Bluetooth 5.1 as well as wired connections through a 3.5 mm jack and USB-C. Its two noise-cancelling modes—Silent and Soft—are paired with a transparency mode, so you can choose between reducing outside sound and hearing more of your surroundings. For Switch players who also want headphones for travel or everyday wireless listening, that flexibility is a meaningful distinction.
Focal specifies over 30 hours of use with Bluetooth and active noise cancelling enabled. The headphones also support fast charging, with 15 minutes of charging providing five additional listening hours. The aluminum-magnesium speaker drivers, aluminum mechanical construction, and magnesium yoke give the design a more materials-focused character than the K701’s simpler wired setup. Earpads are replaceable, another practical point for someone planning to use the headphones regularly.
The Bathys is the one to consider if you want one headphone for Switch and other listening situations, especially where wireless use and noise control are useful. But those extras are unnecessary if you always play in a quiet room and simply want a wired connection. Bluetooth, app-based settings, and several listening modes add versatility, not automatic advantages for every Switch setup.
• Best for a straightforward wired connection → Harman AKG Pro Audio. Its fixed 3 m cable keeps the setup simple, with no battery or wireless pairing to manage.
• Best for Bluetooth listening → Focal BATHYS Over Ear. It supports Bluetooth 5.1 and can also connect by USB-C or 3.5 mm jack.
• Best for noise control → Focal BATHYS Over Ear. It offers two active noise-cancelling modes plus transparency mode; the K701 has no noise control.
• Best for a quiet-room, open-back listening setup → Harman AKG Pro Audio. Its open construction is a defining part of its design, though that makes it a poor match when isolation is the priority.
• Best for extended wireless use → Focal BATHYS Over Ear. Focal specifies over 30 hours with Bluetooth and ANC, with a fast-charge option for additional listening time.
• Best if you want fewer features to think about → Harman AKG Pro Audio. It is wired and focused on listening rather than switching among wireless modes and noise-control settings.
• Best for a headphone that can serve more than Switch → Focal BATHYS Over Ear. Bluetooth, USB-C, a 3.5 mm jack, ANC, and transparency mode make it the more adaptable option.
• Best match for a shopper searching for the best clip on earbuds for Switch → neither is a clip-on earbud. Both are over-ear headphones, so that search describes a different kind of product.
The same distinction matters if you are searching for the best head phones for Switch: first decide whether you need a wired headphone for home or a wireless model with noise control for travel. And if your search is for the best long battery life bluetooth earbuds for Switch, note that the Bathys is an over-ear headphone, not an earbud; its stated battery life is over 30 hours with Bluetooth and ANC.
I’d choose the Focal BATHYS Over Ear if I wanted one headphone for Switch and travel, because Bluetooth, ANC, transparency mode, and long stated battery life give it more flexibility.
For a quiet room and a wired setup, I’d choose the Harman AKG Pro Audio K701 instead.
My overall pick for Switch is the Bathys, but only if I’d use its wireless and noise-control features.
That is the difference I’d focus on before deciding: simple open-back listening or adaptable wireless use.
FAQ
The K701 is a wired headphone with a 3 m cable and a 3.5 mm jack.
Yes. It supports Bluetooth 5.1 and also provides 3.5 mm and USB-C connections. That gives it more connection options than the K701, which is wired and has a non-detachable cable.
The K701 is wired, so it does not have a stated battery life to manage. The Bathys is the wireless option and is specified for over 30 hours in Bluetooth and active noise-cancelling mode; a 15-minute charge is specified to add five listening hours.
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