Short answer: the Focal Bathys. Both are rated 3.7/5 for sound quality (#179 and #186 of 481 over-ear headphones), and the Focal Bathys costs $799 against $899.99 for the Aurorus Audio Borealis, with sound quality a draw, the lower price decides it.
What the Aurorus Audio Borealis does well: A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 76 against the Harman target. Watch for: About 7 dB less bass than the Harman target below 150 Hz, which can sound thin on pop, hip hop and electronic music.
The case for the Focal Bathys: Bluetooth 5.1 with SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Adaptive, active noise cancelling and a rated 30 hours of battery make it a full wireless travel headphone, and a wired connection is still available. The tradeoff: A 6.3 dB dip near 9.4 kHz and mild treble reduction soften cymbals and sibilance.
Buy the Focal Bathys. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $100.99 less than the Aurorus Audio Borealis.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
A broadly balanced tuning with a preference score of 76 against the Harman target.
Aurorus Audio $899.99 eBay
Bluetooth 5.1 with SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Adaptive, active noise cancelling and a rated 30 hours of battery make it a full wireless travel headphone, and a wired connection is still available.
Amazon $799.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Aurorus Audio Borealis | Focal Bathys | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $899.99 | $799.00 |
| Ranked | #186 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones | #179 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 76 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 76 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.73 dB standard deviation | 2.04 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.21 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.84 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 47 Hz (-9.4 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Back | Open | Closed |
| Connection | Wired (3.5mm detachable) | Wireless and wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 Dynamic (50mm) | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Impedance | - | 80 ohms |
| Sensitivity | - | 104 dB SPL/mW |
| Weight | - | 0.8 lbs (350 g) |
| Active Noise Cancelling | - | Yes |
| Battery Life | - | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.1 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Aurorus Audio Borealis from capraaudio, hadoe, listener and ragnarok; the Focal Bathys from boizoff, capraaudio, elrics, gadgetrytech, kuulokenurkka, superreview and vsg, all via squig.link.
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