The Master and Dynamic MW75-Neuro – a new pair of EEG headphones – has launched at CES 2024.
The headphones are the result of a collaboration between the headphone maker and Neurable, an AI company that can decipher concentration levels through electrical activity in the brain.
The wider idea is that the MW75-Neuro harnesses the electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor to coach users on their concentration levels, advise when to take breaks, and analyze the parts of the day when focus levels are at their best.
We were treated to a demonstration of the tech behind the MW75-Neuro – and it was eye-opening, to say the least.
Testing the MW75-Neuro
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Neurable CEO Ramses Alcaide had me wear a pair of the prototype headphones paired with an app on his laptop. He asked me to open and read an email on my phone.
He showed me a live graph of my concentration levels, which soared as I carefully read through the email, and then plummeted as he interrupted me.
A second time, he had me mentally read out a long string of generated numbers, and again the graph peaked sharply as the data sped by.
I’ve seen several brain interface controller wearables over the years, but few have been able to prove that they work, and I’ve always been skeptical of their claims.
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Neurable’s studies have been published across a range of papers in the last decade, including in Nature, and have been used by the US Air Force. But nothing proves its value better than seeing your own mental performance laid bare as it was in this demonstration.
The Neurable app will track concentration levels, recording streaks of focus. As those streaks get shorter and shorter as your brain fatigues, Neurabe will advise you when to take a break, and for how long.
It will also look for trends in your data, which could reveal when it's best to tackle that big project or task, so you can make your time more effective.
In the future, this will be linked to soundscapes and content that could actively boost those levels.
Wareable verdict
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The MW75-Neuro certainly backs up its claims with some extremely promising tech – and if you’re looking to maximize focus, this is a really interesting product.
Ramses Alcaide told me that the company was working on earbud versions, which would personally suit me better than the big, chunky over-ears.
But as someone who struggles to focus, I’m watching the progress of Neurable with interest.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.