These Headphones Can Track Brainwaves To Measure Your Focus Levels — Here's What They're Like To Use

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The MW75 Neuro are the first focus-tracking headphones with EEG sensors that read your brainwaves.

Tyler Hayes/Business Insider

Noise-canceling headphones have become handy tools for productivity, but what if a pair of headphones could not only block out unwanted distractions but also measure your focus levels while you work? The Master & Dynamic MW75 Neuro aim to do just that by utilizing brain-reading AI technology. Seriously, these headphones actually track your brain activity to analyze your concentration and suggest when you should take a break.

The MW75 Neuro cost $699 and were developed in partnership between Master & Dynamic, a New York-based premium headphone maker, and Neurable, a neurotechnology company founded in 2015. The MW75 Neuro deliver the same audio performance as Master & Dynamic's previously released MW75, which have a spot in our guide to the best over-ear headphones. But this revised model has a unique extra feature.

Electroencephalography (EEG) sensors have been embedded in the ear pads to analyze the electrical signals produced by the neurons in your brain. The Neurable app then processes that data and, through its artificial intelligence, tries to determine when you're focused — being productive — and when you're not. The goal is to help you track your performance so you can make adjustments to your work habits.

I went into testing the MW75 Neuro with what I thought was a clear idea of how I focus. Though some of those thoughts were reinforced, I came out the other side with more questions about deep concentration and how I work. It's verged on an existential experience. However, though it's easy to appreciate the technology at work here, its everyday usefulness is limited to a small audience. Right now, only those who consistently work for long stretches of time and don't mind constantly wearing headphones (even if they're not listening to music) should consider making the splurge.

The fit and feel of brain-reading headphones

The MW75 Neuro look a lot like the standard MW75 headphones but have fabric ear cups with a distinct striped appearance.

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The overall design of the MW75 Neuro is comparable to Master & Dynamics' original MW75 headphones from 2022. These headphones are essentially the same as that previous model, just with Neurable's focus-tracking tech and EEG sensors built in. As such, the most noticeable cosmetic difference is the striped ear cups with the sensors. I don't like the color pattern enough to ever choose it, but I also don't mind the style.

Initially, I was more skeptical of the fabric earcups' feel than I was of their appearance. But thankfully, they aren't itchy or uncomfortable to wear for any length of time. They may even be a touch more breathable than the standard MW75 earcups, which use lambskin.

The headphones are a bit heavy at 378 grams, but they use high-end metal and glass materials that give them a premium feel. That said, I expected to be bothered by their heft more than I was. These are close to the weight of the AirPods Max, which are 384.8 grams, but I found the MW75 Neuro to feel noticeably lighter on my head than Apple's headphones.

EEG sensors and AI software measure your concentration levels

The Neurable app tests the sensors to make sure they're providing a good signal.

Tyler Hayes/Neurable/Business Insider

As a runner, I've learned that if I want to improve my speed and endurance, I need to take days off for my body to recover. Neurable says the same is true for your brain and focused work. Your brain needs rest to continue being productive. That's the key to the MW75 Neuro's proposed utility.

In terms of how the headphones work, they use EEG sensors in the ear cups to read brain activity. They're just measuring what's already happening in your noggin. They don't work in reverse and won't stimulate the brain. You'll need to make sure the fabric can make contact with the skin around your ears, but you'll never actually feel the sensors at work. Even when turned on, they just feel like any other pair of headphones.

The sensors themselves, however, are only part of what makes the focus-tracking feature work. The only thing they see is raw data. It's the software from Neurable, which deciphers the data, that's truly critical. As the data gets analyzed in real time, Neurable's software gives you alerts on when you might want to take a break. You can also look over Focus Session reports that show your dips and peeks of concentration over time.

The Neurable app turns focus tracking into a game

A look at the Neurable app's rocket ship game (left) and a breakdown of focus points you earn during sessions (right).

Steven Cohen/Neurable/Business Insider

You set up the MW75 Neuro headphones, monitor their analysis, and see their insights in the Neurable app for iOS or Android. There's even a game to visualize real-time focus and deep concentration. To play, you stare at a rocket ship and propel it higher by focusing harder — get distracted and it falls from the sky.

Playing the little game helped me better understand " focus," but it also reminded me that prolonged concentration is fatiguing. Even repeating numbers and looking at a rocketship for a few minutes drained me.

Although I usually listen to music while writing, I don't always wear headphones, so it took some time to adjust to using the MW75 Neuro while working. It was occasionally a chore to turn on the headphones, open the app to start a Focus Session, and then use the headphones for extended periods each day.

However, much like running with my Apple Watch, using the headphones and app became a routine as I grew to hate missing out on capturing my focus data. Knowing I could record and analyze my brain activity helped encourage me to use them frequently.

When you start a Focus Session, the app prompts you to select the type of activity you'll be engaging in (work, entertainment, study, etc.). You can also leave notes about what you'd like to accomplish during the session. Once you end the session, you're prompted to score how productive you felt.

The app will then sync your data to provide a full report that shows your focus levels on a chart over the duration of your session. You even get points based on how many minutes of high, medium, and low focus you achieved, and the app tries to further gamify concentration by encouraging you to achieve 100 points every day.

My results showed a mix of low-focus lulls and high-concentration peaks

The app shows your results with data for high, medium, and low focus periods.

Tyler Hayes/Neurable/Business Insider

It took me several Focus Sessions with the Neurable app to move past the novelty. At first, my mind would wander to the headphones, leaving me wondering how they were processing my activity when an email came in or when I reached for my phone. Eventually, I moved past this and used the MW75 Neuro without thinking about it.

My app results were often scattered, but they also felt obvious. Can you be a writer and not work in short bursts of inspired creativity and instant distractions? My sessions showed lots of low-focus periods with a few high spikes.

I used the headphones primarily at my desk, but I also tested them while watching movies and during other activities. The most interesting result I experienced was during a phone call that showed high focus for the entire 15-minute call. The data matched how concentrated I felt during the conversation.

The focus-tracking tech is cool, but its usefulness is limited

The MW75 have a lot of potential, but there's room for improvement.

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However, as neat as the focus-tracking technology is, its practical utility feels lacking in certain areas — at least for my working habits. Based on my existing preference for writing in short bursts, I rarely triggered the app to send notifications prompting me to take a break. And most of the time, I knew I lost focus before I was alerted to it.

Even though I'm easily distracted by an incoming email or message that will derail my writing for five to 10 minutes, I use that "distracted" time to consider my thoughts. Then, I'm back to writing more. Whether intentional or not, these headphones feel like a sophisticated tool for people who use the Pomodoro Technique. Instead of relying on a timer for breaks, they could tap into a more natural rhythm dictated by their own concentration levels.

The scope of the MW75 Neuro headphones is narrow at the moment, but it could be expanded with only a few tweaks. I would love to see a setting in the app to allow me to bump up or down the aggressiveness of its focus alerts. It would also be cool to see my focus levels in real time and not just after the report is made once I end a session. If possible, I'd also love to see other indicators factored into the Neuro's algorithm and visual charts with the ability to take environmental factors into account. How often did I pick up my phone during a session? How many notifications came in during a session? Maybe even factor in the weather.

If it's going to measure my focus, then having the ability to provide a more complete picture of my surroundings will help determine what external factors I can eliminate or better control. As it stands, the app's usefulness only feels partially realized.

The headphones have excellent sound, but only decent ANC

Noise-canceling performance is decent but not on par with headphones from Sony and Bose.

Tyler Hayes/Business Insider

Even if you primarily intend to use the MW75 Neuro for analyzing your focus and brain activity, their sound quality is important. They are headphones, after all. Thankfully, they sound excellent.

When it comes purely to audio playback, the MW75 Neuro perform like the standard MW75 model. And that's a good thing since the MW75 are among the top wireless headphones you can buy. The richness you'd expect to hear from music is present. They feature a satisfactory amount of bass with their default EQ settings. Importantly, the mids are clear and there's an even balance throughout the frequency spectrum.

However, the MW75 Neuro are also still subject to the standard MW75's flaws. My main complaint is the mild hum or hiss that's audible when you activate the headphones' awareness or active noise-canceling (ANC) modes. The aware mode allows you to hear your surroundings by passing outside sounds into the headphones digitally, while ANC uses processing to block those sounds.

ANC is still strong enough to be useful, but these are not the headphones to buy if you want the best noise-canceling performance. Engaging ANC while listening to music will block out basic distractions, but it's not powerful enough to handle the busiest environments.

Should you buy them?

People specifically looking for help with focus issues and burnout should consider the MW75 Neuro.

Tyler Hayes/Business Insider

The Master & Dynamic MW75 Neuro are a fascinating pair of headphones with a first-of-its-kind feature. They offer unique data-driven insights into your mind's concentration levels, and they deliver excellent sound quality. However, they're pricey and their usefulness is limited to a small audience. The tech is certainly cool to play around with, but in its current form, it's more of an interesting novelty than an essential function for most users.

People who often slip into a trance while staring at a screen or textbook could use the MW75 Neuro's insights to help them become more productive. But a digital timer on a phone might be able to accomplish something similar, albeit on a much simpler scale. These headphones offer a more analytical approach for people who want to measure their focus and are actively trying to improve it or avoid burnout.

The MW75 Neuro cost about $100 more than the standard MW75, so you can think of the focus-tracking feature as a premium add-on to an already excellent pair of high-end headphones. If you're specifically looking for a tool to help with focus problems and mental fatigue, the MW75 Neuro can provide unique insight, but the technology's utility isn't quite developed enough to have mass appeal.