The Master & Dynamic MW75 Neuro headphones promise to not only deliver great-sounding audio but also to read your mind. Are they worth it?
I have a problem focusing. I’ve worked at home my entire career, but between the distractions associated with being in a home environment and a lack of sleep from having an infant, in recent times, I’ve struggled to get as much done each day as I might have a few years ago. But we have health-tracking gadgets for our heart — why not for our brain? That’s the promise of the new Master & Dynamic MW75 Neuro headphones, which promise to use EEG sensors built into the earcups to help you improve your focus by tracking it and making recommendations while you listen to your favorite tunes.
I have to admit, when I first heard of these headphones, I was a little skeptical. I’m a huge fan of consumer health-tracking gadgets in general — an Apple Watch was the first confirmation I got that I had atrial fibrillation, which ultimately led to getting an AFib ablation procedure at 28 years old. But really — headphones that can read your brain waves?
Do they work? Well, kind of — and they certainly make a compelling case for the tech in general. But I’m not quite convinced that it’s ready for primetime just yet.
The good
The Master & Dynamic MW75 Neuro headphones came about from a partnership between Master & Dynamic, which built the underlying MW75 headphones, and Neurable, the company behind the EEG-based focus-tracking tech.
We’re mainly going to focus on the focus-tracking tech here, but it’s still worth mentioning how the headphones perform. I’ve been a fan of Master & Dynamic for some time, and these headphones are a good representation of why. They look super cool, with a unique and premium design overall. This iteration of the headphones isn’t the most comfortable, though — they’re relatively heavy, and put a lot of pressure on the top of the head, while applying a lot of clamp force. That said, they do sound great, offering good bass response and plenty of clarity in the high end — though if you just want great-sounding headphones, there are probably even better options in this price range.
The headphones work with the Master & Dynamic app for adjusting settings related to audio, but they also work with the Neurable app, which is how you’ll track your focus sessions. The app is relatively well-designed, and it’s easy to start tracking your focus when the headphones are properly connected.
