While 2023 is likely to be remembered as the year that generative AI made it into public awareness via the world's most popular apps, 2024 looks to be shaping up to be the year neuroscience finally made it into the world of headphones.
That's certainly the plan following today's (December 19) Master & Dynamic announcement on its partnership with the Neurable AI platform. You may not have heard of Neurable — a developer of wearable computer tech — but if you're into audio then you almost certainly will have heard of New York-based Master & Dynamic as the maker of some of the best wireless earbuds and best headphones.
While Master & Dynamic introduced the MW75 noise-canceling headphones in June 2022, the partnership with Neurable integrates neurotechnology into a new version of the popular wireless headphones. The new headphones are called the MW75-Neuro and are already available to pre-order now for $649.
The MW75-Neuro look similar to Master & Dynamic's other over-ear headphones, but have neural sensors integrated into the fabric parts of the frame. The sensors are designed to track the wearer's brainwaves to help them identify focus periods, recognize signs of stress, and discover optimal mental well-being conditions analyzed via a Nurable AI app for iOS or Android. Neurable says that the data is stored in secured locations in an encrypted and de-identified form.
According to Neurable, the new MW75-Neuro headphones are said to usher in an era of what the company calls BCI-enabled ('brain-computer interface') wearable technology designed to maximize cognitive performance. As a pioneer in the BCI wearable space, Neurable is turning everyday electronics into smart computing devices with capabilities including cognitive performance features.
Commenting on the partnership with Neurable, Jonathan Levine, Master & Dynamic founder & CEO said "The greatest advancement of audio technology over the last decade has been the migration from analog to Bluetooth wireless devices. Moving now into brain sensing thrusts the industry into a new wave of innovation. We're proud to lead the charge with Neurable."
Master & Dynamic MW75-Neuro: Availability & specs
We plan to get a first hands-on at CES 2024. But if you don't want to wait for our initial impressions, the Master & Dynamic MW75-Neuro headphones are available to pre-order now via the neurable website. They cost $649 and are available in four color options including onyx, silver, olive and navy.
That's $100 more than the Apple AirPods Max, but only $50 more than the original Master & Dynamic MW75 active noise-canceling headphones that arrived in June 2022.
Much like the bold, modern MW75 design, we expect the Neuro version to deliver powerful sound with expansive acoustics and ANC, and up to 32 hours of battery life (28 hours with ANC and neuro tracking sensors enabled). They use angled 40mm Beryllium drivers and have Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive codec support.
There are 3 active noise-canceling modes while adaptive active noise-cancelation intuitively adjusts the ANC to match the noise level of your surroundings. Users can access two additional ANC modes, customize their sound with EQ adjustments, and access Ambient Listening modes to tune into their surroundings within the M&D Connect app.
The original MW75 headphones continue to be on sale and are available in multiple color options, including gunmetal with black leather, silver metal with grey leather, silver metal with brown leather, and black metal with black leather.
Don't forget to bookmark our CES 2024 page for all our coverage on the latest tech releases.
