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 headphone version will be called the MW75-Neuro when they arrive in the new year, and come with neural sensors integrated into the padded parts of the headphones that measure the wearer's brainwaves to help them identify focus periods, recognize signs of stress, and discover optimal mental well-being conditions.
Used in conjunction with a Neurable app, the MW75-Neuro headphones are said to usher in a new 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: Specs
While there's no news on the on sale price or the release date at this time, we understand that the new MW75-Neuro version will be at CES 2024. They will have many of the same specs as the original Master & Dynamic MW75 active noise-canceling headphones that arrived in June 2022, priced at $599 / £549.
The bold, modern MW75 design is said to deliver powerful sound with expansive acoustics, precisely tuned ANC, and up to 32 hours of battery life (28 hours with ANC enabled). They use angled 40mm Beryllium drivers. They have 3 active noise-canceling modes while adaptive active noise-cancellation uses 4 microphones to intuitively adjust 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 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.
