Even as a technology journalist accustomed to putting weird things on my face, I admit I was afraid to put on the headphones. These weren’t just any headphones; they were outfitted with sensors that would conduct EEG (electroencephalogram) tests to measure the electrical activity in my brain. I was worried about an embarrassingly low score.
As a perpetually tired and over-caffeinated dad of a five-year-old, I was slightly anxious that a measly brain score would cause the representative from Neurable, maker of these EEG headphones, to judge me as I interviewed him about the new generation ofbrain-scanning ear cans that debuted this fall.
Much to my relief, my “brain age” — a test result yielded after a two-minute brain scan — was 40.1. (“Not bad!” I thought.) I conducted the rest of my interview about the headphones with confidence that my subject wouldn’t perceive me as the walking zombie that I felt like.
Neurable has released the MW75 Nuero LT
Headphones that are 12% lighter and $200 less than their predecessor
Boston-based Neurable showcased its second-generation headphones, the black MW75 Neuro LT, at Pepcom, an industry-meets-the-media technology event, last week in New York. The company officially debuted the headphones on September 30, and they are now available for pre-order on the company’s website. A Neurable representative at Pepcom told MakeUseOf that the $499 headphones will be available for sale on Amazon soon. Due to the materials, these next-gen Neurable headphones are 12% lighter (44 grams) than the originals, which cost $699 and were released in 2024. (The “LT” in MW75 Neuro LT is short for “lighter.”)
To hear company reps explain it, Neurable really isn’t a headphones company, though. The headphones are produced by New York-based Master & Dynamic. What sets them apart from standard headphones is that they feature 12-channel dry EEG sensors embedded in the foam ear cushions, which transmit data to your phone or laptop.
So no, Neurable isn’t really a headphones company; it’s a — forgive the cliché — a technology company. One could easily see how EEG technology could be acquired by a major technology company that already manufactures headphones — a possibility that Neurable representatives tell MakeUseOf would be welcome.
“Neurable’s technology is really integrating our sensor technology and our AI into everyday wearables,” Jessica Randazza Pade of Neurable told MakeUseOf. “We work with Master & Dynamic, but we also work with the Department of Defense to integrate it into helmets for hearing protection. For the consumer, it allows them to get their brain health metrics, so you can see what it looks like when you’re tired, what it looks like when you drink coffee, what it looks like when you drink alcohol, and when you get less sleep.”
Neurable wants its users to wear the new MW75 LT headphones all day long — the more data collected, the better — and in response to customer feedback, has worked to make this new version lighter and therefore more comfortable. The brain-computer interface sensors are the same, a Neurable representative tells MakeUseOf.
Will the new Neurable headphones face shipping delays?
We has asked how long it will take the new headphones to be delivered
We also asked Neurable to address questions that users had around shipping timelines. Several users on Reddit have reported waiting for months to receive their headphones.
We’ve asked Neurable if those complaints have merit, and if so, if Neurable has sped up the process since those complaints were posted. We’ve also asked how long it would take to receive the new MW75 LT headphones from pre-order to delivery. We will update this article when we receive a response.
Like the first-generation, these new headphones still conduct a two-minute brain scan to help you determine whether to focus on deep work or lighter tasks. And they still can tell you how well you slept by conducting a morning scan after you wake up. Crucially, the headphones can still also track mental exertion over hours of your workday — and the headphones will literally tell you to take a break.
“We built the MW75 Neuro LT for a simple reason. Your brain has been trying to tell you something, and until now, no one was listening.”
“We built the MW75 Neuro LT for a simple reason. Your brain has been trying to tell you something, and until now, no one was listening,” said Dr. Ramses Alcaide, CEO and co-founder of Neurable, in a press release. “It’s the same lab-grade brain sensing we pioneered with the MW75 Neuro, but lighter, all-day wearable, and more accessible. Our goal isn’t just to track brain activity; it’s to help people understand it, respond to it, and finally have a conversation with their own minds.”
If you’re among the one in three Americans who track their sleep, or you love to track your workouts on Strava and close the rings on your Apple Watch, you might find the brain data that Neurable collects an enticing offer. If you wear headphones for most of your day — as many who work from home do — it’s easy to understand how the EEG data can pile up and offer more reliable data about your brain health.
While there’s certainly a good argument to “just run” — e.g, ignoring the multitude of health metrics that are all too available these days while we exercise or work — it’s hard to see how an occasional brain reading that either confirms how you feel or debunks it could be detrimental.
You might even have a lower brain age than you think.