Headphones that can read your mind — sort of

Have you ever wondered what your brain is doing while you try to focus? The MW75 Neuro headphones aim to answer just that.

At first glance, these £629 headphones look like any other luxury audio gear: premium materials, soft cloth earpads, and a stylish finish that would not be out of place on someone driving a Rolls-Royce. But hidden beneath that elegant exterior is a groundbreaking brain-computer interface (BCI) that tracks your focus in real time.

Developed by Neurable, a neurotechnology startup out of the University of Michigan, the MW75 Neuro uses non-invasive electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors placed inside the earpads. These sensors collect electrical signals from your brain. The accompanying Neurable app interprets this data to detect whether your mind is alert, distracted, or somewhere in between.

The headphones connect to the app, where you can start focus sessions, play a rocket-ship game using only concentration, and even get a brain health report. The idea is to prompt users to take breaks before burnout sets in — and potentially, in future, to flag early signs of mental health conditions like Alzheimer's.

As a pair of headphones, the MW75 Neuro also performs well. According to Tom's Guide, the sound is warm and dynamic, the build is solid, and the noise-cancelling works decently, though it falls short of the likes of Sony's XM5 or Apple's AirPods Max. A few touch controls feel finicky, and for now, the app's insights are intriguing but not yet indispensable.

Still, for those curious about the frontier of neurotech, this may be just the beginning.