Just as AI and mobile technology are making things infinitely more distracting and overstimulating for adults with ADHD, it is also providing new solutions to the problems of focus and attention.
A new trend for AI-powered headphones that track your brain waves and help you get into states of focus, calm and flow has taken off in the last year and I have found that smart headphones and brainwave entrainment music help improve my ADHD focus.
Right now, there are 3 big players in the focus wearable and AI-powered headphones space: Enophones, Neurable and Vital Neuro.
Neurable has the most promising research and the most advanced AI-powered technology in their headphones but both Enophones and Vital Neuro are also promising tools for improving ADHD focus and productivity at work.
If you’re interested in experimenting with AI-powered neurofeedback focus and productivity for managing your ADHD distractibility, paralysis and burnout then I’m going to break down the pros and cons of each of these smart headphones.
1. Enophones
Enophones is a pair of brainwave sensing headphones that track your brain waves and play brainwave entrainment music using binaural beats to help you improve your focus.
They use a proprietary audio-modulation technology that customizes the binaural beats music frequencies in real-time to help you get into states of focus, calm and flow.
They have a huge library of brainwave entertainment music and they add new tracks each month. My biggest grip with the Enophones is the quality of the microphone is so poor I can’t use it for Zoom calls.
The Enophones App:
Currently, they only have an iOS app so the Enophones will only work for Apple users. The Android app should arrive in Q1 of 2025.
The app’s key features are audio modulation and the brainwave entrainment music library as the EEG reporting charts aren’t very good yet.
Pros of the Enophones
- The largest library of brainwave entrainment music using their proprietary binaural beats
- Their latest 2.0 release of the iPhone app in September was a big step forward
- They are relatively affordable and high-quality headphones
Cons of the Enophones:
- The analytics and data reporting about your brain waves is confusing
- The sensors on the top of the head are not as comfortable as Neurable’s MW75
- The microphone on the Enophones isn’t very good
Pricing:
The Enophones are $399 on the Enophones website but you can use the discount TAKE50OFF to get them for $349.
They are the cheapest on the list and they offer a 60-day money-back guarantee if you don’t like the headphones.
2. Neurable MW75
The mission of Neurable is to bring AI-powered neurotechnology out of research labs to daily life.
To realize their vision, they have teamed up with the premium audio brand Master & Dynamic to create a unique pair of headphones that can help people manage burnout and enhance daily performance at work.
For the last decade, Neurable has honed its brain-computer interface technology, which it calls Neurable AI. Their smart headphones use brain sensors and AI to map out your focus level and help you avoid burnout by suggesting you take breaks before you start to fatigue, which is something that can be particularly helpful for adults with ADHD.
Most people tend to rest when they feel tired, but it’s often too late when you feel the symptoms of fatigue. In one study, Neurable’s founder Dr. Ramses Alcaide found that subjects who acted on the Neurable app’s suggestions to rest were 20% more productive and felt 50% happier by the end of the day.
This is a stunning pair of premium headphones based on the Master & Dynamics MW75 and you end up paying about $100 for Neurable’s AI and brainwave tracking. That being said, at a retail price of $649, they are about $200 more than Apple’s AirPods Max.
The Neurable App:
They have well-designed apps available for iOS and Android.
The app’s key features are the weekly focus tracker and scoring, measuring duration for High, medium and low focus sessions.
Pros of Neurable’s MW75:
- Get key insights into your focus with by far the best data, analytics and AI recommendations
- They are the only neurotechnology focus wearable with apps for both iOS and Android
- Excellent build quality and the most comfortable EEG sensors along the ear padding
Cons of Neurable’s MW75:
- Very expensive, about $100-$200 more than other premium headphones of a similar quality
- Smart features usefulness and AI recommendations still needs some work
Pricing:
The MW75-Neuro is available starting at $649 on Neurable’s website but only for consumers in the United States and Canada. Neurable says they are eager to expand to other countries in early 2025.
If you are skeptical but want to test out the MW-75 Neuro for yourself, they offer a 14-day return policy where you can return the headphones for any reason if you are not satisfied.
3. Vital Neuro
Vital Neuro uses their own proprietary neuroresponsive music technology to customize your audio experience in real-time.
They call their audio-modulation music technology “Vitalized Music” and claim it can help you effectively get into a desired state of mind like focus or flow. They claim their music technology can guide you into the optimal ‘zone’ or flow states for peak cognitive performance.
The placement of the sensors is better than the Enophones but they are not nearly as comfortable as the Neurable headphones which cleverly integrate the EEG sensors into the earpads.
The Vital Neuro App:
Currently, they only have an iOS app, which has a lot of good reviews.
When you purchase the Vital Neuro you get a free one-year subscription to their app and all their responsive audio library including breathwork sessions, playlists and a gamification interface
Pros Vital Neuro’s Headphones:
- They have the best designed app available for iPhone and iPad
- The “Vitalized Music” and breathwork is great for improving focus
Cons of Vital Neuro’s Headphones:
- No scientific studies to back up their claims like the Neurable MW75
- There isn’t much information about these headphones online
- The most expensive on the list
Pricing:
Vital Neuro is the most expensive smart headphones on the list at $795.
They are available on the Vital Neuro website and they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Which AI-Powered Smartphones Are Right For Your ADHD Brain?
Personally, I got the Enophones because the other two options were a little too expensive for me.
As this technology improves, I think the price of the Neurable and Vital Neuro headphones will come down to a more comfortable level for most consumers.
I think Neurable has the most promise in terms of the overall design and the research backing up the efficacy of their EEG neurofeedback headphones.
Apple has also filed patents for integrating EEG sensing and brainwave tracking into their AirPods so it will be interesting to see how this smart headphones space develops in the next couple of years.
