Would you buy headphones with a built-in screen?

Designer Olga Orel's new headphone concept, called Futureahead, adds a whole new dimension to these popular audio devices. The design idea combines the influences of retro technology with the modern tendency to integrate screens into practically any device. The result is a headset that would fit perfectly in the world of Cyberpunk 2077.

In the concept images of the product, it can be seen that the screen almost completely covers the outside of the headphones.

The question that arises for practically everyone who came across this unusual idea is in which scenarios the screens on the headphones will be useful. The designer obviously has an answer to this question as well. According to her, the Futureahead headphones could be used to share the music experience through album artwork, display a playlist, track information, display music visualizations, and more. At least for now, there aren't exactly convincing reasons to use it, but let's be surprised.

If you ride public transportation, you've probably noticed that some people like to share the music they're listening to. The Futureahead headphone concept takes listening to music to an even higher level with a variety of visual elements. However, putting such power-hungry components into headphones for dubious benefit to other people means you'll need to charge them more often - unless you're using them in wired mode, drawing power from your phone or player.

Olga Orel shares some more technical information about the design of Futureahead. The headset is expected to work in both wired (USB-C) and wireless Bluetooth connection modes. The ear pads are also known to be magnetically attached, allowing for easy replacement based on user preferences or maintenance needs.

The design also includes intuitive physical controls, such as a volume rocker and a screen on/off button. Aside from the physical controls, users will do most of the configuration of the Futureahead headset through the app – specifically to select and adjust what's shown on the screen.

The concept is very niche, but there may be an audience willing to test whether this unusual concept has real-world value.