Does anyone else remember what a big deal walkmans were in the 80’s? I’m guess I’m showing my age. I also remember those cheap tinny sounding headphones with orange felt covering the earpieces . The felt would rip after a few days and having those speakers directly against your ears was not pleasant. Those white ear buds once the great status symbol during the early days of iPods were supposed to be an improvement. Not for me. No matter how hard I push them in (which isn’t comfortable by the way) they fall out.
Are there any options? Yes. Ready to march to the beat of your tympanic membrane? Introducing Normal Earphones!
Normal is a custom 3D printed earphone company launched by former Quirky member Nikki Kaufman, and it has what you’re looking for. At a cost of $199.99, Normal will build you a set of headphones tailored to every weird curve and bend of your ear. Each pair is uniquely designed to your ears, your right earphone will differ from your left.
Here’s how it works. Normal’s app uses your iPhone or Android camera to take a series of photos of your ear, using an ordinary quarter for scale. In-house software uses the data to 3D print a custom insert. No leaking sound or headphones falling out EVER.
Normal’s app lets you customize every aspect of your earphones: the color of the ear insert, the hardware and the length of the cord. Each pair comes with a travel case that’s laser-cut to the exact dimensions of your earphones.
And if you’re squeamish about sharing your ear buds or you’re just really selfish like me, you can point out that they were custom cut for you alone and won’t fit other ears.
If you are lucky enough to live in New York you can head down to their flagship store in Chelsea, at 150 W 22nd Street, or you can visit their website at www.nrml.com.
