The revolutionary earphones are the brainchild of former Quirky member Nikki Kaufman. After trying more than a dozen earphones herself, she realized that most earphones in the market lacked the perfect fit. To get a customized pair, you need to visit a doctor, settle for those pairs with uncomfortable silicone modes, spend around $2000, and wait for more than three weeks to get your order done.
The new earphones, dubbed as Normal, are designed to address these issues. Since they are customized, it means that each pair is unique and distinct to an individual. Through a mobile app, customers are given step by step instruction on how to get their pair of earphones. This would involve taking a picture of their ear and knowing the correct "tilting" angle. Apart from using a good camera, the customer should also have a quarter ready when taking a picture. Normal will use the quarter, placed on an individual's ear, as its "shape" benchmark.
The mobile app, which is available for download from any iOS and Android devices, makes the order process unique and more efficient. If instructions are followed successfully, customers can get their new pair of earphones in as little as 48 hours, guaranteed by the company. Other feature of the app includes customizing the colors of plug housing, drive housing, cord, remote and soft-touch plastic "earform" which is that part of the earphones that's customized to fit one's ears. Customers also get a replaceable cord which can be flipped around the ear or left hanging. The cord comes in either black or clear.
The earphones are shipped in a customized carrying case bearing the new owner's laser-engraved name. It is a small box that is made to mirror the enclosed earphones which fit just perfectly inside.
"When we set out to make Normal, we wanted not just an amazing brand, and an amazing fit and a product that you design, but one that sounds incredible," says Kaufman. "Anyone would really appreciate that sound. We went out to find the best components we could find and it's about the engineering too - how it's engineered and manufactured. Because of the 3D-printed custom fit, it's creating a seal for you which makes it sound that much better."
Customers can now preorder their earphones using the app. They can also march to Normal's physical shop which is scheduled to open August. The retail price is set at $199 per pair.
