Normal Headphones Bring the Custom Trend to Your Ears

What do you get when 3D prints earbuds based on your ear shape? A loud-as-hell reminder that you don’t have circular holes in your head.

We hope by now you’ve accepted that the buds that come with your new iPhone are just an elaborate form of packaging. Not only are they ugly and uncomfortable, but the lack of a tight seal means the whole train car can hear your Christina Aguilera throw-back Thursday jam session, which probably doesn’t even sound that great to you. With a few smartphone snaps and a 3D printer, Normal solves the problem by delivering perfectly fitted pairs of ‘buds in 48 hours or less. It works like this: Download the Normal app and follow the instructions to frame the perfect shots of your ears, pick your colors, and hit “send.” A Normal engineer converts your ear snaps into a 3D model and then sends your ‘buds down the 3D-printing assembly line. If the fit’s not perfect (for example, my left side fits like a glove, but the right was a little too tight), they’ll reshoot and reprint until it is. Once they fit, Normals are as clear and crisp as most comparably priced earphones and a lot more comfortable. [$199; nrml.com]