Normal

Around holiday season 2014, my lady decided that she needed a new pair of headphones. We were walking around midtown one day, and oh look, a store with 3D printers galore. Hey, they sell headphones. And whoa. 2-​for-​one Holiday sale.
The Nrml earbuds — they are $ 200 custom/​personalized earbuds with 3D printed forms on the cabinet so they are supposed to «mold» to your ear canal. You send them a photograph of your earlobes, they do some image analysis, and custom build your earbuds. It’s little gimmicky, the material is ABS (the same material as Lego brcks), it’s not going to contour onto your body in motion like soft silicone.
I sampled a pair on demo and was reasonably impressed by the clean audio reproduction, but what really sold me was the promise of an easy replacement cord. After breaking numerous earbuds due to cords bending snapping and breaking, I want an easy fix, and I am not afraid to pay extra for it. Accordng to the staff members, the headphones have a lifetime guarantee, and the cords can be replaced free-​of-​charge. I doubt it’s really free, but it’s probably cheaper than buying a new pair. Okay, sold, 2 for the price of one. Give them a few days to print them out and pick them up. Post-​sale appraisal:
a) The cords are thin and came in 2 lengths: long and ridiculously long
b) The cords looks custom made for this application (no 3^rd party replacement)
c) The remote on the cord is a bit of a hit/​miss
d) The frequency response is dependent on the audio amp circuit on whatever you are plugging the headphones into.
Well, okay, I can live with those. Nrml got my back on the replacement cords thing… right?
In April 2016 they shut down for a renovation. When they returned all traces of the corded headphone has been removed, and they start promoting their new wireless headphones, and at the same time the cord on my lady’s pair of Nrmls developed a kink and cannot do audio on one side. I contacted Nrml expecting an easy replacement. I got Nikki (the president of Nrml) on the email reply stating that the corded phones are discontinued, they ended all support on the legacy product (meaning no replacement cords), and she’ll offer a 50% discount on a new pair of wireless phones instead.
I was flabbergasted. Let me express it from a consumer’s point of view — You just denied me post sales support, would I like to double down with you on the wireless headphones and bet if they won’t dick me over when the built-​in battery starts to falter in the future and they might/​might not have a newer product? You figured that the company would just order some extra cords to keep their existing customers happy while pushing their wireless phones aggressively to geeks like me. Nope. Just what the heck is going on in their heads?
Well, they lost a customer for life. Those headphones aren’t cheap and have a limited lifespan… and you are dependent upon the manufacturer to keep them working. They have proven themselves unable and unwilling to do just that. If they can’t stand behind their products, just what good are they?

I really liked the sound, look, and quality of these earphones. The real problem with this company was what they do when your earphones have broken. The left earpiece stopped working on my earphones. When I emailed them about my problem, they did not respond for 2 days. Also with my earphones still being under the «life-​time» warranty, I was hoping that they would just send me a replacement cord. They told me that they couldnt send me a cord «at this time.» They were nice about offering a refund or a gift code for their new wireless headphones, but all I wanted in the first place was a replacement cord. Overall, I think that the idea of 3D printed headphones was a good idea, but when earphones were $ 200 and the company can’t fix them, something is wrong. I would recommended looking somewhere else for cheaper earphones backed by a company that is willing to fix them for you.

Are you still in business? Have not gotten any update on pre order of new normals …

I have tried repeatedly to contact this company with no returned emails. They have removed their phone number so you can’t call them. I returned my custom ear buds over a month and half ago to get one side «perfect» as they claim. They get a zero on custom service.
For a company that claims to have got it right and guarantees perfect fit no matter what /​you have to respond to consumers.
Are you still in business?

My headphones fit perfectly! Went here for a company event and loved the store itself and the décor. There are 3D printers everywhere. The guy makes the process pretty simple. He takes a picture of both your ears (creepy I know) and that’s really it. You pick the color you want, the case color, and what you want engraved on the case.
They do their magic and ship it to you in a couple of days. Mine fit perfectly. I actually really like them. It’s a little confusing at first how to put them in but you’ll get it!

TL;DR: After 2 printings, these custom headphones fit worse than many off-​the-​shelf varieties I’ve tried. They’re uncomfortable, they constantly shift in my ears making them feel very unstable, and they don’t block out any outside sound. Service was either stellar or lackadaisical.
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For years, I’ve struggled to find headphones that fit. I don’t have particularly small or large ears, and they aren’t visibly that weird looking (no more so than any other strangely shaped flap of skin attached to the side of the head to collect sound). So when I initially heard about Normal, I was intrigued, but frankly turned off by the $ 200 price tag.
I recently stumbled onto them once again at a holiday pop-​up event and they were offering 25% off. I figured $ 150 with a lifetime warranty was a solid enough deal to give them a try, so I took the plunge. The woman at the event was very nice, answered all of my questions, snapped a few photos of my ears, and placed my order. So far, my experience was great.
I waited a couple of days and was notified that they were ready for pick-​up (I opted for this over shipping). So I went into the Normal store/​office to pick them up. (Sidebar: It’s a very cool space, but seems like TOTAL overkill from a retail perspective as there’s nothing out for you to see. I do, however, really like the integration of retail/​office/​manufacturing space and they’ve set it up beautifully so you feel like you get a look behind the curtain.)
Unfortunately, from this point forward, my experience took a nose dive. I was greeted by an employee who went to the back to grab my custom headphones. She puts them in a bag, plops them on the counter with a «here ya go.» and walks away. Now, normally this would be no big deal, but given both the hands-​on nature of the purchase as well as the fact that Normal headphones have to be put in a certain way, it would be nice to get just a bit of help in that department (especially since it was clear that I was going to open them and try them on right there). A «would you like to try them on now?» or an «FYI, you need to insert them like this and then twist slightly this way.» would have been massively helpful.
I proceeded to unbox them and put them in, only to find that the fit was TERRIBLE. These custom, made for my ear hole headphones didn’t fit my ears at all. Finally the employee came back to ask if they were ok and then brought out an engineer to have a look. To their credit, the engineer took a few more photos, noted what needed to change, and promised they’d be remade in ~48 hours.
Fast forward five days and I’ve gotten notification that they’re being printed, but not that they’ve been completed. It wasn’t a huge deal, but for the first pair printing to pickup was 24 hours, so I sent an email inquiring about them. I got a prompt response letting me know they’d be ready in 2 hours. Four hours later, I stopped by to pick them up, only to be informed that they weren’t ready (but now would be in 20 minutes).
In my frustration, I was admittedly a bit rude to the salesperson, but I didn’t have time to wait around as I had an appointment to get to. I returned a couple of days later to pick up the remade pair and again had a similar «plop them down, here ya go» experience. Again, I took the time to unbox them and spent a little time trying them on in the store. The fit was considerably better than the first attempt, but still not confidence inspiring. I’d really hoped to insert my new, custom headphones and have a moment of «OMG, where have you been all my life??» Instead, I had a moment of «Geez, I’m half tempted to return these on the spot and be done.»
Instead, I figured perhaps they just needed some getting used to. So I wore them out of the store. The first thing I noticed as I hit the city streets was that they offered NO sound insulation from the outside world at all. I wasn’t expecting active sound cancellation, but when the website touts their ability to seal in the sound, I expect it: «In general, leakage is never good. Especially when it comes to sound. A proper fit helps every single note go directly into your sound craters. No noise left behind!»
Further, the fit just isn’t right. Within a couple of blocks of walking, my ears were getting sore and every head movement or slight tug on the cord pulled them just enough to unseat them further from my ear. They didn’t actually fall out at any point, but they needed constant adjustment. Once again, I almost turned around to return them, but again figured perhaps I needed to give them a shot.
By the time I got home (~30 minutes of walking and subway ride) I was certain that these new, custom headphones were a complete waste. They’re uncomfortable, they constantly shift in my ears making them feel very unstable, and they don’t block out any outside sound.
Mine will be going back for a full refund.

Came here for a Unilocal Elite event but it’s worth explaining the set up of this store & what they do. You see, they solve a problem that has hit many of us hard (especially those who are tiny like myself): they create earbuds specifically designed to fit YOUR ear. They take photographs of your ear to get 3-​D images of it and design earbuds that will not fall out of your ears as you run and perform your day to day life. It is a product that I wish were in my budget now but sadly, it’s not. They actually create these earbuds on site at this location & have a ton of designs/​varieties of ear buds.
As for the Elite event itself, that was lots of fun. The store itself has a great décor, energy and there’s sufficient seating. My guest also had a good time and if I had it in my budget, this would certainly be something I’d buy (they retail for $ 199 but do have a lifetime guaranty & warranty so if I had it, a good investment). Seriously, check them out. If you are the type who needs their music on the subway or while exercising or elsewhere, you’ll be glad you did.

4 stars because one side of my normal headphone doesn’t fit as well as the other side, but it’s better than anything I have ever had since I have small ears. sound quality is great.
5 stars for their policy. I have gotten it fixed twice now. Free of charge. a lot of people give it one star because of the price. To me, knowing that I can go back and get it fixed justifies the price. Also you can return them for free so why not give it a try. Also I requested that they messenger it to my work office (Manhattan) so I don’t need to wait for it in the mail or go pick it up.
nice packaging but kind of wasteful because you can’t use the beautiful packaging box afterwards.

It took three tries (one of my earholes seems to be exceptionally small) but it finally seems right. The people here are beyond helpful and kind. The sound quality seems to be excellent. And their packaging is the cleverest and most elegant I’ve seen recently — had to mention that!

Update: When I went to return the earphones, they were pretty nice about it. After initially saying that they would re-​fit them, the guy finally settled down and listened to me. When I explained that the base ear piece was too wide for my small ear, he agreed that it was a large piece and that others had had this problem too. He said they may start making a smaller base piece and they gave me a refund with no problem. So… no good for small ears!

I was impressed with the beautiful store and kind staff so I decided to get a pair. I dropped by after receiving the confirmation email stating that they were ready and picked them up without being given any product information from any sales staff.
I went to the gym and one of the earpieces disconnected itself from the ear piece. I put it back together and then was in pain because the left earpiece was too tight. I went to the shop and they guy adjusted the earpieces and then told me that I was wearing them incorrectly (!). I didn’t know that it was that complicated to wear earphones.
The next day I went back to the gym and noticed that the music was sounding «crackly» in the left earpiece. Again, the earpieces got disconnected. I went back to the store and the same guy told me «no problem, let me make an adjustment».
The next day I went back to the gym and noticed that the «adjustment» was now a joke as I couldn’t hear anything from that earpiece.
I then went back to the store and wanted either a new set or a refund. The girl confirmed that they were too tight and offered me a new pair. After a few days, I hadn’t heard from them and dropped by the store. The new earpieces were ready and I tested them. They seem to be OK but honestly, I wouldn’t have purchased them ($ 200) had I known these issues. There are better earpieces out there at a cheaper price and no quality issues.

First of all i would like to thank the guys/​gals over at normal for their great customer support. My wife bought me a pair back in December 2014 and have been wearing them and loving them since. I am a person who listens to music everyday and have used klipsch, Shures and Altec Lansing and i can say that these headphones definitely are up there if not better.
I will say better because there customer service is out of this world. I have returned to Normal twice to have some minor fixes and was out within 10 minutes with no fuss. You have to remember these headphones have a lifetime warranty so you can go as many times as you seem fit and they make it seamless and are very pleasurable to deal with. Once again thank you Normal and keep up the good work.
Wife may be getting jealous since i come back home and tell her how great Normal customer service is.

I ordered Normals in October, about 2 months after the business launched. I used the iPhone app knowing nothing about the company and received them in a relatively short period of time. They sound good and for my troublesome ears seem to be the most comfortable solution that still stays on the ears without going to big over or on the ear solutions.
Then, just recently, I discovered they actually have a store front in Manhattan! Yes, you can actually go in to get your ears scanned (with that same iPhone software) and then the magical 3D printing of your custom product begins right there. Yes, from purchase to manufacturing, to delivery — it all happens at that same storefront.
What makes it even better, however, is the passion of the people in the store, they help with walking you through how everything works, but more importantly, their desire to keep you happy AFTER the sale.

The best headphone I ever have. Best customer support and sound quality.
I am getting one more set for my lovely husband, too!

I came here after it was recommended to me by my brother who raves about these earphones and has probably gotten at least 5 people to buy a pair. I’ve spent a LOT of money on headphones in my life. It’s a constant battle finding a pair that are great quality, fit comfortably, and look good. I can’t tell you how many times i’ve stared enviously at people in the subway wearing Apple earphones like its no big deal. Ummm… Apple earphones and my ears do NOT get along. The people who can run on a treadmill with them and they don’t fall out? Who are these people?
Anyway, Normal has solved that problem by 3d printing earphones to perfectly match your ears. The people working in the store are incredibly nice and the store itself is really cool (you can watch the 3d printers printing away). They took a few pictures of my weird ears and a day and a half later I had a brand new pair of green earphones that fit PERFECTLY in my ears. No subway ride will ever be the same now that I can actually sit there and just freaking listen to music without adjusting my earphones every 5 seconds. I absolutely love them.

My son and my brother bought normals and after rave reviews, I decided to buy a pair for myself! What a great concept. So much fun to pick out the colors. The factory is amazing as well as the people working there! I was lucky enough to meet the owner/​designer and she is just so cool and nice! Can’t wait to pick up my normals on Monday.

I ordered my Normals a few weeks ago through the app. Other than the slightly challenging ear selfie procedure, my experience with the hardware and customer service have been top notch!
The headphones themselves fit wonderfully, sound great, look unique, and (most importantly) stay in my ears NO MATTER WHAT! After a few weeks, one bud developed an unfortunate buzzing noise. With a single email to support, they FedEx-​ed me a brand new cable on the next business day. Thanks to the ear buds’ modular design, I was able to swap in the new cable in seconds, and have had nothing but great performance since.
My only regret is that I don’t live in NYC, so I can’t go see the Normal folks in person!

How lucky I get to be the first review of Normal Ears!!! This joint is the ultimate in cool, and is a huge ++++ xxxx factor improvement to the West 22^nd Street block. I’ve been lucky enough to live right nearby, see the evolution of the formerly empty space, and boy is the space cool. Think Apple meets Beats (oh they already met and married) meets party like its 1999 pre — dot com bust.
The space is huge, and what Normal Ears does is make custom made ear buds via 3d technology right then and there. Honestly i don’t know much about this, but it seems super cool, and the earbuds sell at the Apple store currently. Nuff said. I think Normal is soon to be a must go to spot, and I am gearing up to order my new ear buds (i think they say earholes or something like that). No at a $ 199 price point, its NOT cheap, but what is cheap for custom and totally individual. So in the Normal speak, I’ll add «cheers to your ears».