Yuni V2 Headphone Review: Stereo Sound for People with Single-Sided Deafness

As someone with profound hearing loss in one ear, I found Yuni V2 Headphones to be an innovative solution for restoring a more full, stereo sound to music, podcasts, and other streamed audio. Yuni V2 does this through a unique single-sided sound technology that separates the sound stream using two receivers inside one headphone (the other headphone has no audio). At about $80, Yuni over-ear headphones gave me good sound quality and a renewed stereo-like listening experience—albeit with a few minor drawbacks that I'll tell you about below.

If you’re among the estimated 7.2% of American adults with unilateral hearing loss—hearing loss that affects only one ear—you may have never had the chance to fully experience stereo sound. Since losing the hearing in my left ear 8 years ago, music hasn't been the same. Without the input from my right ear, it no longer has the depth and richness it once did. Music became flat and one-dimensional. I miss listening to music in stereo, and for some time following my hearing loss, I even stopped listening to music altogether due to this disappointment.

Searching for Stereo Sound...for One Ear

Learning to enjoy listening to music again is an ongoing pursuit. I found that I could stream all audio to my right earbud by switching to the stereo-to-mono setting on my phone. Though this little trick gave me some satisfaction in knowing I was getting the full picture of sound, it’s still far from the rich experience I used to enjoy. There are some issues with this workaround too; combining both stereo channels into one flattens the sound, making it feel cramped and less clear. Plus, I miss out on those cool stereo panning effects when the sound moves between the channels.

Despite these efforts, music still felt incomplete, and I had resigned myself to the idea that no headphones could possibly compensate for the loss of sound in my deaf ear.

That is until I learned about the Yuni headphones. I am a frequent contributor to HearingTracker and was asked by them for an independent review of Yuni V2 Headphones. Although the headphones were supplied to me for free, HT asked for my unvarnished opinion on the product.

Key Features and Things to Know About Yuni V2

• Price US$79.99
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Optional 3.5mm cord for connecting devices, 1m (3.28 ft.)
• USB-C charging cable, 50 mm (1.96 in.)
• On-ear (not over-ear) style
• 30-meter (98.43 ft.) effective range
• 12-hour battery life
• 2 to 3-hour charge time
• 20Hz–30kHz frequency range
• Symmetrical design, meaning that the Yuni is reversible
• 1-year warranty

Is Yuni Compatible with a CROS Hearing Aid?

If you use a CROS hearing aid, you might wonder whether the Yuni headphones are compatible. According to the Yuni FAQs, the Yuni headphones should work if your hearing aid fits under regular headphones. However, feedback issues may arise since enclosed headphones can sometimes cause hearing aids to produce feedback. For more information on this subject, please see my HearingTracker article about using headphones with hearing aids and cochlear implants.

Yuni Headphones Aren’t Only for People with Unilateral Hearing Loss

While designed with unilateral hearing loss in mind, Yuni headphones are also ideal for anyone who prefers to keep one ear free while listening to audio. You can use them at work, on Zoom calls, while exercising, or when biking or walking near traffic. They’re also well-suited for listening to audiobooks and musicians who need one ear open for DJing or recording.

Why Yuni? And How Does It Work?

Clinical Psychologist Daniel Glass, PhD, was inspired to create a unique headphone designed for people with single-sided deafness (SSD) and others with significant hearing loss in one ear. There was a personal reason behind this mission: his wife had been deaf in her left ear since birth, and he wanted to improve her listening experience.

Glass had been searching for a product that would allow his wife to experience stereo sound. The closest thing he found was a single-sided earbud that collapsed the stereo signal into a mono signal. Yet, the sound felt muddy and there was no sense of space. Also, Glass’s wife didn't wear it because she worried that somebody in public might mistakenly speak into her other ear, assuming she could hear them, leading to an awkward social situation.

Driven by this, he set out to create a way for her—and the millions of others with unilateral deafness—to enjoy their favorite music fully, experiencing stereo sound through just one ear. “I realized if I wanted to give her a single-sided stereo experience, I'd have to develop it myself,” explains Glass.

Drawing on his background in psychoacoustics (the study of how we perceive sound) and neurobiology (the study of the nervous system and how the brain works), he saw that traditional stereo headphones depend on binaural cues—signals that rely on both ears—to create a sense of spatial sound. He wondered if he could design a version that used monaural (single-ear) cues instead, allowing the brain to interpret direction and depth with just one ear. This would give people with single-sided hearing an immersive sound experience.

The Science Behind Single-Sided Stereo

But doesn’t experiencing stereo sound require two working ears? Well, theoretically, no! Technically, stereo sound is a type of audio that uses two speakers to create the feeling of sound coming from different directions, typically with a left and right channel.

But Glass discovered a way to experience stereo sound with just one ear by positioning one speaker above and one below the listener’s ear. This works because the shape of the outer ear naturally alters the frequencies of sound slightly, depending on whether the sound source is higher or lower relative to your ear.

Glass’s breakthrough led to the creation of the Yuni headphones, designed to deliver this unique form of stereo sound.

If you're curious about the science behind Yuni headphones, check out this 2018 research for an explanation of how the human ear’s vertical localization capabilities work. You can even try a simple experiment by moving a sound up and down near your ear—you should be able to tell whether it’s coming from above or below you.

My Experience with the Yuni V2

I was excited to try the Yuni V2.  Here’s what I thought:

Comfort and Fit

Let’s first talk about the feel and fit of the Yuni. The Yuni V2 have a flexible, lightly padded band with an adjustable distance between the cups and the band. The headphones come with a connection lead that works with compatible smartphones—though, unfortunately, it doesn’t connect with my Google Pixel phone. I used the Bluetooth connection which worked well.

The headphones only play sound through one cup, but the design is symmetrical and reversible, so you can use them on whichever ear you prefer. I liked how they looked like standard headphones. Similar to Glass’s wife, when I wear an earbud to listen to audio in public, I often worry that someone will speak to me, assuming I can hear with my other ear, which is deaf. Using traditional-style headphones removes this concern, as they make it clear that I can't hear from that side.

I found the Yuni lightweight and easy to fold up, making them convenient for travel. While they don’t feature active noise cancellation, the design effectively blocks out most ambient noise, helping to give a more immersive listening experience. However, as their safety instructions highlight, anyone using them outdoors should be careful if using them on busy streets to ensure safety.

Quality of Stereo Sound

I used these headphones to listen to music via Bluetooth connection. To put them to the test, I asked ChatGPT for song recommendations to highlight their stereo potential.

Now for the verdict: I love the sound! The bassline of the Beatles’ “Come Together” really stands out, and the cool, relaxed tone of John Lennon’s vocals feels as though he’s singing from across the room—an effect beautifully recreated in the right cup of my Yuni headphones. Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place,” a song I frequently listened to years before my hearing loss which sounds disappointingly flat through a standard earbud, sounded hauntingly meditative, with Thom Yorke's vocals weaving around the mix amidst the pulsing synth. I found this song particularly impressive for its sense of movement and space in the music. David Bowie's “Space Oddity” felt intimate, as though Bowie was singing right next to me, and the guitars of Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing” sounded rich and fresh.

While listening to these songs, I felt I could more easily distinguish vocals from instruments compared to using standard headphones. I found myself paying more attention to the instrumental effects that I usually allow to fade into the mix as I concentrate on the vocals. There was more movement in the music, and I felt I had access to the whole sonic picture. I could go on, but I think you get the point!

I also tested the Yuni V2 while listening to podcasts and was impressed by the clarity of people’s voices. The storytelling podcast The Moth was especially engaging, with the voices coming through crisp and clear. I loved how the separation between the speakers' voices and the audience's laughter made me feel like I was more a part of the whole audio experience.

Room for Improvement

As I reflected on my experience with the Yuni V2 headphones, I began considering areas where they could be improved.

Comfort, for instance, is one aspect I feel could be enhanced. After about an hour of wearing the headphones, I began to feel the headband pressing a bit too tightly on my head, which prompted me to take a break. I can see this becoming uncomfortable over extended use, particularly if you wear glasses. That said, I feel it important to mention that taking breaks is a good practice, as the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting headphone use to less than an hour per day to reduce the risk of hearing damage.

I also found that for some tracks, the bass felt a little overpowering, though this varied depending on the arrangement of the songs.

As the price suggests, these aren’t luxury headphones, and the function buttons and switch could feel more refined. However, they more than make up for this with their unique ability to deliver single-sided stereo magic.

If you have normal hearing and are looking at the headphones as a stereo option while keeping one hearing ear free for monitoring the environment, you should know that you’ll have to keep the non-amplified cup off your ear. That is, there doesn’t appear to be an easy way to convert Yuni V2 into a monaural or single ear-cup headset. Below is a photo supplied by Yuni of a person using the headphones on just one ear.

Yuni Continues to Evolve

The idea for Yuni came in 2011, when Glass, with the help of a friend, filed a patent for a headphone system. His prototype was a bit rudimentary: a pair of Apple earbuds taped to Tupperware, proving that two sound sources could be differentiated with one ear. To double-check, he then glued cheap earbuds into a headphone shell, which also worked. By 2013, Chris Caswell, now the owner of 3D Central, created a 3D-printed Yuni prototype. A small Kickstarter campaign covered development costs and allowed Glass to start selling hand-made Yuni headphones.

Fast-forward 11 years, and the second-generation factory-made Yuni headphones are now available. They incorporate insights and suggestions gathered from users over the years. The updated V2 model is on-ear, with plans to introduce an over-ear version in the future. They should provide improved sound quality, comfort, durability, and Bluetooth connectivity.

Final Verdict

Overall, I’m thrilled with the Yuni V2 headphones. Unlike traditional headphones, which require a stereo-to-mono workaround, these deliver a much richer and more immersive listening experience. They allow me to fully appreciate the sonic spectrum of my favorite songs, and I’m excited to rediscover music with them.

Looking to grab a pair of Yuni V2 headphones? You can visit the Yuni store. And as I gratefully found, international shipping is available!