Sound Test
Check that your speakers or headphones play from the right side, cover the full range and are wired correctly, all generated live in your browser.
- Left / right test
- 20 Hz–20 kHz sweep
- Polarity check
- Pink & white noise
What is a sound test?
A sound test plays known signals so you can hear whether your audio system reproduces them correctly. This page generates every sound live with the Web Audio API: chimes panned hard left, right and centre, a 20-second sine sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, an in-phase and out-of-phase polarity test, pink and white noise, and a full tone generator. Use it for laptop speakers, desktop speakers, soundbars, subwoofers, headphones and earbuds.
How to test your speakers
- Turn your system volume down, then set the page volume to about 40%.
- Play Left, Right and Both. Each chime should come only from the side named.
- Play the frequency sweep and note where the sound becomes audible and where it fades out. Listen for rattles.
- Run the polarity test. In phase should sound centred and full; out of phase should sound wide and thin.
Speaker or headphone troubleshooting
- No sound at all: check the system output device and volume, the tab is not muted (right-click the tab) and Bluetooth headphones are connected.
- Sound on one side only: try another cable or headphone jack. If the left/right test plays from the wrong side, the headphones are on backwards or the channels are swapped in your audio settings.
- Thin sound and weak bass: run the polarity test. If “out of phase” sounds fuller, one speaker is wired with + and − reversed.
- Rattles at a certain pitch: play the sweep or hold a tone at that frequency to find the loose part.
Why use this sound test
- Generated liveNo audio files to download, so tests start instantly and are exactly the pitch shown.
- More than left and rightSweep, polarity, noise and tone generator cover the tests audio forums recommend.
- Safe volume controlA separate page volume with a gentle fade-in, so tones never start at full blast.
- No download or driverRuns in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Android and iPhone.
When to run a sound test
- New speakers or soundbar. Confirm left and right are connected the right way round.
- Subwoofer setup. Find the lowest frequency your system plays and set the crossover.
- Car audio. Check each speaker and listen for door-panel rattles.
- Headphones and earbuds. Spot a dead driver or a balance problem.
Checking a whole setup? Run the mic test, webcam test, keyboard test, mouse test, gamepad tester, dead pixel test and refresh rate test, or browse all device tests.
Example: bass disappears when both speakers play
Each speaker sounds fine alone, but together the bass is weak. Play In phase and Out of phase. If out of phase sounds fuller, one speaker’s red and black wires are swapped. Reverse them on one speaker and the bass returns.
What to expect from the result
The audible range depends on your speakers, your ears and your volume. Small laptop and phone speakers rarely play below 100–150 Hz. Browsers output through your system’s mixer, so equalisers and spatial audio effects change the result; turn them off for accurate tests.
Sound Test questions
How do I test my speakers online?
Lower your volume, then play the Left, Right and Both chimes. Each should come only from that side. Then play the frequency sweep and polarity test to check range and wiring.
How do I test left and right audio?
Select Left or Right in the left/right speaker test. The chime is panned completely to that channel. Alternate switches sides every second.
What frequency range should I hear?
Young adults hear roughly 20 Hz to 17–20 kHz; the upper limit falls with age. Small speakers usually cannot play below 100 Hz, so the sweep may start late on laptops.
What does the polarity test check?
It plays the same noise in both speakers, then with one inverted. If the inverted version sounds fuller, a speaker is wired backwards and is cancelling bass.
Is this sound test safe for my speakers?
Yes at moderate volume. Keep the volume low for very low and very high frequencies, which can damage tweeters, small speakers and hearing at high levels.