Sound test for speakers and headphones

Left, right and both

Confirm each side works and that the channels aren't swapped. Both sides together should sound like one source in the middle.

Frequency sweep

A tone that rises smoothly from 20 Hz to 20 kHz over 15 seconds. Listen for where it fades in and out, and for any buzzing or rattling along the way.

Bass

Eight steady low notes from 150 Hz down to 30 Hz. The lowest one you can hear is roughly where your speakers stop. Laptop and phone speakers often stop early.

Phase

The same sound in phase, then with one channel flipped. A clear difference means your left and right are wired the same way.

One side is silent

Check the balance slider in your sound settings, push the plug fully in, and try another cable or port. On Bluetooth, disconnect and reconnect the headset.

Both sides play the left or right check

Turn off mono audio: on a Mac it's in System Settings, Accessibility, Audio. On Windows 11 it's in Settings, Accessibility, Audio. A Bluetooth headset in hands-free mode also plays mono.

No sound at all

Make sure the right output device is selected in your system's sound settings, the tab isn't muted, and the volume slider here isn't at 0.

Crackling or rattling

Turn the volume down. If the bass check still rattles at a low volume, something near the speaker is loose or the speaker is damaged.

Common questions

How do I test my speakers or headphones?

Turn your device volume down, then play the left, right and both checks on this page. The left chime should come only from the left side, the right chime only from the right, and both should sound centered. Then play the sweep and the bass check to hear how much of the range your speakers cover.

How do I do a left and right audio test?

Press Play left, then Play right. The highlighted speaker on screen shows which channel is playing. If you hear the left chime on the right, your headphones are on the wrong way round or the channels are swapped. If one side stays silent, check the balance setting and the plug or Bluetooth connection.

Why do I hear the left and right checks from both sides?

Your audio is being played in mono. Common causes are the mono audio setting in your accessibility settings, a Bluetooth headset in hands-free mode, or a single speaker such as a phone or smart speaker. Laptop speakers sit close together, so the sides can also be hard to tell apart.

Why does my Bluetooth headset sound worse during calls or dictation?

Most Bluetooth headsets switch to a hands-free mode whenever their microphone is in use. That mode plays sound in mono at lower quality. Close the call or the app using the microphone and the headset switches back to stereo. If you dictate a lot, a separate microphone lets the headset stay in stereo.

What frequencies can humans hear?

Roughly 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz for young people with healthy hearing. The top of the range drops with age, so many adults hear nothing at the very end of the sweep. Small speakers also can't play the lowest notes, so the bottom of the sweep may be silent too.

What does out of phase mean?

One channel plays the same sound with its wave flipped upside down. On headphones, out of phase sounds wide and hard to place. On speakers, the bass partly cancels and the sound gets thinner. If the in phase part already sounds like that, a speaker wire may be connected the wrong way round.

Why can't I hear anything on my iPhone?

Check that silent mode is off and the volume is up, then tap a check again. Safari only plays sound after you tap, so every check starts from a button. If you use Bluetooth earbuds, make sure they are connected to the phone and not to another device.