How to use the sound test
- Turn your device volume down. Start low. You can raise it once you hear the first sound.
- Press Start sound test. Sounds fade in at 25% volume, so nothing blasts.
- Listen. A short tone plays on the left channel, then on the right, then on both, one at a time.
- Say where you heard each sound. After each one, press Left, Middle or Right, or I didn’t hear anything. Press Play again to hear it once more. The tool then names the problem and the fix.
- Run the sweep at a moderate volume. Open the Frequency sweep tab; the sweep glides from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Press Mark where a rattle starts, or where the sound appears and fades.
- Copy the result if you need it for a support ticket or a warranty claim.
Keyboard shortcuts work while the tool has focus: L, C and R play left, center and right, the arrow keys answer left, middle and right, S starts or stops the sweep, M marks a frequency, and Esc stops all sound.
What this audio test checks, and what it can’t
A sound test plays known sounds through the left channel, the right channel and both together, so you can hear whether each one works and comes from the right place. When something is wrong, it tells you which side and what kind of fault: a silent side, swapped sides, or everything in mono.
The “center” sound has no speaker of its own. When both sides play the same sound equally loud, your brain places it in the middle. That’s why a center that leans to one side points to a balance problem.
The sweep adds a second check. A healthy speaker plays it smoothly from low to high. Buzzing, rattling or crackling at some frequencies suggests a loose part or a damaged driver.
Like any speaker test online, it has limits. A browser can’t measure loudness in decibels, the frequency response of your speakers, or anyone’s hearing. To compare the loudness of the two sides and check speaker polarity, use the left right sound test.
Understanding your results
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Looks good | Both sides work and are the right way round. | Run the sweep, or check your bass with the subwoofer test. |
| “Center” leans to one side | One side is louder than the other. | Check the balance setting, then compare both sides. |
| Left and right are swapped | The left sound comes from the right. | Wear the earpiece marked L on your left ear, or swap the speaker cables. |
| Both sides play everything | Your output is mono. | Turn off Mono Audio, and check for mono adapters or 3-pole plugs. |
| One side is silent | That side gets no sound. | Check the balance, re-seat the plug, and try another cable or device. |
| Everything plays from one side | The other side gets no signal of its own. | Check the cable and plug; one earbud may be getting both channels mixed. |
| No sound at all | Nothing reaches your ears. | Check the output device, the mute switches and the volume. |
If your answers don’t fit a pattern, the result is Mixed results. Replay each sound slowly and answer again, or try other headphones to see whether the problem moves with them.
How to fix no sound, a silent side or swapped channels
Work through these in order. Most problems are settings, not broken hardware.
- Check the output device. On Windows 11, open Settings → System → Sound and pick your speakers or headphones under Output. On a Mac, open System Settings → Sound → Output.
- Check every mute. The browser tab, the app, the system volume and any volume wheel on the headphones or cable can each mute sound on their own. Test sound again after each change.
- Watch for Bluetooth hands-free mode. When an app uses the microphone of Bluetooth headphones, many headsets switch to a call mode with muffled mono sound. Close the call or meeting app, or pick the headphones’ stereo output.
- Turn off Mono Audio and center the balance.
- Windows 11: Settings → Accessibility → Audio → Mono audio. The balance is under Settings → System → Sound → your device.
- macOS: System Settings → Accessibility → Audio → Play stereo audio as mono. The balance is in System Settings → Sound.
- iPhone: Settings → Accessibility → Audio & Visual → Mono Audio, with the balance slider just below.
- Android: Settings → Accessibility, then look for Mono audio and the left/right balance. The menu name varies by phone maker.
- Swap things to find the fault. Try another cable, other headphones or another device. If the problem stays with the speaker or headphones, the hardware is the cause.
- Keep the result. Press Copy result and paste it into your support ticket or warranty claim. It records which side failed and the output the browser saw.
Speaker test on a phone, laptop or TV
Phone speaker test
Open this page on the phone, and on an iPhone check the Ring/Silent switch first. Many phones have one speaker, so left and right sound the same; that’s normal, not a fault. Some phones with two speakers swap left and right when you turn the phone around. Phone speakers also play little below about 100–200 Hz, so a weak low end in the sweep is expected.
Laptops and computer speakers
If one laptop speaker seems dead, plug in headphones and test again. If the headphones work on both sides, the fault is in the laptop speaker or its settings. To test speakers on a desktop PC, plug stereo speakers into the green 3.5 mm jack.
TV, soundbar and home theater
Open this page in the TV’s browser, or cast a browser tab from a laptop or phone to the TV. A soundbar or AV receiver with more than two channels needs the 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound test to check each speaker. To hear one exact frequency, for example to find a rattle, use the tone generator.