Play left, right and stereo test tones, and sweep the frequency range of your speakers or headphones.
Runs in your browser. No microphone or permission needed.
- Turn your volume down a little
- Play the left, right and stereo tones
- Run the sweep to hear the full range
Turn your volume down a little, then press Start. You will hear a tone on the left, the right, then both.
How it works
- Turn your volume down a little
- Play the left, right and stereo tones
- Run the sweep to hear the full range
What the speaker test does
This speaker test plays test tones in your left channel, your right channel or both, so you can check that your speakers or headphones work and that left and right are not swapped. A frequency sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz shows the range your speakers can play and your ears can hear. No microphone or permission is needed.
- Works with: laptop speakers, desktop speakers, wired headphones, Bluetooth headphones and earbuds.
- Plays: a 440 Hz tone on the left, on the right or on both, and a 12-second sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
- Safety: tones fade in and out gently. Start with the volume low and turn it up slowly.
How to do a speaker test, step by step
- Turn your system volume down a little.
- Click Start speaker test. It plays a tone on the left, then the right, then both. You should hear each only from the side named, and the last one centred.
- To repeat a single check, click Play left, Play right or Play both.
- Click Frequency sweep and note when the sound starts and when it fades away.
What your speaker test results mean
| What you hear | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Left tone from the left, right tone from the right | Your channels are correct | Nothing |
| Left tone from the right side | Left and right are swapped | Check that headphones are worn the right way round and speaker cables go to the right sides |
| Both tones from both sides | Mono audio is switched on | Turn off mono audio in your accessibility or sound settings |
| One side much quieter | Balance is off, or a speaker or ear is failing | Check the left/right balance in your sound settings, then try other headphones |
| No sound at all | Wrong output device, muted tab or volume at zero | Check the output device, unmute the tab and raise the volume |
About the frequency sweep
The sweep rises from 20 Hz, a deep rumble, to 20 kHz, a very high whistle. Most adults hear from about 20 Hz up to somewhere between 15 and 17 kHz, and the top of that range drops with age. Small laptop and phone speakers rarely play much below 80 to 100 Hz, so the sweep often seems to start late on them. That is normal.
No sound from your speakers or headphones?
- Output device: on Windows, open Settings, System, Sound and choose your speakers or headphones under Output. On a Mac, open System Settings, Sound, Output.
- Muted tab: look for a speaker icon on the browser tab and unmute it.
- Bluetooth: disconnect the headphones and connect them again, then reload this page.
- Cables: push the plug in fully, or try another port or another cable.
- Other app: pause video or music in other tabs and apps, then run the speaker test again.
Frequently asked questions
What does a speaker test do?
A speaker test plays known tones through your speakers or headphones so you can hear whether each side works, whether left and right are the right way round and how low and high the sound goes.
How do I test left and right audio?
Click Start speaker test, or Play left and then Play right. Each tone should come only from that side. If the sides are reversed, your channels are swapped.
Why do I hear the left tone in both ears?
Mono audio is probably switched on. On Windows it is under Accessibility, Audio; on a Mac under Accessibility, Audio; on phones in the accessibility settings.
Why is there no sound?
Check that the right output device is selected, that the browser tab is not muted and that the volume is up. Bluetooth headphones sometimes need reconnecting.
Is the speaker test safe for my hearing?
The tones fade in gently, but loud sound can still harm hearing: the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders says long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss. Start the speaker test with the volume low and turn it up slowly, especially with headphones.
Can I choose which speakers to test?
In browsers that support it, such as Chrome and Edge on a computer, an output device list appears. Otherwise the test uses your system’s default output.
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Built and maintained by the GradientCo team. Last updated 7 October 2026. Found a problem? Tell us.