Headphone Test
Verify left/right channels, sweep the full frequency range and test your bass response.
Everything runs locally in your browser. Nothing you do here — audio, video or input — ever leaves your device.
⚠ Start with your volume low — test tones can be loud, especially mid-frequency sweeps.
Channel test
Press each button — the tone must come from the matching side.
Frequency sweep
—
Press stop the moment the tone becomes inaudible — that's your hearing ceiling with these headphones.
Bass test
Each plays 2s. You should hear 40Hz+ on most headphones; 20–30Hz is felt more than heard.
Polarity (phase)
In-phase should sound solid and centered in your head; out-of-phase sounds hollow and "outside". If it's the other way round, your wiring is inverted.
How it works
Every sound on this page is generated live by your browser's Web Audio engine — pure sine waves, no audio files, no compression artifacts. The channel test routes a 440Hz tone to only the left or right channel through a stereo panner, making swapped channels unmistakable. The frequency sweep glides logarithmically from 20Hz to 20kHz over 30 seconds with a live readout; pressing stop records the frequency where your hearing (through these headphones) tops out. Most adults land between 12kHz and 17kHz — age, volume history and driver quality all play a part.
The bass buttons play single low frequencies so you can find your headphones' real low-end limit — small earbuds often produce nothing audible below 50Hz, which is physics, not a fault. The polarity test plays the same tone in both ears twice: once with the drivers moving in sync (in-phase) and once with one inverted (out-of-phase). A correctly wired pair sounds centered and full in-phase, thin and diffuse out-of-phase. For a full walkthrough including what to do when a channel is dead, see our headphone testing guide.
How to run a proper headphone check
This test generates tones directly in your browser's audio engine — no files, no downloads — to verify channels, frequency response and phase. Start at a low volume: sweep tones can spike loud at certain frequencies. Work through the checks in order and you will catch the faults that ruin music and calls.
The four checks
- Left / Right: a tone plays in one channel only. If "Left" sounds on your right, the headphones are on backwards, the cable is mis-wired, or an OS balance/spatial-audio setting is remapping channels.
- Frequency sweep (20 Hz–20 kHz): a rising tone. Note where you stop hearing it — that is the top of your hearing range with these headphones. Most adults land between 14–17 kHz.
- Bass response: small earbuds and laptop speakers physically cannot reproduce deep bass. Hearing nothing below 50–60 Hz on such hardware is normal; over-ear headphones should reach lower.
- Polarity (phase): both drivers should push in sync. In-phase audio sounds centered and solid; out-of-phase sounds hollow and vague. If they're reversed, a driver or adapter is mis-wired.
What "good" looks like
| Check | Healthy result |
|---|---|
| Left/Right | Each labeled tone plays in the matching ear |
| Sweep audibility | Smooth, no sudden dropouts mid-range |
| Bass floor | Over-ears: audible to ~30 Hz; earbuds: ~50–60 Hz |
| Phase | In-phase clearly fuller than out-of-phase |
No sound at all?
Check the output device in your OS sound settings — Bluetooth headsets often register as two devices (one for media, one for calls). Make sure the browser tab isn't muted and the system volume is up. If only one side plays, try another cable or device to isolate whether it's the headphones or the source.
Troubleshooting
› Left and right are swapped
If our Left tone plays in your right ear, the headphones are on backwards, the cable is mis-wired, or your OS balance/spatial audio settings are remapping channels. Test with another device to isolate it.
› I can’t hear the sweep below 60Hz
Small earbuds and laptop speakers physically cannot reproduce deep bass. Hearing nothing below 50–60Hz on such hardware is normal; over-ear headphones should reach lower.
› No sound at all
Check the output device in your OS sound settings — Bluetooth headphones often register as two devices. Also make sure the page isn’t muted (browser tab mute) and volume is up.
Frequently asked questions
› How does the left/right test work?
We generate a tone in only one channel using your browser’s audio engine — no audio files involved. If “Left” sounds on the right, your channels are swapped.
› What is the frequency sweep for?
It plays a rising tone from 20Hz to 20kHz. Note where you stop hearing it — that is the top of your hearing range with these headphones. Most adults land between 12–17kHz.
› Is the volume warning necessary?
Yes — sweep tones can be surprisingly loud at certain frequencies. Start at low volume and raise it gradually.
› What is a polarity (phase) test?
Both drivers should push in sync. Our in-phase/out-of-phase samples sound clearly centered vs hollow — if reversed, your headphones or adapter are mis-wired.