Speaker Test (Left/Right & Stereo)

How to test left and right

Turn your device volume down, then press Left, Center and Right. Left plays only on the left channel, Right only on the right, and Center on both, so it should sound like it comes from the middle.

Choose from three signals: Voice is a synthesized “ah-eh-ee-oh-oo” that resembles speech, Beep is a short 1 kHz tone that is easy to locate, and Noise is broadband pink noise. Everything is generated live in your browser; no audio files are downloaded.

• Alternate L/R keeps switching sides so you can check while doing something else.
• If both sides play for Left, mono audio may be enabled, or the device (such as a single Bluetooth speaker) is mono.
• If left and right are swapped, check the L/R markings on your earbuds or the cable connections on your amplifier or PC.

One earbud quieter than the other?

The balance test tells you the difference in dB. Move the slider until the noise sounds centered. If that happens at 3 dB to the right, the right side was about 3 dB quieter — a clearly noticeable difference.

Swap the earbuds and measure again. If the quiet side follows the earbud, it is the earbud; if it stays with the same ear, the cause may be your ear (wax or hearing).

• Clean the earbud mesh: wax and dust over the sound port make one side quieter.
• Check balance and mono settings: iPhone under Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual, Windows under Settings > Accessibility > Audio.
• For wired earbuds, make sure the plug is fully inserted and that sound does not cut out when you move the cable.
• If the same ear stays quieter with different earbuds, or hearing in one ear dropped suddenly, see a doctor. Sudden hearing loss should be treated as an emergency.

Checking speaker polarity with the phase test

If one speaker’s + and − wires are swapped, the two cones move in opposite directions, bass cancels and the stereo image blurs. Compare In phase and Out of phase: when wired correctly, in phase is focused and fuller. If it is the other way round, swap the wires on one speaker.

Bass and treble with the frequency sweep

Human hearing is commonly given as 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The sweep glides through the range and shows the current frequency; press Stop here when the sound appears or disappears.

• Bass: small laptop and phone speakers often cannot reproduce the deepest notes, so silence at the bottom of the range is normal for them.
• Treble: where high tones vanish depends on both the speaker and your own hearing. For an ear-by-ear check, use the hearing frequency test.
• A buzz or rattle at one frequency usually means a loose part resonating.
• The tone generator plays any frequency continuously; use the slider, type a value or tap a preset.

Safe listening

Pure tones and noise can sound louder than music at the same setting. Start low and raise the volume only as needed. The WHO considers 80 dB safe for up to 40 hours a week and recommends keeping personal audio devices at or below 60% of maximum volume.