Speaker Test

Play test tones through your speakers or headphones. Isolate left and right channels, sweep frequencies, and detect audio output problems — no permissions needed.

Click a frequency or press Play to test audio output. Playing via
Web Audio API ✓ Not supported

Web Audio API Not Available

Your browser does not support the Web Audio API required for this tool. Please use a modern browser like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari 14.1+.

20 Hz 1 kHz 20 kHz
Mute Max

Oscilloscope

Live waveform of the current output signal.

Live

Tip: If tone does not start, click elsewhere on the page first then press Play.

Click each button to play a tone through that channel only. You should clearly hear sound from the correct side. If a channel is silent, you may have a hardware or driver fault.

Left Channel

You should hear sound only from the left ear / speaker.

🔊

Both Channels

You should hear sound equally from both sides.

Right Channel

You should hear sound only from the right ear / speaker.

Did you hear the channel tone clearly?

Test Summary

No sound plays at all

Check your system volume is not muted, the correct output device is selected in OS sound settings, and that the browser tab is not muted. Try clicking Play again — browsers need a user gesture before allowing audio.

Sound only on one side

Check OS audio balance (Settings → Sound → Balance), inspect the headphone cable near the plug for damage, try a different audio port, and test with a second pair of headphones to rule out hardware failure.

Cannot hear low frequencies

Small laptop speakers and in-ear monitors typically roll off below 100–150 Hz. This is a hardware limitation. Use over-ear headphones or a speaker system with a subwoofer to test sub-bass frequencies.

Sound is crackling or distorted

Lower the volume first — distortion is often caused by over-driving a speaker. Also switch from Square/Sawtooth to Sine wave. If crackling persists at low volume with sine waves, the speaker driver or voice coil may be damaged.

High-pitched tones not heard

The human hearing range decreases with age — many adults cannot perceive frequencies above 15–16 kHz. If you hear 8 kHz but not higher, this is typically normal hearing loss. A younger person or a flat-response speaker would confirm whether the tone is being generated.

Bluetooth headphones have audio delay

Bluetooth audio codecs (SBC, AAC, aptX) introduce latency of 40–200 ms. This is expected behaviour for wireless audio and is not a defect. The oscilloscope may show a slight phase offset. Switch to wired if low latency is important.

💡 How to Use This Tool

Run a complete speaker and headphone diagnostic in under two minutes:

1

Select a frequency

Choose a preset frequency band (Sub-bass to Treble) or drag the custom slider to any frequency from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

2

Click Play Tone

Press the Play Tone button and listen. Watch the oscilloscope to confirm the signal is being generated.

3

Test L/R channel balance

Switch to the L/R Channel Test tab and play each channel individually to verify stereo separation and equal volume.

4

Sweep frequencies

Try each frequency preset to find the range your speakers reproduce. Missing bands point to hardware limitations or damage.


📖 About Speaker Test

What is the Speaker Test?

The Speaker Test is a fully client-side browser tool that lets you verify your speakers, headphones, or earbuds are working correctly — without installing any software or downloading any audio files. It uses the Web Audio API built into all modern browsers to synthesise test tones directly in your browser, so there is nothing to upload or transmit.

Whether you are about to join a video call, troubleshoot audio that sounds distorted or one-sided, or simply want to confirm your new headphones are balanced, this tool gives you a complete audio output diagnostic in seconds.

Common Use Cases

  • Pre-call checks: Verify your speakers or headphones before a Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet call.
  • Channel balance test: Confirm that both left and right channels are producing equal volume — a common issue after driver updates or audio interface changes.
  • Headphone verification: Check that a new pair of headphones works on both sides and produces accurate stereo separation.
  • Frequency response check: Play test tones across bass, mid, and treble ranges to identify any frequency gaps or distortion.
  • Audio driver troubleshooting: Determine whether a driver update broke audio output by confirming whether tones play at all.
  • Wiring fault detection: If only one channel plays, it could indicate a broken cable, faulty connector, or failed driver on one ear.

Key Features

Stereo Channel Isolation

Play audio through the left channel only, right channel only, or both simultaneously. This is the fastest way to confirm stereo separation and identify a dead channel.

Multi-Frequency Tone Generator

Generate pure sine wave tones across six frequency bands: Sub-bass (60 Hz), Bass (120 Hz), Mid-bass (250 Hz), Midrange (1 kHz), Presence (4 kHz), and Treble (8 kHz). Each frequency reveals different characteristics of your audio output hardware.

Volume Control

Adjust playback volume from 0% to 100% so you can test at a comfortable level without touching your system volume.

Waveform Types

Switch between Sine (pure tone), Square (harsh, good for distortion testing), Triangle (mellow harmonics), and Sawtooth (bright harmonics) wave shapes to stress-test your speakers.

Real-time Oscilloscope

A live canvas visualiser shows the waveform of whatever tone is currently playing, so you can see the signal shape and confirm audio is being generated.

Privacy & Security

This tool is entirely private by design. All audio is synthesised locally in your browser using the Web Audio API. No audio is recorded, transmitted, or stored anywhere. No microphone permission is needed — the tool only plays audio, it never captures it.

Technical Details

The tool is built on the W3C Web Audio API (AudioContext, OscillatorNode, GainNode, ChannelMergerNode, AnalyserNode), which is supported in all modern browsers:

  • Chrome/Edge 35+ — Full support
  • Firefox 25+ — Full support
  • Safari 14.1+ — Full support
  • Opera 22+ — Full support

Stereo channel isolation is achieved by routing the oscillator through a ChannelMergerNode with the signal fed into only the left or right input, producing a true mono-in-stereo-channel signal.


❓ Frequently Asked Questions

No permissions are required. This tool only plays audio through your speakers or headphones — it never records or captures any sound. The Web Audio API generates tones entirely within your browser without accessing your microphone.
If a tone plays on one channel but not the other during the "Left Only" or "Right Only" test, one of the following may be at fault: a broken headphone cable (especially near the plug), a failed speaker driver, incorrect stereo balance settings in your OS audio mixer, or a faulty audio output jack.
First, confirm your system volume is not muted and the correct output device is selected in your OS sound settings. Some browsers require a user gesture (like a click) before allowing audio — clicking the play button should satisfy this. If you still hear nothing, try refreshing the page and clicking again.
Sine waves produce a pure, smooth tone — ideal for general testing. Square waves are harsher with strong harmonics and reveal distortion quickly. Triangle waves are softer than square waves. Sawtooth waves are bright and buzz-like. Using square or sawtooth at higher volumes is a good stress test for speaker excursion limits.
Most laptop speakers, small desktop speakers, and in-ear monitors cannot reproduce frequencies below about 100 Hz. If you cannot hear the 60 Hz tone but can hear 120 Hz and above, your speakers simply lack low-frequency response — this is normal for small drivers. A subwoofer or over-ear headphones will reproduce sub-bass correctly.
Playing very loud tones, especially square or sawtooth waves at low frequencies, can damage speakers that are driven beyond their rated excursion. Start at a low volume and gradually increase. For headphone users, avoid high volumes to protect your hearing — even a pure sine wave at high SPL can cause hearing fatigue or damage.

Version History

1.0.0

Initial release with stereo channel isolation, multi-frequency tone generator, volume control, waveform types, and real-time oscilloscope visualiser.

May 30, 2026

Raakkan (Sankar)

Raakkan (Sankar)

AI-driven Full Stack Developer

Indie developer from Tamil Nadu building fast, privacy-first web tools. Creator of Lovable Tools — a growing collection of free utilities and AI-powered tools.