Skip to content

Speaker & Headphone Test

Turn your volume down, then press Left or Right. The chime should come only from that side. If you hear it from the other side, your headphones are on backwards or your speakers are swapped.

Speaker Test

Turn your device volume down before you start, then raise it slowly.

Press a side and listen. The chime should come only from that ear or speaker.

Swap check

Plays left, then right, twice. If you hear right first, your headphones are on backwards or your speakers are swapped.

Alternate left and right

Chimes switch sides every 1.2 seconds for up to 30 seconds, so you can adjust your headphones or walk around the room with your hands free.

No sound, or sound on one side only?

No sound at all

  1. Check the output device. Windows: Settings › System › Sound › Output. Mac: System Settings › Sound › Output. Pick your speakers or headphones.
  2. Unmute and raise the volume on the computer, the speaker itself and the browser tab.
  3. Push the plug all the way in, or try another port. For USB or HDMI audio, unplug and reconnect.
  4. For Bluetooth, disconnect and reconnect. If the device appears twice (for example "Hands-Free" and "Stereo"), choose the stereo one.
  5. Close apps that might take over the speakers, then reload this page.

Only one side plays

  1. Center the balance slider. Windows: Settings › System › Sound › your device › Left and Right. Mac: System Settings › Sound › Output › Balance.
  2. Turn off Mono audio in the accessibility settings if both sides sound the same.
  3. Push the headphone plug fully in; a half-inserted plug often plays one side only.
  4. Swap left and right earbuds or speakers. If the silent side moves, the earbud, speaker or cable is faulty; if it stays, the problem is the device or settings.
  5. For wireless earbuds, put both back in the case, wait a few seconds and reconnect.
  • No paywall
  • No signup
  • Nothing uploaded

How to use the Speaker Test

  1. Turn your device volume down.
  2. On the Left / Right tab, press Left, then Right, and listen for the chime on each side.
  3. Raise the volume slowly until you hear it clearly.
  4. To adjust headphones or walk around the room, press Alternate left and right.
  5. No sound, or only one side? Open the checklist under the tabs.
  6. Optional: try the frequency sweep, bass tones, polarity or surround tabs.

What this speaker test checks

  • Left / Right: each channel plays on its own, plus a swap check for reversed headphones or speakers
  • Frequency sweep: a tone from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with a live readout, to hear where your speakers start and stop
  • Bass: tones from 30 to 120 Hz and a bass sweep for subwoofers and rattles
  • Polarity: in-phase and out-of-phase sound to catch a speaker wired backwards
  • Surround: each 5.1 or 7.1 speaker on its own, when your device outputs surround

No sound, or only one side

  • Wrong output device: Windows sends sound to the device chosen in Settings › System › Sound › Output; a Mac uses System Settings › Sound › Output. HDMI monitors and docks often take over.
  • Bluetooth on hands-free: headsets can show up twice. The hands-free (or headset) one sounds thin and mono; pick the stereo one.
  • Balance and mono: a balance slider pushed to one side or Mono audio turned on changes what each ear hears.
  • Plugs and cables: a half-inserted 3.5 mm plug often plays only one side.
  • Find the faulty part: swap left and right. If the silent side moves, the earbud, speaker or cable is at fault.

When to use it

  • After plugging in new headphones, earbuds or speakers
  • When a game or film sounds like it’s coming from the wrong side
  • Setting up a subwoofer or a home theatre system
  • Before a call, together with the Mic Test

Frequently asked questions

Why is there no sound from my speakers or headphones?

Most often the computer is sending sound to a different device. Check the output in Windows (Settings › System › Sound › Output) or on a Mac (System Settings › Sound › Output), unmute everything, and push the plug fully in. For Bluetooth, choose the stereo device rather than the hands-free one.

Why does sound only come from one side?

Check that the balance slider is centered and Mono audio is off, then push the plug fully in. Swap the earbuds or speakers: if the silent side moves with them, that earbud, speaker or cable is faulty.

How do I know if my headphones are on the right way?

Press Left: the chime should play only in your left ear. Or use the Swap check, which plays left then right. If you hear right first, your headphones are on backwards or the channels are swapped.

Why do I hear sound from both sides when I press Left?

Mono audio may be switched on in your accessibility settings, or your device is downmixing to mono. Turn off Mono audio in Windows, macOS, iPhone or Android settings and try again.

Why can't I hear the lowest bass tones?

Laptop, phone and small desktop speakers can't reproduce very low frequencies, usually below 60 to 100 Hz. That's normal; a subwoofer or good headphones are needed for the lowest tones.

What does the polarity test show?

If one speaker's + and − wires are swapped, the speakers push against each other and bass sounds thin. In phase should sound fuller and centred; if Out of phase sounds fuller, rewire one speaker.

Is the test safe for my speakers and ears?

Sounds start quiet, fade in and out, are capped below full volume and stop on their own after 30 seconds. Still, turn your volume down before you start and raise it slowly.

Last updated:

Did this tool work for you?

Related tools

Mic Test

Test your microphone in seconds: live level and waveform, hear yourself, record and play back, and fixes for Zoom, Teams and Discord. Free, no signup.

Keyboard Tester

Test every key on your keyboard online. See each key light up, check rollover and ghosting, and catch chattering keys. US, UK, laptop and Mac layouts.

Webcam Test

Test your webcam in seconds: live video, resolution, frame rate and a lighting check, with fixes for blocked cameras. Free, no signup, nothing uploaded.