Sound test and speaker test
Press Left, Right or Both and listen. A tone plays from that side until you press it again.
Sound test workspace
How to use
4 short steps.
Press Left
A tone plays from the left speaker only and keeps playing until you press Left again or Stop.
Press Right, then Both
Right should come from the right side only. Both should sound centred between the two speakers.
Adjust the volume
Use the Volume slider on this page first, then your system volume, until the tone is clearly audible.
Fix anything wrong
No sound or the wrong side? Work through the troubleshooting steps below and replay the same button.
What the result means
Match what you see to one of these.
You hear every tone from the right side
If Left, Right and Both all play where you expect, your speakers, cable and browser output are working. Silence in another app is that app's own device or volume setting.
One side is silent
If only one side plays, check the balance slider in your sound settings and reseat the cable at both ends. On Bluetooth speakers, confirm the pair is not in mono mode.
The sides are swapped
If Left plays on the right, the speaker cables or the wireless pair are reversed. Swap the plugs at the amplifier or computer, then replay Left.
The sound buzzes or rattles
If the tone buzzes, lower the volume and run the bass test or the frequency sweep to find whether the noise follows one range of frequencies.
Troubleshooting
If the test fails, try these in order.
Choose the right output device
On Windows open Settings, System, Sound and pick your speakers under Output. On a Mac open System Settings, Sound, Output. Press Left again.
Unmute the tab and the system
Right-click the browser tab and choose Unmute site if it appears. Raise the system volume and the slider on this page, then replay Both.
Reconnect the speakers
Reseat the cable at both ends, or turn Bluetooth off and on and reconnect the speaker. Replay Left and Right.
Try another source
Play a video in another tab or app. If that is silent too, the problem is the speakers or the system, not this page. Retest here after any change.
What this test can't tell you
Where a browser check stops.
- The browser cannot tell which speaker, cable, sound card or driver has failed; it only plays a tone through the current output.
- This is not a loudness, distortion or sound quality measurement.
- Some browsers do not let a page choose the output device, so the tone goes to whatever the system has selected.
FAQ
Common questions about this test.
How do I do a speaker test?
Press Left, then Right, then Both on this page and listen. Each tone should come from the side you pressed, at the volume you set. If you hear nothing, work through the troubleshooting steps above.
How do I test the sound on my phone?
Open this page on the phone, raise the media volume with the side buttons while the tone plays, and check the ring or silent switch. Media volume is separate from ringer volume on most phones, and a phone still paired to earbuds in a drawer plays there instead.
Why is there no sound on my computer?
The most common causes are the wrong output device selected, a muted tab or system, and unplugged or unpaired speakers. Fix them in that order and replay the tone after each step.
Does this test my sound card?
It plays a tone through whatever output your system has chosen, so a working tone means the sound card, driver and speakers all work together. A silent tone does not say which one has failed.
Is it safe to run a sound test at full volume?
Start with the slider at its default and raise it gradually. The tones are plain sine waves, so they cannot damage speakers at normal listening levels, but a sudden loud tone is unpleasant in headphones.