Headphone test

Put your headphones, earbuds or headset on with the volume low, then play a sound in the left ear, the right ear or both. The balance slider helps you find out whether one side is quieter, the phase check shows whether both sides are wired the same way, and the sweeps let you listen for crackling across the range. Everything plays in your browser.

Start with your device volume low. Test tones can be loud, especially in headphones and at high or very low frequencies.

Volume 10%Sound

Choose a test. Nothing is recorded; sound is generated in your browser.

Left and right channels

Each sound should be heard only in the ear named on the button. If left and right are swapped, check that the headphones are worn the right way round.

Balance Centre

Phase (polarity)

In phase, the tone should sit in the middle of your head; out of phase it sounds spread out or "inside out". If in phase sounds strange, one side may be wired in reverse.

Frequency sweep

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Listen for rattles, buzzing or crackling as the tone rises. Very low and very high ends may be inaudible: small speakers cannot reproduce deep bass, and hearing at the top end varies with age. This is not a measurement.

Single tone

Frequency 440 Hz

Move the slider while the tone plays to find where a rattle or buzz appears.

How to test your headphones

Lower the volume first. Test tones are much louder in headphones than through speakers.
Press Left, then Right: each sound should be heard only in the ear named on the button. Left → right → both plays them in order.
If one side sounds quieter, play Both and move the Balance slider until the sound feels centred. The position tells you roughly how much one side is down.
Compare In phase and Out of phase.
Play the Bass sweep and the Full sweep and listen for crackling or buzzing.

Left and right swapped, or only one side working

Swapped sides: check that you are wearing them the right way round (look for the L and R marks). If the marks are right and the sides are still swapped, check for a swap-channels or balance setting in your system or audio software.
Both ears hear every sound: mono audio is turned on in your accessibility settings, or the headset is set to a call or hands-free mode that is mono.
One side silent with a cable: unplug and replug the connector fully, try another device, and gently move the cable near the plug and the earcup while sound plays. Sound that cuts in and out points to a damaged cable or connector.
One earbud not working: put both buds back in the case, take them out together and check that both connect. Clean the speaker mesh gently and check the battery of each bud in your device's Bluetooth or companion-app settings. If a single bud stays silent on every device, contact the manufacturer.

Balance: is one side quieter?

Play Both and move the slider until the sound seems to come from the centre of your head. Near the middle is normal: ears differ slightly, and earbuds that do not fit or seal well sound quieter and thinner. If you need to move it a long way, try another pair on the same device. If the same side is quieter with every pair, check your system balance setting, and if it persists, your hearing; if only one pair is affected, the fit, a blocked mesh or the earpiece itself is the likely cause.

This is a listening check, not a hearing test, and it does not measure loudness in decibels.

Phase check

Both earpieces should move in the same direction for the same signal. Play In phase: the low tone should sit in the middle of your head. Then play Out of phase: the sound should feel spread out, odd or "inside out". If in phase is the one that sounds strange, one side may be wired in reverse, which can happen with damaged or badly repaired cables.

Bass and crackling

The bass sweep rises from 20 to 200 Hz; the full sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Listen for crackling, rattling or a side that distorts earlier than the other. Over-ear headphones with a good seal play deeper bass than loose earbuds, so a weak low end is often a fit problem. The highest frequencies may be inaudible to you, which depends on your hearing rather than the headphones. Keep the volume moderate during sweeps.

Headset microphone and calls

This page only tests the sound you hear. To check the headset microphone, use the mic test, which shows a live level meter and lets you record and play back a short clip on your device. For speakers rather than headphones, use the speaker test.

Questions

Why is the sound only coming from one side of my headphones?

Check the fit and L/R marks, then the connector, cable and system balance setting. If only one earbud of a wireless pair plays, reset the pairing by returning both to the case. If one side is silent on every device, the earpiece itself is likely faulty.

Is this a hearing test?

No. It checks channels, balance, phase and audible noises in your headphones. It does not measure your hearing or the frequency response of the headphones. For hearing concerns, see a hearing professional.

Does it work with AirPods and Bluetooth earbuds?

Yes, as long as they are connected and selected as the output. Bluetooth adds some delay, which does not affect these tests. Spatial audio or head-tracking features can change how left and right sound, so turn them off while testing.

Is anything recorded?

No. The sounds are generated in your browser and nothing is recorded or uploaded.