What this audio test covers
Headphones fail in quiet ways. A pair can play both sides but sound thin. A bud can be slightly quieter than its partner. A wireless pair can lag behind the video. The signals on this page are chosen to expose these faults by ear, with no measuring gear.
| Test | Signal | Fault it exposes |
|---|---|---|
| Left and Right | Chimes in one channel | Dead side, crossed wiring, wrong balance |
| Centre | Chimes panned to the middle | One side quieter than the other |
| Stereo sweep | Tone gliding L to R to L over 6 seconds | Cut-outs, crackle, uneven level |
| In phase | Pink noise, same in both ears | Baseline for a healthy pair |
| Out of phase | Pink noise, right channel inverted | Reversed polarity in one driver |
| Bass sweep | 20 to 200 Hz over 12 seconds, Hz shown | Weak bass, poor seal, rattles |
| Hearing range | 8 to 20 kHz over 24 seconds | Top-end roll-off in gear or ears |
The signals are made in your browser. The test does not turn on your microphone, and no audio is uploaded or recorded.
Check left, right and balance first
Begin with the simplest check. Press Left and note which ear hears it. Press Right and do the same. Many people find a fault here: a bud that is not seated, a wireless side that failed to pair, or a cable that is damaged near the plug.
Next, press Centre. The sound should appear in the middle of your head, with both ears matching in loudness. If it leans to one side, your headphones are uneven, your balance setting is off, or one ear is more sensitive. To tell which, swap the headphones around on your head. If the image moves with the headphones, the fault is in the headphones. If it stays on the same side of your head, the cause is you or the device.
Then follow the stereo sweep with your eyes closed. The tone should glide smoothly with no jumps. A crackle at one point usually means a worn cable or a contact problem.
Earbuds with removable tips often sound unbalanced because one tip sits differently. Try a different size tip before blaming the earbud.
Fit and seal: use the bass sweep
Low notes are the first thing to leak away when a headphone does not seal against your ear. The bass sweep, which glides from 20 to 200 Hz over 12 seconds, makes a simple seal test.
Play the sweep and watch the live Hz number. Note where the tone becomes clear. Now press the ear cups lightly against your head, or push the earbud in a little deeper, and replay it. If the bass appears at a lower frequency or sounds much stronger, your first fit was leaking.
| What you notice | What it suggests | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Bass clear only above 80 to 100 Hz | Leaky seal, wrong tip, or glasses breaking the cushion | Larger ear tips, reposition, thinner glasses arms |
| Bass improves a lot when you press the cups | Headband clamp is too loose | Adjust the band, try another size |
| Bass volume changes with head movement | Seal depends on position | Use foam tips or reseat the pair |
| Rattling or buzzing at certain Hz | Loose part or damaged driver | Check the cushions, replace the pair if it persists |
| Bass fine in one ear only | One tip or cushion is worn or poorly placed | Replace the tip or cushion on that side |
Open-back headphones leak sound by design and have less bass than closed ones. That is normal for them, so judge them against their own type.
How much bass should you expect
The sweep starts at 20 Hz, which no ordinary headphone plays strongly. What matters is where you can clearly hear the tone. Use the table as a reference, noting that the numbers are typical and vary between models.
| Headphone type | Typical clear bass down to | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Closed-back over-ear | About 20 to 30 Hz | Good seal, deepest bass in a headphone |
| Open-back over-ear | About 30 to 40 Hz | Lighter bass, wide airy sound |
| On-ear | About 40 to 60 Hz | Seal depends heavily on the pad |
| In-ear (IEM) with good tips | About 20 to 30 Hz | A good seal gives surprising bass |
| Wireless earbuds | About 40 to 60 Hz | Small drivers and a variable fit |
| Cheap earbuds, poor fit | About 80 to 100 Hz | Most bass lost through leakage |
If your pair starts far above these numbers, try the fit steps first. If it still sounds weak, the drivers may be worn or the pair may simply be a budget model.
Polarity and the in-phase check
Each driver in a headphone moves in and out. If one driver is wired backwards, it moves outward when the other moves inward. Music still plays, but the centre image falls apart and the bass thins out. It is a rare fault but a real one, and it appears in some cheap or repaired pairs.
Play In phase and then Out of phase. In phase pink noise should sound like a fairly solid sound inside your head. Out of phase should seem to spread out and lose weight. If the order is reversed, one driver has reversed polarity. On a wired pair with a detachable cable, try another cable first, as a wrongly wired cable is the more common cause.
Pink noise is useful for this because it contains the same energy in every octave. It does not hide anything in a narrow band.
Hearing range by age
The hearing sweep rises from 8 to 20 kHz over 24 seconds. Press 'I can't hear it any more' when the tone vanishes, and the page records your upper limit. Compare your number with the typical values below. They are approximate, and they depend on noise exposure and individual differences.
| Age group | Typical upper limit |
|---|---|
| Under 20 | About 18 to 20 kHz |
| 20s | About 16 to 18 kHz |
| 30s | About 15 to 17 kHz |
| 40s | About 14 to 16 kHz |
| 50s | About 12 to 14 kHz |
| 60s and over | About 10 to 12 kHz or lower |
To separate your ears from your headphones, run the test twice, once with each pair you own. If different pairs give the same number, the limit is in your hearing. If it changes from pair to pair, the headphones are the limit. A small in-ear model that stops at 14 kHz tells you nothing about your ears.
This is a rough self-check and not a medical test. If you notice a sudden change in your hearing, or you hear ringing, see a hearing professional.
Bluetooth: codecs, latency and sound quality
Wireless headphones add a step this test cannot see, the Bluetooth codec. The codec compresses the audio for the trip through the air, and the chosen codec affects both sound and delay. The test tones here are simple, so they usually sound the same on every codec. Differences show up with music and with video.
| Codec | Typical delay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SBC | About 150 to 250 ms | Default on every Bluetooth device; fine for music, noticeable on video |
| AAC | About 120 to 200 ms | Common on iPhones; quality depends on the phone |
| aptX | About 70 to 120 ms | Needs support on both phone and headphones |
| aptX Low Latency | About 40 ms | Made for video and games; limited device support |
| LC3 (LE Audio) | About 20 to 40 ms | Newer; needs recent phone and headphones |
The numbers are typical. Real delay depends on the device and the connection. As a rule, anything over about 100 ms starts to look out of sync on video, and apps like video players often compensate. Music apps do not notice because only the start of the song is delayed.
If Left and Right tests behave strangely on a wireless pair, check that both sides are connected. Some true wireless earbuds connect to one bud first and relay to the other, and the second side can drop out.
A checklist for a new pair
Run these checks as soon as a new pair arrives, while you can still return it. Use the pass or fail list on the page to mark each one.
- Left plays in the left ear only.
- Right plays in the right ear only.
- Centre sits in the middle with matching loudness.
- The stereo sweep moves smoothly with no crackle.
- In phase sounds more solid than out of phase.
- The bass sweep is clear and free of rattles.
- Bass improves little when you press the cups, which means the seal is good.
- The hearing sweep reaches at least your usual limit.
Two or more failures on a new pair is a good reason to ask for a replacement. When your gear passes, you can trust it for the next job. You can split vocals at /vocal-remover/ to hear a mix in detail, and find a song's BPM at /bpm-finder/.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test my headphones online?
Play Left and Right and check that each sound is in the right ear. Then run the stereo sweep, the in-phase and out-of-phase noise, the bass sweep and the hearing sweep. Tick the 8-item checklist as you listen. It all runs in your browser, with no download.
Will the audio test record me or use my microphone?
No. It never asks for microphone access, and it uploads nothing. The tones and noise are created inside your browser as you press each button, so nothing is stored on a server.
How can I tell if my earbuds fit properly?
Play the bass sweep and note where the tone becomes clear. Then push the buds in a little deeper, or try a different tip size, and play it again. If the bass starts at a lower frequency or sounds stronger, the first fit was leaking and the new one is better.
Why is one earbud quieter than the other?
A blocked tip, earwax, a different seal or a balance setting can all cause it. Use the Centre test. Swap the buds between ears. If the quiet side follows the bud, clean or replace it. If it stays on the same ear, check the balance setting or your own hearing.
What does the out-of-phase test tell me about headphones?
It checks whether both drivers move together. Pink noise that is the same in both ears should sound focused, and the inverted version should sound wide and thin. If the reverse is true, one driver may be wired backwards, or a cable may be at fault.
What is a normal upper hearing limit?
It falls with age. Under 20, many people hear to 18 kHz or more, and by the 50s a typical limit is nearer 12 to 14 kHz. These are rough averages. Your headphones can also set the limit, so test more than one pair before you read much into the number.
Do Bluetooth headphones work with this test?
Yes. The test plays through whatever output is selected, including Bluetooth. Tones may start a little late because of codec delay, but this does not change the result. If one side is silent, check that both earbuds are connected.
Is the test safe for my ears?
It is safe at a low, comfortable level. Start with the volume down, because sweeps move from quiet-sounding to suddenly loud parts as your ears respond differently to each pitch. Never turn the volume up to hear a high tone that has faded. Stop if anything hurts.
What is the difference between the Audio Test and the Sound Test?
They use the same tool and the same signals. This page is written for headphones and earbuds, with notes on fit, bass and Bluetooth. The sound test page covers speakers, laptops and troubleshooting. Use whichever matches your gear.