Headphone Test
A free headphone test for over-ear headphones, earbuds and AirPods: check that left and right are correct, the balance is centered, and both sides play the full range.
Turn your device volume down first.
Start quiet. Turn your device volume down before you play anything, then raise it slowly.
That is a high setting. Lower it before low or high tones, and never raise it with headphones on your ears.
How to use the headphone test
Put your headphones on with the volume low, then press Left, Both and Right. Each plays a short chime, and the side buttons should sound in one ear only. This headphone test then checks four things: the balance between your ears, the frequency range, a sound that moves from ear to ear, and phase.
Keyboard: L, R and C play left, right and both, Space marks the sweep while it runs, Esc stops. Sounds start at 25% volume and every sweep asks you to turn your device down first.
Earbuds test and AirPods test
Wireless earbuds and AirPods work the same way: connect them, check that sound goes to them, then run the test. If Left plays in your right ear, the earbuds are in the wrong ears or the device has its channels swapped. If Left plays in both ears, mono audio is on; see the left right sound test for where to switch it off. If video and sound seem out of step on wireless earbuds, the audio delay test measures the lag.
Balance check
Press Play centered sound and close your eyes. Pink noise plays equally on both sides, so it should feel like it sits in the middle of your head. If it leans to one side, move the Balance slider until it feels centered. Needing to move it far off center means one side is quieter: a blocked earbud, a worn driver, or a balance setting on the device.
Most systems have their own balance control. On a Mac it is the Balance slider in System Settings > Sound > Output; on an iPhone, the left right stereo balance slider under Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual; on many Android phones a balance slider sits in the accessibility audio settings. Check that it is centered before you blame the headphones.
Frequency range sweep
The commonly stated range of human hearing is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. High sweep glides from 2 kHz up to 20 kHz in 30 seconds and Low sweep from 200 Hz down to 20 Hz in 25 seconds. Press I cannot hear it now the moment the tone disappears, and the tool shows the frequency.
The number depends on the headphones, the volume and your ears together, so it is a way to compare two pairs of headphones at the same volume. It is not a hearing test and says nothing about your hearing. Never raise the volume to chase a tone you cannot hear.
Moving sound and phase
Moving sound glides noise from your left ear to your right and back every 3 seconds. It should move smoothly, without jumps or a hole in the middle. In phase and Out of phase play the same noise on both sides, the second with the right side inverted. In phase sits in the center of your head; out of phase sounds spread out and hard to place. If in phase is the one that sounds strange, one side of the headphones is wired backward.
More for sound check: Mic Test · Sound Test · Speaker Test · Left Right Test · Bass Test · Surround Sound Test · Audio Delay Test · Speaker Cleaner · Tone Generator
Questions
Is this headphone test a hearing test?
No. The range sweep shows what your headphones and ears reach together at one volume. It cannot judge your hearing and does not try to.
Why does the high sweep fade out before 20 kHz?
The headphones, the volume and your ears all limit it. Compare two pairs of headphones at the same volume to see which one reaches higher.
How do I test AirPods or other wireless earbuds?
Connect them, make sure sound plays through them, and run the same buttons. Left should sound only in the left earbud and Right only in the right.
One ear is quieter. What should I check?
Center the balance setting on your phone or computer first, then clean the earbud mesh gently and test again. If one side is still quieter, the headphone itself is the cause.