Sound Test
A quick sound test: press Play to hear a short chime, then check the left and right sides. If you hear nothing, the checklist below finds the cause.
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 sound test
This sound test checks that audio plays at all on your computer, phone or tablet. Press Play test sound and you should hear a short four-note chime. Then press Left and Right: each plays the chime on one side only, so you know both speakers or both earbuds work and sit the right way round. After each sound the tool asks Did you hear it? Answer No and it points you to the checklist further down.
The volume slider starts at 25%. Turn your device volume down before the first sound, then raise it slowly. Keyboard: Space plays the test sound, L and R play one side, C plays both, Esc stops.
Every sound is made in your browser with the Web Audio API. Nothing is downloaded, and this page never uses your microphone. It works as an audio test on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone and Android in any current browser.
Pick the next test
Sound works? Each of these tools checks one thing in more depth:
- Speaker testEach speaker on its own, a 20 Hz to 20 kHz sweep, polarity
- Headphone testLeft and right, balance and range for headphones and earbuds
- Left right testBig Left, Center and Right buttons, mono audio check
- Bass testLow tones and a sweep for speakers and subwoofers
- Surround sound testEach speaker of a 5.1 or 7.1 system in turn
- Mic testCheck your microphone with a live level meter
- Audio delay testMeasure the lag of Bluetooth headphones or a TV
- Speaker cleanerA low tone to help push water out of a phone speaker
- Tone generatorAny frequency, any wave, for your own checks
No sound? Work through this checklist
- Volume and mute. Make sure nothing is muted and turn up every volume control: the device, the speakers themselves and the app. Some speakers and apps have their own volume control, so check them all.
- The browser tab. In Chrome, select View site information to the left of the web address, then Site settings, and check that Sound is not set to mute for this site.
- The output device. Sound may be going to a device you are not listening to, such as a monitor, a TV or a Bluetooth headset. On Windows 11 open Settings > Sound and pick the device in the Output section; on Windows 10 it is Settings > System > Sound. On a Mac choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Sound, then Output, and select the device. After changing it, reload this page and press Play test sound again.
- Cables. Check speaker and headphone cords for loose plugs, and on computers with several sockets check that each cable is in the right one.
- Another app. Play a video in another tab. If that is silent too, the problem is in the device or its settings, not in this page.
If only one side is silent, open the left right sound test: it explains balance and mono settings.
What a quick sound test can and cannot tell you
The chime travels the same path as any other sound: from the browser through your operating system to the output device and the speakers. If you hear it, that whole path works. The Left and Right buttons catch three common faults: swapped speakers or earbuds, one dead side, and mono audio switched on. With mono audio on, the left and right channels are combined and played on both sides, so Left and Right sound the same.
It does not judge quality. For that, play pink noise and a full frequency sweep on the speaker test, check the lowest notes on the bass test, or make a tone of your own with the tone generator.
More for sound check: Mic Test · Speaker Test · Headphone Test · Left Right Test · Bass Test · Surround Sound Test · Audio Delay Test · Speaker Cleaner · Tone Generator
Checking a new device? Run the Screen test too.
Questions
Why does the Left sound also come out of the right side?
Usually mono audio is switched on in your phone or computer accessibility settings. It combines the left and right channels and plays them on both sides. The left right test lists where the setting is on each system.
The test sound plays but videos are silent. Why?
The device and speakers work, so check the other site or app: its own volume slider, a muted video player, or a muted tab. Some apps also choose their own output device.
Does this audio test record anything?
No. This page only plays sounds made in your browser. It does not use the microphone, and nothing is sent anywhere. To check a microphone, use the mic test.
Is the sound test safe for my speakers?
Yes at sensible levels. The chime is short, mid-range and starts at 25% volume. Keep the device volume low at first and raise it slowly.