1. Left & right channel check
Put your headphones on properly — left driver in your left ear — then play each side on its own. If a tone comes out of the ear you didn't click, something's wired backwards somewhere.
Did that play in your left ear?
2. Stereo movement test
This plays one steady tone that glides from your left ear over to your right across about five seconds. It should travel smoothly the whole way — not jump, cut out, or stay stuck in the middle.
3. Frequency range test
Each button plays a short tone at a different pitch, from a low sub-bass rumble to a high treble whine. If one seems silent, it could be your headphones, your device's natural roll-off, or simply a pitch your ears don't pick up anymore — that last one is more common than you'd think, and it's covered in the FAQs below.
Left/right channel check
Confirms each driver is wired to the correct ear before an important call or listening session.
Stereo movement test
A tone that glides across the stereo field so you can hear true separation, not just two speakers playing the same thing.
Frequency range test
Six tones from sub-bass to ultra-high treble to catch weak drivers and blind spots in your own hearing.
Fully private
No microphone, no permissions, nothing recorded — it's just sound being generated and played back locally.
How to use the headphone test
Put your headphones on
Make sure the left driver is actually in your left ear — obvious, but easy to get backwards with cheap earbuds that don't mark L and R clearly.
Set a safe volume
Start with the slider low, especially before the frequency test, then raise it once you've heard the first tone and know what to expect.
Run each test in order
Left/right first, then the pan sweep, then the frequency buttons — each one checks something different, so it's worth doing all three.
Compare what you expected
If a side is wrong, a tone stays silent, or the sweep jumps instead of gliding, check the FAQs below before assuming the worst.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install anything to run this test?
No. It uses the Web Audio API that's already built into your browser, so there's nothing to download and nothing to approve — just tap a button and listen.
Why does the test start with a volume slider instead of just playing sound?
Because the frequency test in particular can feel a lot louder than it looks. High tones especially can catch you off guard at full volume, so we default to a lower level and let you raise it once you know what's coming. If you're using in-ear headphones, start even quieter than you think you need to.
Can this tell me if my headphones are fake or a knockoff brand?
Not directly. What it can catch is a swapped left/right channel, a dead or crackling driver, or a mono cable pretending to be stereo — real problems that show up no matter what brand is on the box. It can't check logos, serial numbers, or packaging, so it isn't a substitute for buying from a source you trust.
I can't hear the 14 kHz tone at all — are my headphones broken?
Probably not. Most adults lose some ability to hear above roughly 15–16 kHz as they get older, a normal change called presbycusis, and it has nothing to do with your headphones. Try the same tone on a different pair, or ask someone younger to listen on yours — if they can hear it and you can't, the hardware is fine.
Will this work with Bluetooth or wireless earbuds?
Yes. The test just sends audio out through whatever output your device is currently using, so wired headphones, Bluetooth earbuds, and even your laptop speakers all work the same way. Wireless audio has a small delay before sound starts, which is normal — it won't affect whether a channel or frequency plays correctly.
Is the headphone test free, and is there a catch?
It's free, with no sign-up and no limit on how many times you run it. There's no premium version hiding better tests behind a paywall — every test on this page is the full version. The site pays for itself through ads rather than subscriptions, so there's no real reason to charge for something this small.