Quick answers before you test
How do I check left and right?
Play each side and say where you heard it. If left plays on the right, the headphones are on backwards or the cable is wired wrong; if one side is silent, check the plug is pushed all the way in.
Why do both sides sound the same?
Mono audio is on. Turn it off in Windows under Accessibility, Audio, or in your phone’s accessibility settings; a mono adapter or splitter does the same.
What is the polarity test for?
A driver wired backwards still plays, but bass thins out and positions blur. The test plays the same sound with one side reversed; the one that sounds centred tells which is right.
How high should I hear?
Most adults hear up to somewhere between 14 and 18 kHz, less with age. Below 13 kHz is lower than most headphones reach.
What the result actually measures
The page sends each test sound to the left, the right or both channels explicitly, and draws each driver lighting with the level its own side plays, beside a scope of the sound. Left and right: a noise burst per side, and you say where you heard it. Polarity: the same band of noise with both drivers pushing together, then with one reversed, in an order chosen per visit; the one that sounds centred tells whether a driver is wired backwards. Balance: a steady sound and a slider; where it sits in the middle is the level difference between the sides. Range: logarithmic sweeps down from 200 Hz and up from 8 kHz, with the frequency read off the audio clock the moment you press Gone, plus single tones. Rattle: a slow bass sweep that makes a loose driver buzz. Each answer becomes a finding with what to do about it.
Measurement boundary: Your answers are the measurement: the browser cannot hear your headphones. The range you hear is the headphones and your ears together, and very low notes are partly felt; compare headphones with the same volume. Bluetooth codecs may cut the very top of the treble sweep. Balance found here can be the headphones or your ears; a hearing test tells them apart.
How to interpret the output
Left and right
Each side should play only in its own cup. Swapped means the headphones or the wiring are reversed; a silent side is usually a half-inserted plug or a broken cable.
Polarity
The in-phase sound sits solidly in the middle of your head. If the reversed one does instead, one driver is wired backwards.
Left–right balance
Within 2 dB of centre is balanced. More means one side is weaker, the Windows balance is off, or one ear hears less.
Frequency range
Bass to 30 Hz is deep, to 60 Hz enough for games. Treble to 17 kHz and above is full; most adults stop between 14 and 18 kHz.
Rattle
A clean hum on the bass sweep is healthy. A buzz, crackle or flapping is a loose or damaged driver, or something touching it.
Troubleshooting unexpected results
One side is silent
Push the 3.5 mm plug fully in, try another port, and on a USB or Bluetooth headset check its software’s balance. If the side stays silent with another device, the cable or driver has failed.
Left and right are swapped
Check the L and R marks on the headband. With the headphones the right way round, a swap is a cable or adapter fault; until it is fixed, every game sound comes from the wrong side.
Everything sounds in the middle
Mono audio is on in Windows or on the phone, or a mono adapter is in the chain. Turn mono off and run the left and right check again.
The high sweep vanishes early on Bluetooth
Some Bluetooth codecs cut the highest treble to save data. Try the same test wired, or with a higher-quality codec, to see whether it is the link or the headphones.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test my headphones?
Press Start sound with the headphones on, then work through the five checks: left and right, polarity, balance, frequency range and rattle. Each answer adds a finding to the verdict.
How do I do a left right audio test?
Open the Left and right tab, play the left side and say where you heard it, then the right. Left must play only in the left cup and right only in the right.
Why does my headset only play in one ear?
Usually a plug that is not pushed fully in, a mono setting, or a broken cable. The left and right check shows which side is silent; the troubleshooting above covers each cause.
What frequency range can I hear?
Young people hear up to about 20 kHz; most adults stop between 14 and 18 kHz, lower with age. The treble sweep shows yours with these headphones.
Can I test bass on my headphones?
Yes. The bass sweep falls from 200 Hz; where it disappears is how low your headphones and ears reach. Single tones from 20 to 100 Hz let you check a note at a time.
Is the high-frequency test safe?
It plays at a reduced level, but pure high tones are tiring. Keep the volume moderate and stop if anything is unpleasant.
