Quick answers before you test
Does a browser play real 7.1?
Yes, when the output has the channels. A 7.1 headset, an AV receiver, or Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos or DTS on headphones present eight channels, and the page sends each test sound to one of them. On plain stereo it uses the browser’s own 3D audio instead, and says so.
Is virtual 7.1 better for footsteps?
Run the direction test in both modes. The page keeps each score, so you see whether your virtualizer places footsteps better than the browser’s plain HRTF — for your ears, not on average.
Why do sounds from behind seem to come from the front?
Front/back confusion. A ready-made HRTF cannot use the shape of your own ears, and front and back differ only in those details. Everyone gets some; the direction test counts yours.
Should I use Windows Sonic with an in-game HRTF?
No. Games such as CS2, VALORANT and Fortnite already turn their sound into 3D for headphones; a virtualizer on top processes it twice. Use one or the other.
What the result actually measures
The page reads how many channels your sound output really has. With six or eight — a surround headset, a receiver, or a headphone virtualizer that Windows presents as a 7.1 device — it plays pink noise or footsteps on each channel in turn, in the order Windows uses; with two, it places the same speakers through the browser’s HRTF. You mark each speaker as right, wrong or silent, and the page names the fault: reversed left and right, silent rear channels, sides and backs swapped, a missing centre or subwoofer. The direction test plays footsteps from twelve directions, one in each 30° slice of the circle, and measures how far off you click, how often left and right flip, and how often front and back do.
Measurement boundary: A browser cannot hear your headphones: the check relies on what you mark. The channel count is what the system reports, not the number of drivers in the headset — a “7.1” headset with two drivers is still stereo plus processing. The browser’s 3D uses one generic head, so it is not tuned to your ears, and the direction score depends on attention as much as on the setup; compare runs made the same way.
How to interpret the output
7.1 — eight channels
A real surround output: a 7.1 headset or receiver, or Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos or DTS presenting one. Each speaker plays on its own channel, so the check tests exactly the surround your games use.
Stereo — two channels
Ordinary headphones or speakers with no virtualizer on. The page places the speakers with the browser’s 3D audio; to test your own virtual surround, switch it on in Windows and reload.
Median miss
How far off your typical click was. Under 20° is sharp, under 35° is what most players reach with a good HRTF; random clicking lands near 90°.
Front/back flips
Rounds where you put the footsteps on the mirror side, in front instead of behind or the other way. Two or three out of twelve is common with a generic HRTF; more means your setup gives little front/back cue.
Left and right right
How often you picked the correct side. Anything under 100% points to reversed channels, a mono setting, or one quiet earcup — run the channel check.
Troubleshooting unexpected results
It says two channels with Windows Sonic on
Reload the page after switching spatial sound on: the output is read when sound starts. Also check “Turn on 7.1 virtual surround sound” is ticked under the spatial sound setting, and that the right playback device is the default.
Every speaker sounds the same
Mono audio is on (Windows Accessibility, Audio; or the phone’s accessibility settings), or the headset is a single-sided mono one. Turn mono off and press Start sound again.
Rear speakers are silent
Windows sends them but the device drops them. On speakers check the rear cables and the receiver’s input; on a USB headset switch its virtual surround on in its own app; with speakers, run Configure in the Windows Sound settings and choose 7.1 or 5.1.
No sound at all
Press Start sound: browsers play nothing until you click. Then check the page’s volume slider, the system volume and that the browser tab is not muted.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test 7.1 surround sound?
Open this page with your headset or speakers connected, press Start sound, then Play all in turn. With a 7.1 output each of the eight channels plays from its own place; mark any that sound wrong and the page tells you what to fix.
How do I test 5.1 surround sound?
Choose the 5.1 layout and play each speaker: front left, front centre, front right, surround right, surround left and the subwoofer. With a six-channel output each plays on its own channel.
Does my headset really have 7.1?
Most “7.1” headsets have one driver per ear and make surround in software. The page shows what the system reports: eight channels when the headset’s software or Windows presents 7.1, two when it does not.
Do I need Windows Sonic for gaming?
Only for games without their own 3D audio. With an in-game HRTF (CS2, VALORANT, Fortnite, Overwatch 2’s Dolby Atmos option) leave Windows spatial sound off. For other games, the direction test shows whether it helps you.
Is this a 3D audio test?
Yes. The footstep direction test is a 3D audio test: steps from twelve directions around your head, scored by how far off you are and how often front and back or left and right swap.
Can I test spatial audio on a phone?
Yes, with headphones: the browser’s 3D audio works on phones. Phone outputs are stereo, so the device-channel mode is a computer feature.
Does the page record anything?
No. The sounds are generated in the page and nothing is recorded or uploaded. Your last direction score per mode is kept only in this browser, for the comparison.
