Speaker Tester

How to use the speaker tester

1. Start at a low volume.
2. Play the left channel, then the right, then both.
3. Try different frequencies to check the whole range.

About this tool

Testing each channel on its own is the point. Playing anything through both at once hides a dead speaker completely, because you still hear sound — testing them separately is the only way to find that one side is silent, or that the channels are swapped.

A swapped pair is more common than people expect and easy to miss: if the tone labelled left comes out of the right speaker, the wiring or the settings have them crossed.

The frequency range doubles as a rough hearing check. Almost everyone hears 1 kHz clearly. Most adults stop hearing above about 15 kHz, and that upper limit falls with age — not hearing the highest tones is ordinary, not a fault in the speakers.

Start quietly. A pure sine tone is considerably louder than music at the same volume setting, and with headphones on that matters.

Common uses

• Checking whether one speaker or earbud has failed.
• Confirming stereo channels are not swapped.
• Testing a new pair of headphones or a car stereo.

Frequently asked questions

The left tone comes out of the right speaker. What is wrong?

Your channels are swapped — in the cabling, a connector, or the sound settings. The test itself sends left to left.

I cannot hear the highest tone. Is something broken?

Probably not. Most adults stop hearing above about 15 kHz, and the limit falls with age. It is normal.

Why does the tone sound so loud?

A pure sine tone concentrates all its energy at one frequency, so it is much louder than music at the same setting. Start low, especially with headphones.