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HeadphonesHeadphone Check Online
Check both headphone drivers, confirm the left and right channels are not swapped, and sweep the full frequency range.
This online headphone check uses generated tones rather than a music file, so nothing is downloaded and every test is a clean sine wave at a known frequency.
Headphone Check Online — how to do it
- Set the volume to about half
Loud tones mask exactly the rattles and buzzes you are trying to find, and a full-volume sweep at 40 Hz can damage small drivers.
- Play the left channel
The left cell in the panel lights up. You should hear the tone only in your left ear. Nothing, or sound in the wrong ear, is a fault.
- Play the right channel
Same again on the right. If both sides play when only one should, the connection has fallen back to mono — common with a partly inserted 3.5 mm plug.
- Play both channels
A centred tone should appear to sit between your ears. If it pulls to one side, the two drivers are at different output levels.
- Run the frequency sweep
The sweep climbs from 20 Hz to 18 kHz over sixteen seconds. Listen for buzzing at the bottom, dropouts in the middle, and note where the tone disappears at the top.
- Try the individual tones
The tone buttons hold a steady pitch so you can compare ears carefully at a single frequency.
What each symptom means
- Channels swappedAlmost always an adapter or extension lead wired in reverse. A four-pole plug pushed into a three-pole socket produces the same effect.
- Muffled on one sideEarwax or dust in the mesh. Clean the grille with a dry soft brush before assuming the driver has failed.
- Crackle when moving your headA broken conductor inside the cable near a stress point. Detachable cables can be replaced cheaply; fixed cables mean a repair.
- One side silentTry a different port or device first. If it is still silent, the fault is in the cable or the driver — flexing the cable near the plug while a tone plays usually confirms a break.
Why tones beat music for testing
A music track tells you very little about whether headphones work correctly, because your brain fills in what it expects to hear. A pure sine wave has one job: it either arrives at the correct ear at the correct pitch, or it does not.
Generated tones also mean nothing is downloaded and nothing is compressed. Every frequency in the sweep is synthesised in your browser at full quality, so what you hear is limited only by your hardware.
Common questions
Do I need special headphones?
No. The test works with wired, USB and Bluetooth headphones, earbuds and over-ear models alike.
Why is the bass quieter than expected?
Small drivers roll off below about 50 Hz, and open earbuds lose bass if they do not seal. This is normal, not a defect.
What is a normal upper hearing limit?
Most people under 25 hear to about 17 kHz, most over 40 to around 14 kHz. Losing the top of the sweep is age, not equipment.
Can this damage my headphones?
Not at moderate volume. Keep the level around half and avoid holding low-frequency tones at maximum output for long periods.
Related tests
If that was not it, try: getting a headset boom right, headset troubleshooting, or testing a headset mic.
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