A quick speaker test tells you whether both channels work, whether stereo is wired correctly, and whether anything buzzes or rattles. Play a tone through the left speaker only, then the right, then both — on headphones or AirPods this confirms each earpiece; on an iPhone or Mac it checks each built-in speaker. A frequency sweep from deep bass to high treble then reveals distortion, buzzing or frequencies a failing speaker can’t reproduce.
Everything is generated live in your browser — no downloads, no files, just clean test tones. It’s the standard way to check a new pair of headphones, verify AirPods after a firmware update, or diagnose a speaker that sounds off.
How to use it
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1Set a comfortable volume
Start at a low to medium volume — test tones are pure and can sound louder than music. Raise it gradually.
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2Test left and right
Play the Left tone, then Right. You should hear each clearly from only that side. Swapped or silent sides indicate a wiring or speaker fault.
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3Play both together
The Both option confirms balanced stereo output — the tone should sit centred between the two speakers.
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4Run the sweep
Play the frequency sweep and listen for buzzing, rattling or sudden silence. A healthy speaker plays the whole range smoothly.
Why This Test Exists
Isolating hardware from software is the whole point. On a device running pre-release software, every fault gets blamed on the beta, and most of the time that is wrong. A test that exercises the hardware directly turns "something is broken" into something specific enough to act on.
Getting a Reliable Result
Run the test twice — once as the device is now, once after a restart. A fault that survives both is worth investigating; one that clears is almost always software.
Reading the Outcome
If the result points at software rather than hardware, our beta troubleshooting guides cover what to do next.
Nothing Leaves Your Device
This tool runs entirely in your browser. There is no upload step, no account, no cookie set for it and no record kept of anything you test — which is a consequence of how it is built rather than a policy you have to trust. It also means it works on any device, on any operating system version, whether or not you are running a beta.
If a test here points at software rather than hardware, that is useful in itself: it means the next step is a beta build or a setting rather than a repair. Our troubleshooting guides cover the common ones, and your device's page sets out what to expect from your specific model on the current release.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test the left and right speakers on my headphones?
Put the headphones on, then play the Left tone and the Right tone separately. Each should come clearly and only from its own side. If a side is silent, quiet, or the sides are swapped, you’ve found a fault — do the same to check AirPods after a firmware update.
How can I tell if an iPhone speaker is blown?
Play the frequency sweep and steady tones at a moderate volume and listen for buzzing, crackling or rattling, especially in the bass. A blown or damaged speaker distorts or drops out where a healthy one stays clean. Compare against the other speaker if your device has stereo.
Do I need to download any sound files?
No. All the tones are generated live in your browser with the Web Audio API, so there’s nothing to download and no files involved. Just tap a button and listen.
Why does the tone only play from one side?
That’s expected for the Left and Right tests — they deliberately send sound to a single channel so you can check each speaker in isolation. Use the Both option for centred stereo. If a single-channel test is silent when it shouldn’t be, that speaker or channel has a problem.