Click Play Left, Play Right, or Play Both; use headphones to confirm each channel.
Click Play Left, Play Right, or Play Both. A short tone plays through that channel only - nothing is uploaded.
Speaker & Audio Channel Test
Test left and right speaker channels with a short in-browser tone. Click Play Left, Play Right, or Play Both; adjust the frequency, then Stop. Everything runs in the browser - no microphone, no upload, and no account.
How Speaker & Audio Channel Test compares to the other device-test tools
Speaker & Audio Channel Test is one of several device checks on this site that run with nothing installed, but only two of them ask for a browser permission first - the two that read a live stream FROM your device rather than only playing or displaying something TO you. Microphone Test and Camera Test fall into the first group; Speaker & Audio Channel Test and LCD (Screen) Test fall into the second, so neither ever shows a permission prompt.
| Device-test tool | What it checks | Needs a permission prompt? |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker & Audio Channel Test (this page) | Left, right, or both speaker channels using a tone the browser generates | No |
| Microphone Test | Microphone input level on a live volume meter | Yes - microphone |
| Camera Test | Live camera preview plus the negotiated resolution | Yes - camera |
| LCD (Screen) Test | Dead or stuck pixels using full-screen solid colors | No |
If sound does not play when you expect it to, the fix depends on which category the tool is in: a no-permission tool like this one only needs audio playback allowed at the tab or system level, while a permission tool needs camera or microphone access re-granted in your browser's site settings.
Why the tone fades out on its own, and what happens if you switch channels
Every tone Speaker & Audio Channel Test plays stops on its own after about 2.5 seconds, even if you never click Stop. The volume does not hold steady and then cut off - it ramps down smoothly from the moment you click Play Left, Play Right, or Play Both, reaching silence right around the 2.5-second mark, so there is no click or pop at the end. That auto-stop exists so a tone can never get stuck playing if you switch tabs or forget to click Stop.
You also do not have to click Stop before testing a different channel. Clicking Play Right while Play Left is still sounding stops the left tone first, then starts the right one - the two channels never overlap or play together by accident. Click Stop only when you want silence immediately instead of waiting out the fade.
FreetoolOnline Editorial TeamFrequently Asked Questions
Does this use my microphone?
No. The tone is generated with the Web Audio API. Nothing is recorded and no microphone permission is requested.
Why do I need to click Play?
Browsers block autoplay of audio until you interact with the page. A click on Play Left, Play Right, or Play Both starts the AudioContext.
How do I tell left from right?
Use headphones. Play Left should be louder in the left ear; Play Right in the right ear. Play Both sends the same tone to both channels.
What frequency range can I test?
The Hz slider runs from 220 to 2000, adjustable in steps of 10. The label next to the slider updates live as you drag it, and whatever value you land on carries over to whichever Play button you click next.
Can I make the tone louder or quieter?
No - there is no volume control on the page. Every tone plays at the same fixed level; use your headphone or speaker volume instead if you need it louder or quieter.
Does the meter bar measure how loud the tone actually is?
No. The bar is a visual cue that pulses on a fixed pattern while a tone is playing, so you can see something is happening even without headphones nearby. It does not measure sound pressure or the loudness actually reaching your speakers.
Will this work on a mono speaker or a single Bluetooth speaker?
It will play, but you likely will not hear a difference between Play Left and Play Right. Stereo separation only shows up when the two channels reach two distinct physical outputs - two speakers or two headphone ear cups. On a mono speaker or a single-driver Bluetooth speaker, Play Left, Play Right, and Play Both can sound the same, so use headphones or two separate speakers to actually hear the channel difference.