Each Speaker Plays On Its Own
The left and right speakers both work and sit on the side your system expects.
ChannelsFree online speaker tester for computer, desktop, bookshelf, Bluetooth and car speakers. Check each speaker, the stereo image, the bass, rattles and the wiring in your browser.
Play a tone from the left speaker, the right speaker or both. Use the driver presets to check the woofer, the midrange and the tweeter one at a time.
The tone travels from the left speaker to the right speaker and back. From your seat it should move smoothly and sound centered between the speakers when the dot is in the middle.
The tone glides from low to high. Listen for buzzing, rattles or places where the sound drops away, then mark where it fades out.
Low tones show how deep your speakers or subwoofer can play. A steady, clean hum is good. A flapping or buzzing sound means the driver or cabinet is struggling.
A slow, low sweep shakes every loose part. Walk around the room while it plays and listen for buzzing grilles, screws, shelves or window panes.
A low tone plays from both speakers, first in phase and then with one side flipped. In Phase should sound full and centered. Out Of Phase should sound thin and spread out.
Pink noise sounds even to the ear, so it is the standard signal for matching speaker levels. Play each side and adjust until both sound equally loud from your seat.
A speaker test plays known tones through each speaker so you can hear whether both work, sit on the correct side and sound clean. A good speaker tester also checks bass depth, rattles, the stereo image and whether the wires are connected the right way round.
The left and right speakers both work and sit on the side your system expects.
ChannelsVoices appear in the middle, between the two speakers, instead of pulling to one side.
Stereo ImageThe woofer, midrange and tweeter all play cleanly from deep bass to high treble.
20Hz to 20kHzLow notes come out as a firm hum, and the subwoofer fills in below the main speakers.
Bass & SubGrilles, screws and nearby objects stay quiet when the bass hits hard.
Rattle TestBoth speakers push and pull together, so bass stays full instead of cancelling out.
PolarityA full check takes about three minutes. Sit where you normally listen, follow the steps in order, then go back to the test that matches any problem you hear.
Place the two speakers and your seat in a triangle with roughly equal sides, both speakers at ear height.
Pick the speakers as your sound output and set the volume to about 30% before you play.
Press Left, then Right, or use Auto Check. Each tone should come from one speaker only.
Check the tone travels evenly across, then sweep from bass to treble for crackle or gaps.
Play the bass tones, run the rattle sweep and finish with the polarity test.
Seven tests in one place work with laptop and computer speakers, desktop and bookshelf pairs, soundbars, Bluetooth speakers, car audio and home theater fronts.
Play each speaker alone or run Auto Check for left, right and both. Woofer, midrange and tweeter presets let you check every driver, and the live level meters show which side is receiving the signal.
A tone travels between the speakers at your chosen speed, with a balance offset to match levels.
Sweep the full range or only the woofer, midrange or tweeter band, and mark where the sound fades.
Hold any tone from 20Hz to 200Hz, including an 80Hz crossover check for a sub.
A slow low sweep finds loose grilles, screws and furniture that buzz at one pitch.
Compare in-phase and out-of-phase sound to find a speaker wired backwards.
Match the loudness of both speakers using pink noise and the live meters.
Match what you heard to a row below. Each one gives the most likely cause and the first thing to try.
A loose speaker wire, a cable between the two speakers, or the balance pushed to one side.
Check every cable and the link between the speakers, then center the balance in your sound settings.
The speakers or their cables are swapped.
Swap the two speakers around, or swap the left and right cables at the amplifier.
Mono audio is on, or it is a single Bluetooth speaker that plays in mono.
Turn off mono audio. A single Bluetooth speaker will always play both sides together.
A damaged cone or voice coil, often called a blown speaker.
Lower the volume. If the buzz stays at low volume on one speaker only, that driver needs repair.
A loose grille, screw, shelf or nearby object.
Run the rattle sweep, stop at the pitch and touch nearby objects until the buzz stops.
Small drivers, the subwoofer turned off, or one speaker out of phase.
Check the sub is on and connected, then run the polarity test.
A ground loop between the computer, amplifier and power outlets.
Plug everything into the same power strip and keep audio cables away from power cables.
A failed tweeter, or treble turned down in an equalizer.
Play the 8kHz tweeter preset close to each speaker and reset any EQ.
It is quick, free and private, and it works with the speakers you already own.
Tones are made in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or recorded.
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Every test is free, with no limit on how often you use it.
Computer, bookshelf, soundbar, Bluetooth, car and home theater front speakers.
Runs in any current browser on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and Chromebook.
Your answers turn into a clear next step instead of jargon.
Short answers to what people ask most when they test their speakers.
Set your volume to about 30%, press Left and then Right in the speaker test above and check each tone comes from one speaker only. Then run the Stereo Image, Frequency Sweep and Bass tests to check sound quality. The full check takes about three minutes.
Press Left and the tone should come only from the speaker on your left as you sit facing them. If it comes from the right, swap the two speakers around or swap the left and right cables at the amplifier or sound card.
The usual causes are a loose speaker wire, the link cable between two computer speakers, a balance setting pushed to one side or mono audio switched on. Swap the speakers around. If the silence moves with the speaker, that speaker is at fault.
A blown speaker buzzes, rattles or distorts even at low volume, often on one speaker only. It may also sound thin with almost no bass, or make no sound at all. Play the same tone on each side at a low level and compare the two.
Use 440Hz or 1kHz for a general check, around 50 to 60Hz for woofers and subwoofers, and 8kHz to 12kHz for tweeters. A full sweep from 20Hz to 20kHz shows where your speakers start and stop.
Open the Bass and Sub tab and play 50Hz, then 35Hz and 80Hz. Make sure the sub is on, its volume is up and its crossover is set near 80Hz. A clean, even hum means it works. A flapping or buzzing sound means it is being pushed too hard.
Open the Polarity tab. In Phase should sound full and centered between the speakers. If Out Of Phase sounds fuller instead, one speaker has its red (+) and black (-) wires swapped. Turn the amplifier off before you fix the wiring.
Set the two speakers and your listening seat in a triangle with roughly equal sides, with the tweeters at ear height. Keep them a little away from the wall and angle them slightly toward you.
Yes. Connect the speaker, choose it as your sound output and run the test. Most single Bluetooth speakers play in mono, so Left and Right both come from the same box. A stereo pair of Bluetooth speakers will show each side separately.
Common causes are playing too loud, a loose part that rattles at one pitch, a ground loop hum from the power setup or a damaged driver. Lower the volume, run the Rattle Test and check whether the buzz stays when no tone is playing.
Not at a sensible volume. Long, loud tones can harm small speakers, especially deep bass on laptop and desktop speakers and high tones on tweeters. Keep the volume moderate and stop if the speaker sounds strained.
Yes. It runs in any current browser on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone and Android. Laptop and phone speakers sit close together and are small, so expect weak deep bass and a narrow stereo image.
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