Every Speaker Plays
Each speaker in your 2.1, 3.1, 5.1 or 7.1 setup makes sound when its channel plays.
Speaker CheckFree online surround sound tester for home theater, soundbar and PC setups. Tap any speaker on the map, check the subwoofer, match levels and hear sound circle the room.
Tap a speaker on the map, or use Previous and Next. Each sound should come only from that spot in the room. The Subwoofer plays a low-passed version of the signal.
Pink noise circles the room, passing from speaker to speaker. It should move smoothly all the way round, with no jumps, gaps or quiet spots.
A low tone plays on the .1 channel only. A steady, clean hum is good. Silence, a buzz or a flapping sound points to a setup or sub problem.
A slow sweep from 30Hz to 250Hz plays on every speaker and the sub together. Listen for the point where the bass suddenly drops or swells.
Pink noise plays from one speaker at a time. Pick a speaker below or on the map, then step through them all and set each one to the same level.
An 80Hz tone plays on a pair of speakers, in phase and then with one side flipped. In Phase should sound full and centered between them.
A surround sound test plays a sound through one channel at a time, so you can hear whether every speaker in a 5.1 or 7.1 system works and sits in the right spot. A complete surround sound tester also checks the subwoofer, channel levels and how smoothly sound moves around the room.
Each speaker in your 2.1, 3.1, 5.1 or 7.1 setup makes sound when its channel plays.
Speaker CheckFront Left sounds from the front left, Rear Right from behind you on the right, and so on.
PlacementThe center channel plays on its own, right in front of you, where movie dialogue lives.
CenterThe .1 channel reaches the sub, and the sub plays deep bass cleanly.
SubwooferEvery speaker sounds equally loud from your seat, so no channel jumps out.
Level MatchA sound travels all the way round the room without jumping or dropping out.
Pan AroundThe numbers count the speakers. The first is the full-range speakers, the second is the subwoofer and a third, on Atmos systems, is the height speakers.
A full check takes about five minutes. Sit in your main seat, follow the steps in order, then go back to the test that matches any problem you hear.
Connect your PC to the receiver by HDMI and set the sound output to 5.1 or 7.1 in your system settings.
Choose your layout in the tester, check the channel count it shows and set the volume to about 30%.
Press Auto Walk or tap each speaker on the map. Each sound should come from that spot only.
Play the Subwoofer tones, then run the Crossover Sweep and listen for a dip in the bass.
Use Level Match with a sound meter at your seat, then finish with the Pan Around test.
Six tests and a live speaker map in one place, for AV receivers, soundbars, PC sound cards and gaming setups.
Pick 2.0, 2.1, 3.1, 5.1 or 7.1 and tap any speaker on the room map to play it. Pink noise, white noise or a tone at any pitch. The tester reads how many channels your browser can send and tells you if real surround is active.
Steps through every speaker in order, then the sub, so you can test from your seat.
A sound circles the room clockwise or counterclockwise at the speed you set.
Hold any tone from 20Hz to 200Hz on the .1 channel, with an 80Hz crossover preset.
A slow 30Hz to 250Hz sweep on all speakers finds bass dips where the sub hands over.
Pink noise on one speaker at a time, made for setting each channel to the same level.
Compare in-phase and out-of-phase sound on the front, surround or center pair.
Use the arrow keys to step speakers and Space to play, and let sound stop on its own.
Mark what you heard and get the most likely cause and fix in plain words.
Match what you heard to a row below. Each one gives the most likely cause and the first thing to try.
Your device is sending 2 channels, often because the output is set to stereo or the TV ARC link only passes stereo.
Set the output to 5.1 or 7.1, or connect the PC straight to the receiver by HDMI.
The browser sees a stereo output device.
Change the speaker setup to 5.1 or 7.1 in your system settings, then reload the page.
Surround speaker wires swapped, or the receiver is folding rear channels into the front.
Check each wire at the receiver and set the speaker size and presence in its menu.
The two surround cables are crossed at the receiver.
Swap the two surround cables, then run Speaker Check again.
The center is set to None in the receiver or system, or its cable is loose.
Set the center to Small or Large in the receiver and check the wire.
The sub is off, set to No in the receiver, or its LFE cable is loose.
Turn the sub on, set it to Yes, raise its volume and reseat the LFE cable.
The sub and mains cancel each other around the crossover.
Flip the phase switch on the sub, or move the sub and test again.
Channel levels are not set.
Use Level Match with a sound meter and adjust that channel in the receiver.
A speaker is missing, too far away or set to the wrong size.
Check speaker distances and positions, then rerun the receiver setup.
Most missing channels come from one setting. Here is where to look before you test.
It is quick, free and private, and it tells you what your device is really sending.
Every sound is made in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or recorded.
Open the page and test, with nothing to install and no account.
Every test is free, with no limit on how often you use it.
Receivers, soundbars, PC sound cards, gaming headsets and HDMI setups.
It reads how many channels your device really sends, so you are not guessing.
Your answers turn into a clear next step instead of jargon.
Short answers to what people ask most when they test a home theater or surround setup.
Set your device output to 5.1 or 7.1, open the surround sound test above, pick your layout and press Auto Walk. Each speaker plays in turn and should sound from its own spot. Then check the subwoofer, the levels and the Pan Around test.
The tester should show 6 or more channels. When you tap Surround Left or Surround Right, the sound should come from beside and slightly behind you, not from the front. The Pan Around test should circle the whole room without gaps.
Your device is most likely sending stereo. The output may be set to 2 channels, or the audio passes through a TV with plain HDMI ARC, which carries only stereo PCM. Set the output to 5.1 or 7.1, or connect straight to the receiver by HDMI.
Open the Sound Control Panel, select your HDMI or sound card output, press Configure and choose 5.1 Surround or 7.1 Surround. Tick the speakers you own, finish the wizard and reload this page.
The center may be set to None in your receiver or system speaker setup, or its wire may be loose. Set the center to Small or Large, check the cable, then tap Center on the speaker map again.
Check that the sub is powered on, its volume is up and it is set to Yes or LFE plus Main in the receiver. Reseat the LFE cable, then play 50Hz in the Subwoofer tab. A 2.0 layout has no sub channel.
The .1 is the LFE channel, short for low frequency effects. It carries only deep bass, usually below about 120Hz, and goes to the subwoofer. The 5 counts the full-range speakers.
In 5.1, place the surrounds at about 110 to 120 degrees from the front, just beside and behind you. In 7.1, put the side surrounds at about 90 to 110 degrees and the rear surrounds at about 135 to 150 degrees, a little above ear height.
No. Browsers can send up to 8 channels, which covers 5.1 and 7.1 but not height speakers. This tester checks the base layer of an Atmos system. Use an Atmos demo disc or stream to check the ceiling or upfiring speakers.
Plain ARC passes only stereo PCM, so browser audio reaches the soundbar or receiver as 2 channels. eARC can pass multichannel PCM. For the best result, connect the computer straight to the receiver by HDMI.
Yes, in a simulated way. With a stereo output, the tester places side and rear speakers using stereo panning. Gaming headsets with virtual 7.1 software may show up as a 7.1 device and play each channel through their own virtual surround.
Chrome and Edge on Windows and Mac give the best multichannel support. If the tester shows only 2 channels, change your system speaker setup to 5.1 or 7.1 and reload the page.
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