Silent side
One channel produces no sound or is dramatically quieter.
Avada audio lab · private browser diagnostic
Online speaker test
Check both speakers for reversed stereo, a silent side, buzzing and rattling, then sweep the full frequency range, find the bass limit and generate any tone you need — without installing an app.
No microphoneTones generated locally
Detecting output…
Output monitor
Press play to hear and see the output.
50%
Is each speaker on the correct side?
Play each side on its own. A missing side, a much quieter side, or sound arriving from the wrong speaker is a fault worth negotiating over.
Frequency spot checks
What this test can tell you
You can hear channel reversal, a silent speaker, obvious buzzing, rattling and missing frequency ranges. A web page cannot measure loudness, distortion or driver response accurately without calibrated equipment, so your listening judgement is the result.
Used-laptop listening check
Four warning sounds worth investigating.
Test without headphones when you are checking built-in speakers, in a quiet room, at a volume you would actually use. Repeat anything suspicious at two or three different frequencies before calling it a fault.
Buzz or rattle
The chassis or speaker vibrates strongly on bass and mid tones.
Crackle
Intermittent noise appears as volume or frequency changes.
Reversed stereo
The left test comes from the right speaker, or vice versa.
Speaker test guide
Read the result like a technician
This online audio test uses the browser Web Audio API to generate every signal on your own device. It can prove that a channel is silent, reversed or distorting; it cannot measure loudness or distortion the way a calibrated microphone in a treated room can.
How to test a used laptop speaker
Start in Balance mode at a low level and confirm both sides play. Move to Frequency and run the full sweep, listening for a sudden gap or a buzz that appears only in one band. Use Bass to find the low limit, then switch the signal to pink noise and repeat the side tests — broadband noise makes a rattling chassis far more obvious than a pure tone does.
Test modes explained
- BalanceLeft, right and centered channel checks plus a one-tap sweep of every channel.
- Surround5.1 and 7.1 speaker positions driven as discrete output channels, including LFE.
- FrequencyA 20 Hz – 20 kHz slider, per-band sweeps and upper-hearing-limit presets.
- BassPreset steps from 20 Hz to 120 Hz and a fine slider up to 150 Hz.
- Tone generatorAny frequency with sine, square, sawtooth or triangle waveforms.
Stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 detection
The badge above the tester reports how many discrete output channels your sound device exposes to the browser. Two channels means stereo, six means 5.1 and eight means 7.1. If you expect surround and see stereo, the operating system is downmixing before the browser ever sees the audio — fix it in Windows Sound settings or macOS Audio MIDI Setup.
What LFE means
LFE is the dedicated low-frequency effects channel — the “.1” in 5.1 and 7.1. It carries content below roughly 120 Hz and is normally handled by a subwoofer, so the tester drives it with a 60 Hz tone rather than the 440 Hz used elsewhere.
Frequency bands
- 20–60 HzSub bass. Needs a subwoofer or a large driver.
- 60–250 HzBass. Body and warmth; listen for rattling panels.
- 250 Hz–2 kHzMids. Voices and most instruments.
- 2–8 kHzTreble. Clarity and detail; harshness means trouble.
- 8–20 kHzHigh. Air and sparkle; audibility drops with age.
Hearing safety comes first
Test tones are far more fatiguing than music at the same level, and a sustained high frequency can damage both a small driver and your hearing. The tester limits its own output, but that limit sits before your operating-system volume and any amplifier, so always start quiet, raise the level gradually and take breaks between sweeps.
Questions
Speaker test FAQ
Use your ears for this check. Exact distortion and loudness measurements require a calibrated microphone and a controlled room.
How do I test left and right laptop speakers?
Open the Balance mode, lower the volume, then play Left, Centered and Right. Each side test should come clearly from the named speaker, and the centered test should sit evenly between them.
Why does it say stereo output detected?
The tester reads how many output channels your sound device exposes. Most laptops report two, so the badge shows stereo. Enable 5.1 or 7.1 in Windows Sound settings or macOS Audio MIDI Setup and reload the page to unlock the surround positions.
What does the bass test actually show?
Sub bass below roughly 80 Hz needs a subwoofer or a large driver, so small laptop speakers and earbuds simply stop reproducing it. Start at 120 Hz in the Bass mode and step down until the tone disappears or turns into a rattle — that point is the honest low limit of the device.
Can I generate a specific frequency?
Yes. The Tone generator gives you any frequency between 20 Hz and 20 kHz with sine, square, sawtooth and triangle waveforms, plus musical references from C3 to C6. Square and sawtooth tones expose buzzing that a clean sine wave hides.
Does the speaker test use my microphone?
No. Every tone is generated locally with the browser Web Audio API. There is no recording, no microphone permission, no audio upload and no file access of any kind.
How can I run the audio test safely?
Keep the device volume low, raise it gradually and stop immediately if a tone feels uncomfortable. The tester caps its own signal level, but your operating-system and amplifier volume still control the final loudness.