# Speaker test

The speaker test plays a sound on each speaker in turn to check left, right, surround channels and polarity. No install needed.

Open the test: https://setupcheck.app/speaker-test/

## How to use the speaker test

1. Turn your volume down, then click **Start speaker test**. The **Volume** slider starts at 30%.
2. In **Channels**, click **Left**, **Right** and **Both**. **Left** and **Right** play one channel each and **Both** plays both front channels, as three half-second bursts of noise, about 2 seconds in all.
3. After each sound, answer **Yes, from there**, **From elsewhere** or **Not heard**.
4. With a 5.1 or 7.1 output, pick the layout in the **Speaker layout** list and test every channel in the same way.
5. Optional: open **Polarity**, click **Play check**, and pick the version that sounded fuller.

**OK** appears only once you have marked every channel, while any problem answer shows **Issue** at once. Click **Stop test** when you are done. The sound also stops when you switch to another tab or leave the page.

## What the results mean

The verdict comes only from your answers, because a browser cannot hear your speakers. **OK** means every channel was heard where it should be. Any other answer turns the verdict into **Issue** at once, with the most important finding in words.

| Result | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| OK | You marked every channel “Yes, from there”. | Nothing to fix. |
| Issue: Not heard | You marked a channel “Not heard”: nothing came out of that speaker. | Check that the speaker is on, its cable, and the balance in your system sound settings. |
| Issue: Left and right seem swapped | You marked both Left and Right “From elsewhere”. | Swap the speakers or their cables, then test again. |
| Issue: Right came from the wrong place | You marked a single channel “From elsewhere”, and the message names it. | Check which output that speaker is connected to, and the speaker setup in your system sound settings. |
| Issue: The middle sound leaned to one side | You marked **Both** “From elsewhere”: it did not sound as if it came from between the speakers. | Check the balance setting and sit between the speakers. |
| Issue: One speaker may be wired backwards | In the polarity check, version 2 sounded fuller. | Check the + and − wires of one speaker. |
| Issue: Rear and side pairs seem swapped | In 7.1, a rear or side pair came from the other place. | Nothing is wrong with the wiring: your system orders 7.1 differently. |
| Output channels: 2, 6 or 8 | Stereo, 5.1 or 7.1 output. 3 to 5 channels still test as stereo. | With 6 or more, test every surround channel. |

**Both** plays the same sound from both front speakers at −3 dB each, so it should seem to come from the middle, between them. **Subwoofer (LFE)** plays noise cut off above 120 Hz and boosted by 6 dB, so you should hear a low rumble and no hiss.

**Polarity** (also called phase) plays two versions of the same sound, 2.5 seconds each with a 0.6-second pause. In version 1 both speakers move together. In version 2 one is turned upside down, as if its + and − wires were swapped, so the bass cancels and the sound spreads out. **No difference** isn’t a fault: on many speakers the difference is subtle. On a mono output, version 2 cancels out to silence, and the test says the check cannot work.

The 7.1 order follows Windows, with the rear pair before the side pair. On a Mac or Linux the two pairs may come out the other way round.

## Speakers not working?

The speaker test needs no permission, so it starts as soon as you click.

### No sound at all

Click **Start speaker test** first, because the browser lets a page play sound only after you have interacted with it, and the test creates its audio on that click. Then check that the speakers are on and not muted, your system volume is up, and the test’s **Volume** slider is not at 0. The test asks Safari on iPhone to play even when the phone is set to silent; if you still hear nothing, check the silent mode and the volume buttons.

### Sound comes from the wrong device

The browser plays through your system’s output. In Chrome and Edge, an **Output device** list can appear under the test, but browsers often keep the list private, and then the test says so. Change the output in your system instead: on Windows, click the speaker icon in the taskbar; on a Mac, open Control Center > Sound or System Settings > Sound > Output. Then click **Stop test** and start again.

### Left and right swapped

Swap the speakers or their cables, then test again. With headphones, check the L and R marks.

### Both sides play the same sound

If **Left** and **Right** both come out of every speaker, something mixes the sound down to mono. Turn off Mono audio in the accessibility settings of your system (Windows: Settings > Accessibility > Audio). A phone or a Bluetooth speaker with one driver also plays mono, and when the **Output channels** cell says 1, the polarity check cannot work.

### One speaker is silent

Check that speaker’s cable and power, and the balance in your system sound settings. Reconnect a Bluetooth speaker and test again.

### No surround channels

The **Speaker layout** list offers 5.1 only with 6 or more output channels, and 7.1 with 8. Set the speaker configuration to 5.1 or 7.1 in your system sound settings or audio driver, check that the speakers or the receiver are connected, and start the test again.

### Sound is late on a Bluetooth speaker

Bluetooth delays the sound by about 0.1 to 0.3 seconds, so the highlight on the screen can run ahead of what you hear. Your answers are not affected.

### Browser not supported

If the test shows that your browser does not support it, the browser has no Web Audio. Update it, or open the page in a current Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.

## How we measure

The test generates pink noise in your browser and plays it through the Web Audio API in three bursts of 0.5 seconds, sending each burst to one output channel only, or to both front channels for **Both**. Pink noise has equal energy in every octave, so even small speakers can play it and your ear can place it. A browser cannot hear your speakers, so the verdict comes only from your answers, while the output channels and sample rate come from the audio output, and the device name only where the browser shares it. It cannot report where the speakers stand, how many are connected or what a surround receiver does with a channel.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I test the left and right speakers?

Click Start speaker test, then Left, and say whether the sound came from the left speaker. Repeat with Right and Both. Left and Right play one channel each and Both plays both front channels, in three half-second bursts of noise. If the sides are swapped, the verdict says so and suggests swapping the speakers or their cables.

### Can this page hear my speakers?

No. The test only plays sound and never uses your microphone, so it cannot tell whether a speaker works. That is why you mark each channel yourself, and why the verdict comes only from your answers.

### Why does the test play noise instead of a beep?

Because pink noise covers every frequency, so even small laptop speakers can play it, and it is easy to tell where it comes from. A single tone bounces around the room and can seem to come from the wrong side. The noise is generated in your browser and plays in short bursts, so each start helps your ear place the sound.

### How do I test 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound?

Pick 5.1 or 7.1 in the Speaker layout list, then play each channel and mark where you heard it, as in the stereo test. The list offers only the layouts your output supports, so if 5.1 or 7.1 is missing, see “No surround channels” in the troubleshooting section above.

### Why does the test start so quiet?

Because the Volume slider follows a squared curve, so its start at 30% is only about 9% of the full signal, or −21 dB. This way the first sound is less likely to be a shock. Raise the slider or your system volume if you hear nothing.

### Is the speaker test private?

Yes. Everything runs in your browser. The test plays generated noise, records nothing and never asks for your microphone, so no audio and no answers leave your device unless you copy or share the result yourself.

Updated 2026-10-08

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