Headphone Test: Left, Right, Stereo and Balance
Check your headphones or earbuds in a couple of minutes: that left and right are the right way round, that a sound moves across your head the way it should, that both sides are in phase, which frequency bands come through, and whether both sides are equally loud.
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Lower your volume before you put your headphones on. Test sounds start at 20% and play only when you press a button. Raise the volume slowly until the sounds are comfortable, never loud.
Wear them the right way round: the side marked L on your left ear. Take one side off if a sound is ever too loud.
1. Left and right
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Where did you hear the left sound?
Not checked
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Where did you hear the right sound?
Not checked
2. Which way does it move?
A sound starts on one side, moves across your head to the other side over 4 seconds, and comes back. We pick the starting side at random. Listen, then say where it started.
3. Phase
Both sounds are the same noise. In phase sends it identically to both ears, so it should seem to sit in the middle of your head. Out of phase flips one side, so it should sound wide, hollow or hard to place.
4. Frequency bands
Each button glides a tone through one band and back over 4 seconds. Tick the bands you can hear. This checks your headphones, not your hearing: it is not a hearing test.
- Sub-bass 20–60 Hz
- Bass 60–250 Hz
- Mids 250 Hz–2 kHz
- Highs 2–8 kHz
- Air 8–20 kHz
5. Left-right balance
Play the sound, then move the slider until it seems to come from the exact middle of your head.
Your report
Run the test above. Your results will appear here as plain text you can paste into a support chat, a return request or a forum post.
How to test your headphones
- Turn your volume down, then put the headphones on with the side marked L on your left ear. Connect Bluetooth headphones before you open this page.
- Press Play left and Play right, and say where you heard each sound.
- Play the moving sound and choose the side it started on.
- Play In phase and Out of phase, then say which one sounded centered.
- Play each frequency band and tick the ones you hear, set the balance slider so the sound is centered, then copy the report.
What the results mean
Left, right and direction
Each sound should reach only one ear, and the moving sound should start on the side we picked. If you hear left sounds on the right, the headphones are on backwards, or an adapter, a splitter or an audio interface has the channels swapped. If you hear every sound on both sides, a mono audio setting or virtual surround is mixing the channels. If one side stays silent, look at that side's plug, cable and driver.
Phase
When both drivers push and pull together, the same sound in both ears seems to come from the middle of your head. Flip one side and the sound spreads out, feels hollow and loses bass. If the out-of-phase sound is the one that seems centered, one driver is wired backwards, which can happen after a cable repair. If the out-of-phase sound almost disappears, a mono setting is adding the two sides together and they cancel out. If the two sound the same, one side may be silent, or spatial audio is processing the sound.
Frequency bands
The five bands are a quick check that every part of the range comes through. Sub-bass is felt as much as heard and needs a good seal; earbuds that sit loosely lose it first. Hearing for very high notes fades with age, so missing only the air band is common and isn't a fault. This is not a hearing test, and the result depends on your headphones and your volume. If you are worried about your hearing, see a doctor or an audiologist.
Balance
Within 1 dB of the center is normal. A bigger offset means one side sounds quieter: a blocked ear tip or mesh, a poor seal, a balance setting in your system, or a difference between your ears. To tell which, note where the slider ends up, then wear the headphones the other way round and set it again. If it ends up on the same side, the headphones are uneven. If it moves to the other side, the difference is in your ears.
Headphone problems and fixes
One side is silent
A plug that isn't fully in, a damaged cable, a balance or mono setting, or an earbud that isn't connected.
- Push the plug in all the way, then gently move the cable near the plug while a sound plays. Crackling or dropouts mean a damaged cable or socket.
- For wireless earbuds, put both back in the case, close it, then take them out again.
Windows 11
- Open Settings → System → Sound, select your headphones, and check that Left channel and Right channel are at the same level.
- Open Settings → Accessibility → Audio and turn off Mono audio.
macOS
- Open System Settings → Sound → Output, select your headphones and set Balance to the middle.
- Open System Settings → Accessibility → Audio and turn off Play stereo audio as mono.
Left and right are swapped
- Check the L and R marks; on many headphones they are inside the headband or on the ear cups.
- Remove any adapter, splitter or extension cable and test again.
- On an audio interface or mixer, check which output feeds which side.
Sounds seem to come from everywhere
Spatial audio or virtual surround places sounds around you, which blurs the left, right and phase checks.
Windows 11
- Open Settings → System → Sound, select your headphones, and set Spatial sound to Off while you test.
macOS
- With AirPods or Beats connected, open Control Center, choose Sound, and turn Spatial Audio off while you test.
Headset apps from the maker can add virtual surround and an equalizer too. Turn those effects off in the app while you test.
Bluetooth headphones sound thin or crackly
When an app uses their microphone, many Bluetooth headphones switch to a hands-free mode with lower sound quality.
- Move closer to your computer and away from Wi-Fi routers and USB 3 hubs, which can disturb Bluetooth.
Windows 11
- Open Settings → System → Sound and, under Output, choose the entry for your headphones that isn't marked Hands-Free.
- Close apps that use the headset microphone, such as meeting apps.
macOS
- Open System Settings → Sound → Input and choose another microphone, such as the Mac's own, so the headphones can stay in high quality.
One side is quieter
- Clean the ear tips and the mesh over each speaker, and try a different tip size for a better seal.
- Set the balance slider above, then wear the headphones the other way round to tell your ears from the headphones.
- Check the balance settings in your system, as in the first fix on this list.
Common questions
How do I know if my headphones are on the right way round?
Press Left and check that the sound comes only from your left ear, then play the moving sound and say where it started. If you hear left sounds on the right, the headphones are on backwards or the channels are swapped. Most headphones mark the sides with L and R inside the band or on the ear cups.
What does the headphone phase test show?
It plays the same sound twice: once identical in both ears and once with one side flipped. The identical version should seem to sit in the middle of your head, and the flipped one should sound wide, hollow or hard to place. If it is the other way round, one side is wired with the wrong polarity.
Is this a hearing test?
No. It checks your headphones, not your ears, and every result depends on your headphones, your volume and your surroundings. If you are worried about your hearing, see a doctor or an audiologist.
Why is one side of my headphones quieter?
Common causes are a blocked ear tip or mesh, a poor seal, a balance setting in your system, or a difference between your ears. Find the centered point with the balance slider, then wear the headphones the other way round and do it again. If the slider ends up on the same side both times, the headphones are uneven; if it moves to the other side, the difference is in your ears.
Why can't I hear the highest frequency band?
Hearing for very high notes fades with age, and some headphones and Bluetooth connections play them only faintly. Missing only the 8–20 kHz band is common and doesn't mean your headphones are broken.
Do Bluetooth headphones work with this test?
Yes. Connect them before you open the page, choose them in the Output list or in your system's sound settings, and expect a short delay before each sound. If they switch to a low-quality hands-free mode, close the apps that use their microphone.
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