Free tool
Headphone test
Put your headphones on and use this free headphone test to check that left and right are the right way round, hear how low the bass goes, sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and check the polarity of each earcup.
- Free
- Wired and wireless
- Nothing is recorded
Left should play only in your left ear, right only in your right, both from the middle of your head, and Moving should glide smoothly from ear to ear.
Put your headphones on, volume low
Ready for the call? NoteOwl takes the notes on your Mac: it records the call with no bot joining, then writes the transcript, summary and action items on the Mac itself.
How it works
How do you test headphones?
Start with the volume low. Play Left and Right: each chime belongs in one ear only. Then try Moving, a frequency sweep, the bass tones and the polarity pair, raising the volume a little at a time.
- 1
Volume low
The test starts at 30%. Raise it slowly; the sweep’s high tones and the low bass can surprise you.
- 2
Left and right
Left, Right and Both, then Moving, which glides from ear to ear. The bars show what each ear is sent.
- 3
Range and polarity
Sweep the frequencies and mark where the sound fades, play the bass tones, and compare In phase with Out of phase.
Why does sound only come from one side?
A mono or balance setting, a plug that isn’t fully in, a worn cable, or one wireless earbud that dropped its connection. If the bars show both channels moving while one ear stays silent, the page is fine and the fault is in the chain after it.
- Mono is switched on
- What to doOn a Mac: System Settings → Accessibility → Audio → “Play stereo audio as mono”. On an iPhone: Settings → Accessibility → Audio & Visual → Mono Audio.
- The balance is off-centre
- What to doOn a Mac, System Settings → Sound → Output → Balance; on an iPhone, the Balance slider under Audio & Visual.
- The plug isn’t fully in
- What to doPush a wired plug all the way into the socket: half in, it can play one side only.
- A damaged cable or earbud
- What to doWiggle the cable near the plug while the tone plays. If the sound cuts in and out, the cable is worn.
- One wireless earbud isn’t connected
- What to doPut both earbuds back in the case for a few seconds, then reconnect them.
| Cause | What to do |
|---|---|
| Mono is switched on | On a Mac: System Settings → Accessibility → Audio → “Play stereo audio as mono”. On an iPhone: Settings → Accessibility → Audio & Visual → Mono Audio. |
| The balance is off-centre | On a Mac, System Settings → Sound → Output → Balance; on an iPhone, the Balance slider under Audio & Visual. |
| The plug isn’t fully in | Push a wired plug all the way into the socket: half in, it can play one side only. |
| A damaged cable or earbud | Wiggle the cable near the plug while the tone plays. If the sound cuts in and out, the cable is worn. |
| One wireless earbud isn’t connected | Put both earbuds back in the case for a few seconds, then reconnect them. |
How high can you hear through your headphones?
Run the treble sweep and press the button when the tone fades: that’s your limit with these headphones at this volume. The human range is commonly given as 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and the top end narrows with age[1].
Try the same sweep with another pair to compare them. The readout follows the tone as it plays, so the number you mark is the frequency you stopped hearing.
How do you test headphone bass?
Play the bass tones from 150 Hz down to 20 Hz at a moderate volume and note the lowest one you can still hear clearly. If a tone rattles or buzzes, turn down: the driver is at its limit. Then compare the full sweep’s first seconds.
Can NoteOwl take notes from your calls?
Yes. NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s own audio, so it takes meeting notes without a bot in Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, and writes the transcript, summary and action items on the Mac with on-device AI models. Test your microphone too, with the mic test.
FAQ
Questions about testing headphones
How do I test my headphones’ left and right?
Open NoteOwl’s headphone test and press Left ear, then Right ear. Each chime should play in that ear only; if Left plays on the right, the headphones are on backwards or the channels are swapped. Moving then glides from ear to ear.
Why do my headphones play in one ear only?
Check that mono audio is off and the balance is centred in your sound settings, that a wired plug is pushed fully in, and that both wireless earbuds are connected. If the bars under the test show both channels moving, the page is sending to both ears.
What is a frequency sweep?
A single tone that rises steadily in pitch, here from 20 Hz, a deep rumble, to 20 kHz, a faint whistle at the edge of human hearing. The test shows the frequency as it plays, so you can mark where the sound fades away.
What does the polarity test show?
Whether both earcups push in the same direction. In phase should sound focused in the middle of your head; out of phase, with one side inverted, sounds wide and hard to place. If they sound the other way round, one side is wired backwards.
Does the headphone test work with AirPods and Bluetooth headphones?
Yes. Connect them first, then press a button: the test plays through whatever output your device is using. If the sound comes from your computer’s speakers instead, choose the headphones in your sound settings.
Is anything recorded or uploaded?
No. The test makes every sound in your browser, with nothing downloaded, and it never opens your microphone. Nothing is recorded or sent anywhere.
Sources
Last checked .
- [1]Wikipedia, Hearing range — the human range is commonly given as 20 to 20,000 Hz; it shrinks during life, the upper limit first
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