Free tool
Speaker test
Press a button for a free speaker test: a chime plays from your left speaker, your right or both, and a short music loop checks the overall sound, while two meters show what the page sends to each side.
- Free
- Works on phones
- Nothing is recorded
This browser plays through your computer’s current output. To test another, choose it in your sound settings (on a Mac: Control Center → Sound).
Sound sent to each side
Press a button to play a test sound
Sound working? NoteOwl records your calls on your Mac, your microphone and the other side together, and writes private meeting notes with no bot in the call.
How it works
How do you test your speakers?
Turn the volume low, then press Left, Right and Both in turn: each chime should come from the side it names. Then play Music and raise the volume slowly, listening for rattles, buzzing or one side quieter than the other.
- 1
Start quiet
Set the test volume and your computer’s volume low. Sound only plays after you press a button.
- 2
Check each side
Left should come only from the left speaker, Right only from the right, Both from the middle.
- 3
Play the music
Bass, chords and a beat show how the speakers sound together. Raise the volume until it distorts, then back off.
Why is there no sound from my speakers?
Usually the sound is going to another output, such as headphones still connected, or it’s muted. The meters tell you which: if they move while you hear nothing, the page is playing and the problem is the output or the speakers.
- The meters move but you hear nothing
- What to checkThe sound is going to another output. On a Mac, open System Settings → Sound → Output and pick your speakers; on Windows, click the speaker icon on the taskbar. A Bluetooth headset that’s still connected may be taking the sound.
- Nothing plays and the meters don’t move
- What to checkPress a test button again: browsers only play sound after a click or a tap. On an iPhone, also check that silent mode is off.
- Only one side plays
- What to checkCheck the balance in your sound settings (on a Mac, the Balance slider under Output), then the cable, plug or the speaker’s own power and volume.
- Left and right are swapped
- What to checkThe speakers are on the wrong sides of the desk, or their cables are crossed. Swap them so Left plays on your left.
- It’s quiet even at full volume
- What to checkTurn up the speakers’ own volume knob as well as the computer’s, and check the app’s volume in the Windows volume mixer.
- It crackles, buzzes or rattles
- What to checkLower the volume. If it still buzzes, try another cable or port; a rattle at low volume points to the speaker itself.
| What happens | What to check |
|---|---|
| The meters move but you hear nothing | The sound is going to another output. On a Mac, open System Settings → Sound → Output and pick your speakers; on Windows, click the speaker icon on the taskbar. A Bluetooth headset that’s still connected may be taking the sound. |
| Nothing plays and the meters don’t move | Press a test button again: browsers only play sound after a click or a tap. On an iPhone, also check that silent mode is off. |
| Only one side plays | Check the balance in your sound settings (on a Mac, the Balance slider under Output), then the cable, plug or the speaker’s own power and volume. |
| Left and right are swapped | The speakers are on the wrong sides of the desk, or their cables are crossed. Swap them so Left plays on your left. |
| It’s quiet even at full volume | Turn up the speakers’ own volume knob as well as the computer’s, and check the app’s volume in the Windows volume mixer. |
| It crackles, buzzes or rattles | Lower the volume. If it still buzzes, try another cable or port; a rattle at low volume points to the speaker itself. |
How do you choose which speakers a Mac plays through?
Open System Settings → Sound and pick the speakers under Output. The same page has the output volume and a Balance slider for left and right. Then run the sound test here to hear the result.
- 1
Open Sound settings
Apple menu → System Settings → Sound.
- 2
Pick the output
Under Output, select your speakers, display, headphones or AirPlay speaker.
- 3
Check volume and balance
Drag Output volume up, and keep Balance in the middle unless one side is quieter on purpose.
- 4
Test both sides
Press Left and Right above. Each chime should come from its own side.
Can NoteOwl record a call’s sound on a Mac?
Yes. NoteOwl records your microphone and your Mac’s own audio, the people on the other end included, so it takes meeting notes without a bot in Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, then writes the transcript, summary and action items on the Mac.
The transcript has each speaker labelled. Check your microphone before the call too, with the mic test.
FAQ
Questions about testing speakers
How do I test my speakers online?
Open NoteOwl’s free speaker test and press Left, Right or Both: a chime plays from that side while a meter shows the page sending sound. Press Music for a short loop with bass and a beat to check the overall sound.
How do I know if left and right are the right way round?
Press Left in the test. The chime should come only from the speaker on your left; if it comes from the right, the speakers or their cables are swapped. The L and R meters show which side the page is sending to.
Can I choose which speakers to test?
In Chrome and Edge, press “Choose speakers or headphones”: once you allow the microphone, the page lists your outputs by name. The microphone is closed at once and nothing is recorded. Other browsers may ask you to pick an output, or play through your computer’s current one.
Why can’t I hear the sound test?
If the test’s meters move, the sound is leaving the page and going somewhere else: check the mute key, the volume and the output in your sound settings, and any Bluetooth headphones still connected. If the meters don’t move, press the button again.
Does the speaker test work on a phone?
Yes. The test plays through the phone’s speaker or connected headphones. On an iPhone, if you hear nothing, turn off silent mode and press the button again.
Is anything recorded or uploaded?
No. The test makes its sounds in your browser; nothing is downloaded, recorded or sent. The microphone is only opened if you ask to see your outputs’ names, and it’s closed straight away.
Keep exploring
More free tools
- Headphone testCheck headphones’ left and right channels, a moving stereo tone, bass tones from 20 Hz, a 20 Hz–20 kHz sweep and polarity, in the browser
- Online screen recorderRecord a screen, a window or a browser tab with your microphone and the tab’s sound, then download the video; computers only; nothing is uploaded
- Webcam recorderRecord video and sound from your webcam in the browser at 720p or 1080p, with pause, and download it as MP4 or WebM; nothing is uploaded
- Online sound recorderRecord the sound a browser tab or the computer plays, the microphone, or both, and save it as MP3 or WAV; nothing is uploaded
Related
- AI meeting notes without a botHow NoteOwl records calls from your Mac with no bot joining, and what you get when the call ends
- Speaker recognitionTranscripts that say who said what: speakers separated automatically, and a voice named once is recognised in later meetings, on your Mac
- Record Mac audioHow to record the sound your Mac plays (system audio) with Apple’s own tools, and how NoteOwl records calls without a bot
Private AI meeting notes, on your Mac
Free to download. Runs entirely on your Mac.
macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · 16 GB memory minimum, 24 GB recommended
About NoteOwl
NoteOwl is private AI meeting notes and memory for the Mac. It captures meetings without a bot joining the call, labels every speaker, writes summaries and action items, and builds a memory of every conversation that you can chat with — fully offline, because the speech recognition and the AI run on the Mac itself. Dictation into any app is free; Pro is a one-time purchase.
NoteOwl pricing: what’s free and what Pro adds
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