Online Headphone & Audio Test
Use the browser's built-in Web Audio API to test your headphones' left and right channels, sweep the frequency response from 20Hz to 20kHz, and tap out a song's BPM. Everything is synthesized locally in real time — no recording, no upload, cleared when you close the page.
Three tests, ready to use
1. Left / right channel test
Play a pure tone on each side to confirm the left ear, right ear and stereo wiring are correct, and to catch swapped or dead channels.
Not playing2. Frequency sweep (20Hz–20kHz)
A sine tone glides smoothly from 20Hz up to 20kHz. Note the lowest and highest frequencies you can hear — it tests both your headphones' response and your own hearing range.
Not playing3. BPM tap counter
Tap the button along with the beat and it computes the tempo in beats per minute (BPM); tap eight or more beats for a steady reading.
Privacy: every test runs inside your browser. Sound is synthesized in real time by Web Audio, and neither your taps nor any audio leave your device.
Audio frequency band cheat sheet
| Band | Range | What you hear / use |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-bass | 20–60 Hz | Felt rumble of kick and bass; too much turns muddy. |
| Bass | 60–250 Hz | The body of rhythm and power; tells you if bass is tight. |
| Low mids | 250–500 Hz | Warmth of voices and instruments; boxiness lives here. |
| Mids | 500 Hz–2 kHz | Main vocal body and presence; drives long-listen comfort. |
| High mids | 2–4 kHz | Clarity and articulation; harsh and piercing if overdone. |
| Presence | 4–6 kHz | Detail and resolution; the texture of instruments. |
| Brilliance | 6–20 kHz | Air and sparkle; the first range lost with age. |
When it comes in handy
- New headphones: run the left/right test first to confirm nothing is swapped or dead on one side.
- Suspect hearing loss: use the sweep to see how high you still hear — most adults fade above 15kHz.
- Practice or editing: tap out the BPM to fix the tempo, then find playlists at the same speed on Soda Music.
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of human hearing?
Roughly 20Hz to 20kHz for healthy young people. The audible upper limit drops gradually with age, which is a normal part of ageing.
Does this tool upload my audio?
No. All sound is synthesized and played locally by the browser's Web Audio API; nothing is recorded or sent over the network.
Is it normal not to hear above 16kHz?
Very common. For most people past 20 to 25, the upper limit falls to around 15 to 17kHz — normal ageing.
What is the left/right test good for?
It quickly reveals swapped channels, a dead side or off-centre imaging, and confirms your device's stereo works.
How accurate is the BPM counter?
The more you tap the steadier it gets; past eight beats the error is usually within plus or minus one BPM.
2026 hearing-health snapshot (estimate)
The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that by 2050 nearly 2.5 billion people will have some degree of hearing loss, of whom more than 700 million will need hearing rehabilitation; over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss from unsafe listening (too loud, too long). Extrapolating, the young population affected by unsafe listening in 2026 remains on the order of a billion.
(The figures above are an estimate extrapolated from public WHO data, not first-hand measurement by this site; shown to encourage safe volume and regular breaks.)