Home › Speaker Test › Headphone Test - Left & Right

Headphone Test - Left & Right

Put your headphones on and play a tone in each ear. You should hear it only in the side you pick. This guide uses our free speaker test.

Turn your volume to a comfortable level, then press a button.

Tap a button to play a short tone.

What to listen for

Tone in the wrong ear or both ears: the channels are swapped or merged (mono mode).
Quiet or distorted on one side points to a loose plug, a damaged cable or a dirty driver grille.
Nothing on one side usually means a broken cable near the plug or the earpiece.

Re-plug the headphones, pushing the plug all the way in. Test the cable by gently bending it near the plug while a tone plays.
Clean the mesh and the jack with a dry soft brush. Earwax is a common reason for muffled sound.
Check your system balance. Windows: Sound settings → your device → Properties. Mac: Sound settings → Output → Balance.
Turn off Mono audio in Accessibility settings if you hear identical sound in both ears.
For Bluetooth earbuds, put both buds in the case, then take them out again and reconnect.

Last updated: 2026-10-04

Why can I only hear one earbud?

Common causes are a dead battery in one bud, a loose connection, or the earbuds not pairing as a pair. Reset and re-pair them.

Is it safe to test at high volume?

Start low and increase slowly. The tones are short, but loud sound can still damage hearing.