Headphone Frequency & Channel Test
Start the sweep and listen as it climbs from 20Hz to 20kHz while the panel shows the current frequency; then use left/center/right to confirm channel placement — silent bands or rattling point to real problems.
A 12-second logarithmic sweep climbs 20Hz → 20kHz; the readout shows the current frequency. Small volume is enough.
How to read it
- Missing the top of the sweep (15–17kHz+) is a normal age-related hearing limit — cross-check with another pair before blaming the headphones.
- Many earbuds cannot physically reproduce 20–40Hz; silence there is expected. Rattling or breakup in any band is the real warning sign.
- Placement tones that arrive from the wrong side mean swapped wiring — check the L/R marks and the OS balance setting.
Frequently asked questions
Can't hear above 16kHz — broken headphones?
Most adults stop hearing 15–17kHz and the ceiling drops with age — a normal physiological limit, not a hardware fault. Cross-check with another pair or the speaker to be sure.
Is a hum in the low range normal?
20–40Hz is closer to vibration than pitch and many earbuds and laptop speakers physically can't reproduce it — silence there is expected. Audible rattling or breakup in that band is what points to a driver or housing problem.
Left/right placement is swapped?
Check the L/R markings on the earpieces first, then reseat the plug fully or reset the OS balance slider for Bluetooth. A second device quickly isolates whether it's the headphones or the source.
Why does the sweep sound louder in the middle?
Human hearing is naturally more sensitive to mid frequencies (equal-loudness contours), so a constant-level sweep feels louder in the middle — normal perception. This test checks audibility and distortion, not loudness calibration.