Free left right audio test · Works in any browser
Left or right? Know in one click.
Press Left, then Right. Each one should play on its own side only.
Press Left first. You'll hear three short notes.
The sounds are made in your browser. Nothing is recorded or sent anywhere.
On a Mac? Green Room has this test one click from the clock.
Click Test next to your speaker to hear a tone on the left, then the right. It also warns you when your sound jumps to another device. Free, with no account.
Reading your result
- Left plays left, right plays right: your channels are correct. Nothing to fix.
- Left plays on the right: the channels are swapped. Turn headphones around, or swap the two speakers or their cables.
- One button plays nothing: that channel isn't reaching you. Check the balance setting, then the cable and plug on that side.
- Every button plays on both sides: something is mixing to mono. On a Mac, turn off Play stereo audio as mono in System Settings › Accessibility › Audio.
On a Mac, the balance lives in System Settings › Sound › Output. Drag it back to the middle if one side is quiet.
More sound tests
Questions
What does a left right audio test check?
Stereo sound has two channels, left and right. This test sends a sound to only one channel at a time, so you can confirm each speaker or ear gets the right channel and that neither one is dead.
Both buttons play on both sides. Why?
Something is mixing the channels into mono. On a Mac, check Play stereo audio as mono in System Settings › Accessibility › Audio. A single Bluetooth speaker, a phone speaker, or a headset in call mode can also play mono.
Can I fix swapped channels without moving cables?
For headphones, just turn them around. For speakers, swapping the two speakers or their cables is the simplest fix. Some audio interfaces and apps can also swap channels in their settings.
Does this test work on phones?
Yes, with headphones. Most phone speakers are too close together to tell left from right, and some play everything in mono.