How to test your headphones
- Put the headphones on with the volume low.
- Press Left and Right. The beeps should be in one ear at a time. Check the L and R marks on the earcups if they seem swapped.
- Press Both. The sound should sit in the centre of your head. If it leans to one side, one side is weaker or the balance is off.
How the phase test works
Play In phase, then Out of phase. In phase, the sound seems to come from a solid point between the speakers. Out of phase, one side is flipped, so the sound gets thin, loses bass and seems to come from everywhere or from inside your head. If the two buttons sound the other way round, one speaker or one earcup is wired backwards. Swap the plus and minus wires on one speaker to fix it.
Checking bass and treble
Run the sweep. Good headphones play the whole range evenly. Bass usually fades in somewhere around 20 to 40 Hz on over-ear headphones. If earbuds sound thin, try a different ear tip size: a loose fit loses most of the bass.
One side quieter or silent?
- Check the balance: Windows under Settings, System, Sound, your device, Left and Right sliders; Mac under System Settings, Accessibility, Audio, Balance.
- Turn off Mono audio in the same settings, or both sides will play the same.
- For wired headphones, rotate the plug in the socket. Crackling or cutting out means a loose plug or a broken wire near the plug.
- For earbuds, clean the mesh. Earwax is the most common cause of one quiet side.
- For Bluetooth, reset and pair both earbuds again following the maker's steps.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this test.
How do I test if my headphones are left and right correctly?
Press Left and Right on this page. The sound should come from one ear at a time. If it is the wrong ear, you may be wearing them backwards or the channels are swapped.
Why is one side of my headphones quieter?
Common causes are the balance setting, earwax in an earbud, a worn cable or a fault in the driver. Check the balance first, then clean the earbud.
Does this work with Bluetooth headphones?
Yes. Bluetooth adds a short delay, so the sound may start a moment after you press a button.