Category: Audio Tests

Every sound is a vibration. Frequency is how many times per second it vibrates, measured in hertz (Hz). Low frequencies sound deep; high frequencies sound bright and sharp.

The ranges you hear every day

Try each one with our Tone Generator. Start at a low volume.

What can humans hear?

Young people hear roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The top end drops with age. Check yours with the Hearing Age Test or the full Frequency Range Test.

What can speakers play?

That is why phones sound thin: they simply cannot play deep bass. Find your speaker’s lowest note with the Bass Test.

Why 165 Hz is used to eject water

A low tone moves the speaker cone far and slowly enough to push water out of the grille, while staying within what small phone speakers can play. Read more about the 165 Hz water eject sound.

Frequency vs loudness

Frequency is pitch. Loudness is measured in decibels (dB). A quiet bass note and a loud bass note have the same frequency. Measure loudness with the Sound Meter.

Common questions

Is a higher frequency louder?

No. Pitch and loudness are separate, although our ears are most sensitive between 2 and 5 kHz.

What frequency is middle C?

About 262 Hz. The A above it, used for tuning, is 440 Hz.

Ringing, buzzing or a muffled feeling after a concert, a club or loud headphones is very common. It is a warning sign that your ears were exposed to more sound than they can handle.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you are worried about your hearing, see a doctor or audiologist.

Why it happens

Loud sound overworks the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. They become temporarily less sensitive, and the brain fills the gap with a ringing or hissing sound. This is often called a temporary threshold shift.

How long does it last?

For most people the ringing and muffled feeling fade within a few hours to a day or two. Repeated exposure can make the damage permanent, so each episode counts.

What helps

• Give your ears quiet time. Avoid loud music, headphones and noisy places for at least a day.
• Do not cover the ringing with more loud sound. If quiet is hard, soft background sound at a low level is fine.
• Rest and stay hydrated, and avoid extra noise like power tools.

When to see a doctor

Get medical advice promptly if:

• The ringing or muffled hearing lasts more than a day or two
• You have sudden hearing loss in one ear
• You feel dizzy, have ear pain or fluid from the ear

Sudden hearing loss is treated as urgent. Early treatment can make a big difference, so do not wait to see if it goes away.

How to prevent it

Check your hearing over time

Our Hearing Age Test is a quick home check of high-frequency hearing. It is not a medical test, but a big change between results is a good reason to book a hearing test.

Common questions

Is ringing after one concert permanent?

Usually not, but repeated exposure adds up. Protect your ears next time.

Can tones or apps cure tinnitus?

No tool cures it. Some people find sound therapy helpful for comfort, which an audiologist can advise on.

A subwoofer can be working perfectly and still sound bad because of the wrong settings or the wrong spot in the room. These checks take about ten minutes and use free test tones.

1. Check that it works

Turn the subwoofer on and set its volume to the middle. Play a 50 Hz tone with our Tone Generator at low volume. You should hear and feel a steady hum from the sub.

No sound? Check the power light, the cable from the receiver or TV, and that the subwoofer output is enabled in the sound settings.

2. Find the lowest note

Use the Bass Test. Lower the frequency step by step and note where the sound fades or turns into a flutter.

3. Set the crossover

The crossover decides which bass goes to the sub and which stays in the main speakers. 80 Hz is a good starting point for most systems. Use a higher value for small speakers and a lower one for large floor-standing speakers.

4. Check the phase

Play a tone around the crossover (for example 80 Hz) and sit in your usual seat. Switch the phase between 0° and 180°. Keep the setting where the bass sounds louder and fuller.

5. Find rattles

Play a slow sweep from 20 Hz to 120 Hz. If something buzzes at one note, it is usually a shelf, a picture frame or a loose panel, not the sub.

6. Try the subwoofer crawl

Put the subwoofer at your seat, play bass-heavy music, and crawl around the room at floor level. Where the bass sounds smoothest and strongest, place the subwoofer.

Common questions

Why does bass sound strong in one seat and weak in another?

Room reflections create peaks and dips. Moving the sub or the seat helps more than turning the volume up.

Can I test a car subwoofer the same way?

Yes. Play the tones over Bluetooth. See also car speakers crackling.

The “mosquito tone” is a high-pitched sound around 17 kHz. Most teenagers can hear it clearly. Most people over 25 cannot hear it at all. That simple fact has been used for ringtones, shop alarms and countless online challenges.

Why adults stop hearing high tones

Inside your inner ear, tiny hair cells turn sound into signals for the brain. The cells that handle the highest pitches sit at the entrance of the cochlea and take the most wear. As we age, and with loud noise, they are the first to go. This is called presbycusis, and it is completely normal.

Typical hearing limits

Everyone is different. Some adults hear far higher, and noise exposure can lower your limit early.

Try it yourself

Use our Hearing Age Test. It plays tones from 8 kHz upward and stops when you can no longer hear them. For a smooth sweep from bass to treble, try the Frequency Range Test.

Get a fair result

• Use headphones. Phone speakers often stop around 16 kHz.
• Wired is best. Some Bluetooth codecs cut very high frequencies.
• Quiet room. Background noise hides faint tones.
• Low volume. Raise it slightly if needed, but never to a painful level.

Does it matter if you cannot hear 17 kHz?

For everyday life, not much. Speech sits mostly between 250 Hz and 4 kHz. Losing the very top end does not affect conversations. What matters is protecting the range you still have; read our guide to safe headphone volume.

Fun facts

• Some shops used 17 kHz devices to stop teenagers gathering outside. Many places now restrict them.
• Students once used mosquito ringtones so teachers could not hear their phones.
• Dogs hear up to about 45 kHz and cats up to about 64 kHz.

Common questions

Is the mosquito tone harmful?

At normal volume, no. Keep the volume low and stop if it feels uncomfortable.

Can I get high-frequency hearing back?

Hair cells do not grow back, so protection is the only cure. Lower the volume and take breaks.

Hearing damage from loud sound is permanent, but it builds up slowly, so most people do not notice until it is too late. The good news: a few simple habits protect your ears while you still enjoy your music.

The 60/60 rule

Listen at no more than 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time, then give your ears a short break. It is an easy rule of thumb that keeps most people in a safe range.

Safe listening time by loudness

Each 3 dB increase roughly halves the safe time.

Settings that help

• iPhone: Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Headphone Safety → Reduce Loud Audio. Set it to 80 or 85 dB.
• iPhone Health app: shows your weekly headphone audio levels.
• Android: many phones warn you when you go above a safe level. Samsung has a Media volume limiter.
• Noise-cancelling headphones: they let you listen quieter in noisy places like trains.

Warning signs

• Ringing or buzzing in your ears after listening
• Speech sounds muffled for a while after you take headphones off
• Needing to turn the volume higher than you used to

Check your hearing at home

Our Hearing Age Test shows the highest tone you can hear, and the Frequency Range Test sweeps the full range. They are fun checks, not medical tests, but a big change over time is worth a visit to an audiologist.

Measure the room

Concerts, gyms and clubs are often louder than you think. Use the Sound Meter to see the level in decibels.

Common questions

Are earbuds worse than over-ear headphones?

Not by design, but earbuds without good isolation make people turn the volume up. Better fit lets you listen quieter.

Does ringing in the ears go away?

Short-term ringing often fades within a day. If it lasts, see a doctor.

Is white noise for sleep safe?

Yes at a low level. Use the timer in our Noise Generator and keep it quiet.

Speaker break-in (or burn-in) means playing sound through new speakers for some hours so they “loosen up”. Audio fans debate it a lot. The honest answer: some small physical change can happen, but your ears adjusting to a new sound is often the bigger effect.

Quick answer

Break-in won’t hurt if you keep the volume moderate. Play pink noise or normal music at a comfortable level for a few hours. Don’t expect a dramatic change, and never use high volume to speed it up.

What might actually change

A speaker cone is held by a flexible surround and a spring-like part called the spider. In some speakers, especially larger woofers, these parts can get slightly more flexible during the first hours of use. That can lower the resonance a little and make bass a touch smoother.

What is probably not changing

Small drivers in phones, earbuds and most headphones are very light and are usually tested at the factory. Any change is likely tiny. Much of the “it sounds better now” effect comes from your brain getting used to a new sound signature.

A safe way to break in speakers

1. Play pink noise from our Noise Generator, or your normal music.
2. Keep the volume at a normal listening level.
3. Run it for a few hours across a day or two. Use the sleep timer if you like.
4. Avoid long sessions at full volume, which can overheat the voice coil.

How to check if anything changed

Measure before and after. Note the lowest note you hear with the Bass Test and record a loudness reading with the Sound Meter at the same distance. Repeat after break-in and compare.

Common questions

Do headphones need burn-in?

Rarely in a way you can measure. If they sound harsh on day one, try a different ear tip or pad fit first.

Can break-in fix a bad speaker?

No. A speaker that buzzes, crackles or rattles has debris or damage. Try the Dust Cleaner and read our guide on how to test speakers.

Humans can hear sounds from about 20 Hz (a deep rumble) up to about 20,000 Hz (a very thin, high whine). Few adults hear the full range. The top end usually drops as we get older.

Quick answer

Young children may hear close to 20 kHz. Many adults hear up to somewhere between about 12 and 16 kHz. Our Frequency Range Test lets you check where your hearing, or your speaker, stops.

Typical upper limit by age (approximate)

These are rough averages. Individual results vary a lot, and loud noise exposure can lower them sooner.

Why high frequencies fade

The inner ear has tiny hair cells tuned to different pitches. The cells for high pitches are hit by every sound and wear out first. This natural change is called presbycusis. Loud music and noise speed it up.

How to test yourself

1. Use good headphones in a quiet room.
2. Set your volume to a comfortable level. Don’t turn it up to chase sounds you can’t hear.
3. Open the Frequency Range Test, start the sweep, and press Mark when the sound disappears.
4. Repeat two or three times and take the middle result.

An online test is for curiosity and checking speakers. It is not a medical hearing test. If you notice hearing changes, ringing in your ears, or trouble following conversations, see a doctor or audiologist.

Is it your ears or your speaker?

Phone and laptop speakers often roll off high frequencies too. If the sound disappears early, try the same test with headphones. If headphones go higher, your speaker was the limit. You can also test single pitches with the Tone Generator.

Protect the hearing you have

Keep headphones below about 60% volume for long listening, take breaks, and use earplugs at loud events. Our decibel guide explains safe listening times.

You don’t need special gear to check a speaker. Six quick tests cover most problems in phones, laptops, Bluetooth speakers, headphones and home stereos.

Quick answer

Run a left/right check, a bass sweep, a high-frequency sweep, a single-tone distortion check, a pink-noise listen, and a loudness reading. Each test below links to a free tool.

1. Left and right channels

Open the Left & Right Speaker Test. Sound should come only from the side you choose. If left and right are swapped, fix the cables or settings. The phase check tells you if one speaker is wired backwards; out-of-phase speakers sound thin and lose bass.

2. Bass

Use the Bass Test to sweep from 20 Hz to 200 Hz and mark where you start hearing sound.

These are rough ranges; small speakers simply can’t move enough air for deep bass.

3. High frequencies

The Frequency Range Test sweeps up to 20 kHz. Note where the sound fades. Keep in mind that adult hearing usually fades before the speaker does, so test with a younger listener if you can.

4. Distortion at single tones

Play steady tones in the Tone Generator: try 100 Hz, 1,000 Hz and 5,000 Hz at medium and high volume. A clean speaker produces a smooth tone. Buzzing, rattling or crackling points to debris or damage.

5. Pink noise listen

Play pink noise in the Noise Generator. It sounds like steady rain. Walk around and switch sides; both should sound the same.

6. Loudness

Measure with the Sound Meter on a second device, about 30 cm away. Save the number so you can compare later, for example after cleaning.

What your results mean

White, pink and brown noise are all random sounds. The difference is how their energy is spread across low and high frequencies, which changes how they sound and what they are good for.

Quick answer

White noise sounds bright and hissy. Pink noise sounds softer, like steady rain. Brown noise is deep and rumbly. Pink is the standard for testing speakers. Many people prefer pink or brown for sleep and focus. You can play all three free in our Noise Generator.

How they compare

White noise

White noise has the same energy at every frequency. Because our ears are more sensitive to higher sounds, it can feel harsh. It’s good at covering sudden sharp noises and at revealing buzzing or blown tweeters in a speaker.

Pink noise

Pink noise lowers the energy as frequency rises, so each octave has equal energy. That matches how we hear, which makes it sound balanced. Audio engineers use pink noise to test and tune speakers and rooms.

Brown noise

Brown noise drops even faster toward the highs, leaving a deep rumble. Many people find it the most relaxing. It is also handy for checking whether a woofer or subwoofer rattles.

Using noise to test your speakers

1. Open the Noise Generator and choose pink noise.
2. Play it at medium volume and listen from your normal seat.
3. Switch between Left and Right. Both should sound the same.
4. Listen for buzzing, flapping or a hiss from one side, which can point to a loose part or damaged driver.
5. Switch to brown noise to check bass, then to our Bass Test for a frequency-by-frequency check.

Using noise for sleep and focus

Keep the volume low, around normal conversation level or quieter, and use the sleep timer so it doesn’t play all night. Our decibel guide explains safe levels.

Decibels (dB) measure how loud a sound is. The scale is logarithmic: every 10 dB increase sounds roughly twice as loud, and every 3 dB increase doubles the sound energy reaching your ears. That’s why a few extra decibels matter so much for hearing.

Quick answer

Sounds below about 70 dB are generally considered safe for long listening. From 85 dB, exposure time starts to matter. The US workplace guideline (NIOSH) sets 8 hours at 85 dB, and halves the safe time for every 3 dB above that.

Common sounds in decibels (approximate)

Safe listening time (NIOSH guideline)

These are workplace limits for adults. Children and anyone who already has hearing loss should stay lower.

How to measure noise yourself

Open our Sound Meter and allow microphone access. Readings from phone and laptop mics are estimates, usually within about 5 dB, so use them as a guide rather than a certified measurement. Comparisons on the same device, such as before and after cleaning a speaker, are much more reliable.

Tips to protect your hearing

• Keep headphones at or below about 60% volume for long sessions.
• Turn on your phone’s headphone safety or volume limit feature.
• Use noise-cancelling headphones so you don’t turn up the volume to beat background noise.
• Wear earplugs at concerts and loud events.
• Give your ears quiet breaks after loud exposure.

Use dB to check your speaker

A muffled phone speaker can be several decibels quieter than normal. Measure it with the Sound Meter, run the Water Eject or Dust Cleaner, and measure again. A gain of 3 dB or more is a clear improvement.