Audio Distortion Test

Distortion hides in music but stands out on a clean tone. These tests play tones that should sound perfectly smooth, so anything rough, buzzy or crackly is easy to notice.

Lower your volume before starting, especially with headphones. Nothing plays until you press a button.

A clean tone should sound perfectly smooth. Anything rough, buzzy, crackly or rattling is worth investigating. This is a listening test, not a measurement.

Test

A pure sine wave at one frequency. It should sound completely smooth and steady.

Frequency

Stopped

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.

How to use

  1. Lower your volume, choose Steady tone, pick a frequency and press Play. The tone should sound pure and smooth.
  2. Choose Level steps. The tone rises through six levels, two seconds each; note the step at which it starts to sound rough.
  3. Choose Slow sweep. The tone glides from 20 Hz to 20 kHz over 40 seconds; listen for frequencies where something rattles, buzzes or crackles.
  4. Choose Two tones. The pair always sounds slightly rough because the tones beat against each other. A distinct low hum or extra notes that you do not hear on other speakers or headphones suggest intermodulation distortion.

What this test can detect

  • Crackling or dropouts from a bad cable, connector or driver.
  • Rattles and buzzing from loose grilles, enclosures or objects near the speaker.
  • Distortion that appears only above a certain volume.
  • Noise or hum that carries on after you press Stop.

Important

  • This is a listening test. It cannot measure total harmonic distortion or produce a number.
  • The browser, sound card and any audio enhancements add their own processing. Turn off effects for a fairer test.
  • Keep the volume comfortable. Distortion tests do not require loud playback.