Speaker Test
Play a tone through the left, right or both speakers to check that each side works.
Surround Sound Test
Play short noise bursts on each channel of a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system to hear whether every speaker and the subwoofer work and sit in the right place. It needs a browser and sound output that offer 6 or more channels.
Lower your volume before starting, especially with headphones. Nothing plays until you press a button.
Check channels reads how many channels your browser offers for the current sound output. It plays no sound.
Channels not checked yet
Runs entirely in your browser. Test results, audio and video never leave your device.
How to test 5.1 and 7.1 surround speakers
- Choose your surround receiver or speakers as the sound output in your system settings, turn the volume down, then press Check channels. The page shows how many channels your browser reports.
- With 6 or more channels, press a channel button such as 3 Center. You should hear 2 short bursts of noise from that speaker alone, and the layout lights it up.
- Press Play all in turn to hear every channel in order, 2 seconds each. Press Stop to end it early.
- With 8 channels reported, choose 5.1 or 7.1 under Layout to match your speakers.
- If a channel is silent or comes from the wrong speaker, check that speaker’s cable and the receiver’s speaker settings, then play the channel again.
- If the channel count is 2 or Not reported, the page cannot play surround. Check that your output is set to 5.1 or 7.1 as described below and press Check channels again, or check left and right with the Speaker Test.
What is a surround sound test?
A surround sound test plays a sound through one channel of a 5.1 or 7.1 system at a time, so you can hear whether each speaker works and is connected to the right output. A 5.1 system has 6 channels: front left, front right, center, surround left, surround right and a low-frequency (LFE) channel for the subwoofer. 7.1 has 8, with separate side and back pairs.
5.1 and 7.1 channel order
The page puts each burst on the output channel with that number. It cannot see which speaker a channel feeds, so the names below are the usual positions: confirm each by ear.
Channels 1 to 6 follow the 5.1 order in the Web Audio standard, which names channels 5 and 6 surround left and right. Web Audio defines no 7.1 layout, so 8 channels follow Windows’ 7.1 order, with the back pair on 5 and 6 and the side pair on 7 and 8. That is why channels 5 and 6 change names between the columns. Other systems and receivers can swap the pairs.
| Channel | 5.1 speaker | 7.1 speaker (Windows order) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Front left | Front left |
| 2 | Front right | Front right |
| 3 | Center | Center |
| 4 | Subwoofer (LFE) | Subwoofer (LFE) |
| 5 | Surround left | Back left |
| 6 | Surround right | Back right |
| 7 | Not used | Side left |
| 8 | Not used | Side right |
Why the page reports only 2 channels
- Windows is set to stereo. Set the speaker configuration to 5.1 or 7.1 in your system’s sound settings. The option may appear only when the sound driver and the connection support it.
- The Mac is set to stereo. Open Audio MIDI Setup, select the output device, click Configure Speakers and choose a surround configuration such as 5.1 Surround.
- The sound plays on a phone or tablet, on most laptops’ own speakers, or over Bluetooth. These outputs are stereo.
- The sound reaches the receiver or soundbar by optical, or from a TV over HDMI ARC. Optical and HDMI ARC carry 2-channel PCM plus compressed Dolby Digital or DTS. HDMI eARC can carry uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1, and an HDMI cable from the computer straight to the receiver can carry multichannel PCM.
- Your speakers all play music or a stereo test, yet the page reports 2 channels. A receiver’s surround or upmix mode can spread a stereo signal to every speaker, so that does not show the computer sends surround.
- The browser decides how many channels a page can use. If the channel count is Not reported, your browser gave a count of 0: it did not say, which is not the same as stereo. Older versions of Safari always give 0. If your system is set to surround and the count is 2 or Not reported, try another browser.
What this test can detect
- A speaker that stays silent when its channel plays.
- Swapped connections: the bursts for 1 Front left come from the front right speaker, or the back and side pairs are the wrong way round.
- A subwoofer that stays silent on 4 Subwoofer (LFE), or low bursts that come from the main speakers instead.
- A speaker that sounds clearly quieter, muffled or crackly next to the others.
- Whether your browser and sound output offer surround channels at all.
How it works
Check channels starts a silent Web Audio graph and reads maxChannelCount, the most output channels the browser reports (0 means not reported). With 6 or more, the output gets 6 or 8 discrete channels and a channel merger puts each burst on one, so nothing is panned or upmixed.
Each channel gets 2 bursts of pink noise, 600 ms long and 300 ms apart, from 500 Hz to 4 kHz. The subwoofer channel gets 30 Hz to 120 Hz instead, since subwoofers typically play only low sounds, peaking 6 dB lower. At the top of the Volume slider, bursts peak at about −6 dBFS.
Limitations
- It works only when the browser reports 6 or more channels for your output. Phones, tablets, most laptops and Bluetooth devices are stereo, and the page never simulates surround by panning between 2 speakers.
- This page generates plain multichannel PCM, so it cannot test Dolby, DTS or Atmos decoding, Atmos height speakers, or virtual surround such as Windows Sonic for Headphones.
- A receiver, soundbar or TV may remap, upmix or downmix the channels, so a burst can come from more than one speaker. Choose a plain multichannel or direct mode on the receiver for the test.
- Start with the volume low. A system turned up for films can play the bursts loud, and a subwoofer can be loud even at low settings. Playback stops if the sound is interrupted or you leave the page, for example on a call or when you switch tabs.
- You judge the result by ear. The page cannot tell whether a speaker played, and it does not measure levels or set speaker distances.
Frequently asked questions
Can I test surround sound with headphones?
No. Headphones have 2 speakers, and the page cannot test virtual surround such as Windows Sonic for Headphones or Dolby Atmos for Headphones, which mixes several channels down to 2. To check that each ear works, use the Headphone Test.
Why does the center channel come from the front left and right speakers?
The receiver may be set up without a center speaker, and then it mixes the center channel into the front pair. An upmixing or virtual surround mode can do the same. Check the speaker setup in the receiver’s menu, and choose a plain multichannel or direct mode.
Why is the subwoofer silent on 4 Subwoofer (LFE)?
Check that it is on with its volume up, that it is connected, and that the receiver is set to use a subwoofer; with none set, a receiver may send the LFE channel to the front speakers. The burst is a low rumble from 30 Hz to 120 Hz. To hear how low it plays, use the Bass Test.
Does it test Dolby Atmos speakers?
Partly. It checks the 5.1 or 7.1 base of an Atmos system on channels 1 to 8, but not the height or ceiling speakers: the page sends plain PCM, not an Atmos signal. Check those speakers with the test tones in your receiver’s setup menu.
Can the page set my speaker levels or distances?
No. It cannot measure how loud each speaker is or how far away it stands. Use your receiver’s automatic setup with its microphone, or its own test tones with the level and distance settings.
Why do I hear nothing when I press a channel?
The sound may be going to another output. Check that your surround receiver or speakers are the output in your system settings, that the receiver is on and set to the right input, and that the browser tab is not muted. On an iPhone, turn off Silent mode if nothing plays.