Troubleshooting speakers

If the left or right channel does not play, first confirm that your speakers are physically connected and your OS audio output is set to stereo (not mono). On Windows, check the Spatial Sound settings; on macOS check Audio MIDI Setup.

Headphone testing tips

Put on your headphones and use the left/right buttons first. You should hear the tone exclusively in one ear at a time. If you hear it in both ears when clicking "Left", check your headphone cable or adapter.

Frequency sweep test

A frequency sweep plays a tone that gradually moves from low frequencies (around 20 Hz) up to the limit of human hearing (around 20 kHz). What you can hear reveals your system's frequency response:

Sub-bass (20–60 Hz): felt more than heard; requires a subwoofer to reproduce. Most laptop speakers and earbuds roll off below 80–100 Hz.
Bass (60–250 Hz): where kick drums and bass guitar live. Good bookshelf speakers extend to 60–80 Hz.
Highs (8–20 kHz): hearing sensitivity naturally declines with age; most adults over 40 can't hear above 15–16 kHz.

Phase test

A phase test plays the same signal to both speakers simultaneously, once in-phase and once with one channel inverted (out-of-phase). When speakers are in-phase, bass frequencies add together and sound full. When out-of-phase, bass frequencies cancel each other - the sound becomes thin and "hollow." If your room sounds better with one speaker cable disconnected, one speaker may be wired with reversed polarity.

Pink noise is the most useful signal for testing phase because it contains energy across all frequencies and the bass cancellation is immediately audible.

Speaker placement tips

Equilateral triangle: position both speakers and your listening position at the corners of an equilateral triangle. Speaker-to-speaker and speaker-to-listener distances should be equal (typically 1–2 meters).
Toe-in: angle each speaker slightly toward the listening position (10–30°). This narrows the sweet spot but improves stereo imaging.
Wall distance: placing speakers close to a rear wall boosts bass (called boundary reinforcement) but can muddy the low end. Start at least 30 cm from the wall and adjust by ear.