Speaker Frequency Response Test
Play test signals across the full audible range — a logarithmic sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, stepped tones in 1/1- or 1/3-octave bands, or full-band pink noise — so you can audition your speakers by ear. A live frequency readout and a per-band listening guide tell you what each part of the spectrum should sound like, and what a dropout, resonance or buzz means.
ℹ This is an uncalibrated, by-ear listening aid — not a measurement. It only generates sound; there is no microphone and it produces no response curve or dB numbers. What you hear is your speakers + room + your own hearing combined, so a band that sounds weak could be the speaker, the room, or age-related hearing loss. For an actual response curve you need a measurement microphone plus software like REW — or use the Room Frequency Analyzer or Audio Spectrum Analyzer on this site. Plays both channels.
⚠ Protect your ears and speakers. Start at a low volume and raise it slowly. Sweeps and stepped tones spend time at the frequency extremes — deep bass and high treble can over-excite small drivers (especially laptop, phone and earbud speakers) and pure tones at high level can cause hearing damage or driver distortion. If anything rattles, buzzes or distorts, turn it down immediately. Never use this with in-ear monitors at high volume.
Speaker test signal generator
Choose a test signal and press Play. Start with the volume low.
What you should hear at each band
How It Works
This tool is a pure signal generator. When you press Play it builds a Web Audio graph in your browser — an oscillator (for the sweep and stepped tones) or a looping pink-noise buffer — routes it through a volume control, and sends it to your speakers as the intended output. There is no microphone and no analysis: nothing is measured, recorded or uploaded. You are the measurement instrument, judging each part of the spectrum with your own ears.
The logarithmic sweep glides a single sine tone smoothly from 20 Hz to 20 kHz over the duration you set (10–60 s). It is "logarithmic" because pitch is perceived logarithmically, so the tone spends roughly equal time per octave rather than racing through the highs. A live readout shows the current frequency so you can pin down exactly where something goes wrong — a sudden drop in level, a frequency where a panel or cabinet starts to buzz or rattle, or a resonance where one note jumps out much louder than its neighbours.
The stepped tones mode plays discrete sine tones spaced by a full octave (1/1) or a third of an octave (1/3), holding each so you can compare adjacent bands directly. Use Prev/Next to move by hand or let it auto-advance. Pink noise plays all frequencies at once with equal energy per octave, which sounds like a smooth, even "shhh"; an obvious peak, dip, whistle or buzz in that wash points to a problem in the speaker or room.
The honest limitation: because there is no calibrated microphone, this can tell you that something sounds wrong, but not give you a numeric response curve or dB figure. Your room reinforces some frequencies and cancels others (room modes), small speakers cannot reach the deepest bass at all, and human hearing rolls off the top with age. To turn impressions into an actual measured curve, use a measurement microphone with software such as REW, or the Room Frequency Analyzer and Audio Spectrum Analyzer here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this measure my speaker's frequency response?
No. It only plays test signals; there is no microphone and it produces no curve or dB numbers. It is an uncalibrated by-ear test that helps you notice dropouts, resonances and buzzes. What you hear is your speakers, your room and your own hearing combined. For a real measured response curve you need a measurement microphone and software like REW, or try the Room Frequency Analyzer or Audio Spectrum Analyzer on this site.
My speakers play nothing below about 60 Hz — is something broken?
Usually not. Most small speakers, laptops, phones and earbuds simply cannot reproduce sub-bass (20–60 Hz), so hearing little or nothing there during the sweep is normal. Bookshelf speakers often roll off below 50–60 Hz, and only larger speakers or a subwoofer reach the deepest octave. Silence in the lowest band is expected for small drivers, not a fault. To check how low your system really goes, the Bass Extension Test is more focused on that question.
Which signal should I use — sweep, stepped tones, or pink noise?
Use the sweep to scan the whole range continuously and catch the exact frequency where a buzz, rattle or resonance starts, helped by the live readout. Use stepped tones to compare bands one at a time and judge whether each is roughly even. Use pink noise for an overall tonal impression of the system at once — it should sound like a smooth, even "shhh" with no obvious hole, peak or whistle. All three play through both channels.
A buzz or rattle appears at one frequency. What does that mean?
A buzz or rattle at a specific frequency is usually a mechanical resonance — a loose grille, port, cabinet panel, screw, or an object in the room vibrating in sympathy — or a driver being pushed too hard. Lower the volume first; if it persists at a moderate level, it points to something physical to track down and tighten or damp. A frequency where one tone is dramatically louder than its neighbours is more likely a room mode, which moving your seat or speakers can help.
Is it safe to run the high-frequency and high-volume tones?
Only with care. Start at a low volume and raise it slowly. Sustained pure tones at high level can damage hearing and can over-drive small tweeters and drivers, and the bass extremes can stress small speakers. If anything distorts, buzzes or rattles, turn it down at once. Never use this through in-ear monitors at high volume. The volume here is intentionally capped well below full scale, but your system can still play loud — use your own amplifier and device volume responsibly.