Test your TV speakers
Check that both channels work, that they are the right way round, and that nothing rattles or buzzes. Every sound is generated in the browser, so there is nothing to download and no advert to sit through first.
Speaker test
This test needs JavaScript to run. The listening guide below still explains what to check for, so the page is useful either way.
Turn the volume up to a normal listening level first. Start with the left channel.
Nothing playing.
What to listen for
Sound should come only from the left side of the TV.
Sound should come only from the right. If left and right are swapped, the speaker cables or the audio settings are reversed.
Should sound centered, as if coming from the middle of the screen. If it pulls to one side, one speaker is weaker.
A smooth rise with no buzzing, rattling or sudden silences. Rattles usually mean something loose in the cabinet rather than a broken driver.
Most flat TVs produce very little below about 80 Hz. Near silence at the bottom of this sweep is normal, not a fault.
What this test can and cannot tell you
Reliably. If one side plays and the other is silent, that is a real fault and this test will find it.
Reliably. Play the left channel and listen to which side of the room it comes from.
Not measurable here. Judging frequency response or distortion properly needs a calibrated microphone in a quiet room. This test produces known signals; your ears do the assessment.
Only what the browser can address. A TV feeding a soundbar or receiver over eARC often passes through far more channels than a web page can reach, so this tests the stereo path and nothing beyond it.
Usually not a fault. Flat televisions physically cannot move enough air for deep bass. Hearing nothing below 80 Hz is normal and is the reason soundbars exist.
If something sounds wrong
One side is silent
Check the balance control in the TV's audio settings first, since it is easy to knock off center and it costs nothing to rule out. Then check that no headphones or Bluetooth device is connected and stealing one channel.
Buzzing or rattling
Usually something resonating rather than a broken speaker: a loose back panel, a cable touching the cabinet, or the stand. Press gently on different parts of the housing during the sweep and see if the noise changes.
Left and right swapped
If the TV feeds an external amplifier, the cables are the likely culprit. If it is using its own speakers, look for a channel swap option in the audio settings, which some sets offer for wall mounting.
Everything sounds thin
Check whether a sound mode such as Standard, Cinema or Clear Voice is applying heavy processing. Also check whether the TV thinks a soundbar is connected. Both flatten the sound noticeably.
Questions people ask
How do I test if my TV speakers are working?
Play the left channel and confirm sound comes from the left side of the television, then the right, then both together. If either side is silent, or both sound identical when you select one channel, something is wrong. Follow that with the full sweep to check for rattles and gaps.
Why can I not hear the low notes in the bass test?
Because a flat television has no room for a driver big enough to produce them. Most TV speakers roll off sharply below about 80 Hz, and many produce essentially nothing below 60 Hz. That is a physical limitation rather than a fault, and it is the main reason people add a soundbar.
The sweep sounds uneven, with loud and quiet patches. Is my TV broken?
Probably not. Every speaker has an uneven frequency response, and the room adds its own peaks and dips through reflections. What matters is buzzing, rattling or a complete dropout across a wide range. Gentle unevenness is normal even on good equipment.
Nothing plays at all.
Check the TV is not muted and the volume is up, since browsers cannot override either. If the page shows a warning that audio is unavailable, that TV browser does not support the Web Audio API and the test cannot run there.
Will this test my soundbar or surround system?
Only the stereo path through it. A web page can address the channels the browser exposes, which is normally left and right. Anything the TV passes through to a receiver over eARC sits beyond what this test can reach.
Is it safe to run at high volume?
Keep it at a normal listening level. Sustained tones are harder on small speakers than music is, and very loud low frequencies in particular can damage a TV's drivers. There is nothing to gain from running it loud.
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