This frequency test plays a pure tone at any audible frequency between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. Drag the slider to scan through the spectrum, click a band pill to jump to a centre frequency, or type an exact number. Useful for testing speaker and headphone range, hunting rattles or distortion, and checking your own hearing on the high end. Start the volume low — pure tones can sound much louder than music at the same level.
Reading the bands
- Sub-bass (20–60 Hz) — Felt more than heard. Phone speakers and earbuds usually can't reproduce it.
- Bass (60–250 Hz) — Kick drums, bass guitar, low male voices.
- Midrange (250 Hz – 4 kHz) — Most voices and instruments. Critical for clarity.
- Treble (4–12 kHz) — Cymbals, sibilance, brightness.
- Ultra-high (12–20 kHz) — Air and sparkle. Many adults can't hear above ~15 kHz.
Frequently asked questions
I can't hear above 14 kHz — is something broken?
Probably not. Age-related hearing loss in the top octave is normal and starts in your twenties. Most adults can't hear 18 kHz reliably even with new gear.
The bass cuts out below 100 Hz on my laptop.
Laptop and phone speakers physically can't push enough air to reproduce sub-bass. That's a driver-size limit, not a defect — the frequency test exposes it honestly.
Why do some frequencies sound louder than others at the same volume?
Human hearing isn't flat. Sensitivity peaks around 2–4 kHz and rolls off below 100 Hz and above 12 kHz — a well-known curve called equal-loudness contours.
What's a safe volume for the frequency test?
Start at 30 % and work up only if you can't hear the tone. High-treble pure tones at full volume can damage tweeters and ears faster than music will.