Make a controlled left/right comparison
Connect the headphones you want to test and start at low system volume. Check the left and right tones, then use the stereo and balance controls. Keep the volume setting unchanged while comparing sides, and stop any continuous tone before moving to another check.
Balance and selected bass/mid/treble tones are listening exercises, not a measured frequency-response curve or a hearing test. A frequency you do not hear can reflect the source, output processing, fit, headphones or hearing; do not increase volume to chase it.
If one ear sounds quieter
- Check OS balance and mono-audio settings and ensure the earbud fit is comparable.
- Try familiar speech at the same volume. A pure tone and normal audio may make a problem sound different.
- Reconnect the plug or Bluetooth link and compare another source. Inspect removable tips or mesh only according to the manufacturer's cleaning instructions.
- If the imbalance follows the headphones across devices, seek servicing or replacement advice. If it follows one device, investigate its routing and processing.
Understand the saved assessment
The score summarizes the listening items you marked; it is not a laboratory quality grade. Untested items remain incomplete. A browser cannot measure the sound leaving each earcup, its distortion or its maximum safe level.
Use the speaker test to compare an alternative output and the microphone test for a headset's input. Tones are generated locally and only your chosen results are stored in the browser.