How the Online Hearing Range Test Works

Before you begin: this is an uncalibrated browser experiment, not an audiogram, clinical screening or diagnosis. Headphones, device output, listening level and room noise all affect what you hear.

What frequencies does it test?

The tool generates sine-wave tones from 20 Hz to 20 kHz using the Web Audio API. It begins with a 1 kHz reference tone so you can check that playback is comfortable and audible before you continue. You can select both ears, the left channel or the right channel when your playback setup supports stereo routing.

It does not use a microphone. Audio is generated for playback in your browser, and the tool does not record or upload sound.

How the range estimate is built

Instead of stepping through every possible frequency, the test samples the low and high ends in alternating order. Each answer narrows a logarithmic interval between a heard and an unheard tone. A few tones near each estimated boundary are then repeated in mixed order to reduce the influence of one accidental response.

The low-frequency search explores between 20 Hz and the reference tone.
The high-frequency search explores between the reference tone and 20 kHz.
Boundary checks are repeated before the tool displays the frequencies you reported detecting.

This is a compact exploration strategy, not a clinical threshold-finding protocol. The result shows approximate boundary tones for this session, not your sensitivity at every frequency.

How to get a more consistent result

Choose a quiet room and use headphones if available.
Start with low device volume. Keep it comfortable and steady.
Use the 1 kHz reference to confirm the sound is easy to hear, never loud.
Do not raise volume to chase a tone. If a sound feels uncomfortable, stop.
For a comparison later, use the same headphones, device, volume and room.

Headphones can make left and right channel testing easier, but their frequency response still affects the result. A speaker or headphone that reproduces a tone weakly can make that tone difficult to detect regardless of hearing.

Why the result is approximate

A browser controls a digital signal level, not the acoustic sound pressure reaching your ears. This page cannot calibrate your device or know how your headphones reproduce each frequency. Operating-system volume, audio routing, hardware limits, ambient noise and individual listening conditions all play a part.

For these reasons, the tool does not assign an age, “good” or “bad” rating, or dB HL value. “What frequencies can I hear?” is answered here only as a report of the tones you detected under the conditions of this particular session.

When to seek a professional test

This online hearing test cannot diagnose hearing loss or rule out a hearing concern. If you are worried about your hearing or notice a change, contact a qualified hearing care professional for an appropriate evaluation with calibrated equipment.

Explore another part of the sound spectrum with Noise Meter Online — measure the sound around you.