Hearing Frequency Test
The high sweep rises from 8 kHz to 20 kHz over 40 seconds and the low sweep falls from 200 Hz to 20 Hz. Press the button the moment the sound fades to note your limit. It is not a medical hearing test.
How to use
- Sit somewhere quiet and put on headphones or earphones. Keep the volume low, because a sweep can reach painfully sharp pitches. Raise it a little only if you hear nothing at all.
- Press High sweep. A tone rises from 8 kHz to 20 kHz over 40 seconds. Press the big button the moment you can no longer hear it. The tool records the pitch at that moment as your upper limit.
- Press Low sweep to hear a tone fall from 200 Hz to 20 Hz. Press the button when it fades or turns into a flutter you only feel. That pitch is recorded as your lower limit.
- Repeat each sweep two or three times. Your reaction time adds a small error, so the repeated values are more reliable than a single run.
How it works
The sweep is a pure sine tone whose frequency changes exponentially, so every second multiplies the pitch by the same factor. That matches how we hear pitch: equal steps in octaves, not in hertz. The high sweep climbs 1.32 octaves in 40 seconds and the low sweep falls 3.32 octaves.
When you press the button the tool reads the current frequency from the audio clock and rounds it to the nearest 10 Hz above 1 kHz. Because it takes you a moment to react, the recorded number is slightly higher than your true upper limit and slightly lower than your true lower limit.
What affects the result
- Your equipment: the frequency range of the headphones or speakers sets a ceiling and a floor that may be far narrower than what your ears can do.
- Volume: a quiet tone near the edge of your hearing can fade out earlier than a louder one. Test at the same volume each time if you compare runs.
- Room noise and the fit of your earphones: background sound hides low tones, and a loose fit loses bass.
- Age and noise exposure: the top of the audible range usually shrinks first. For hearing worries, a hearing test by a professional is the only reliable check.
FAQ
Is this a hearing test?
No. It is a quick way to see what your own playback setup lets you hear. It is not a clinical audiogram and gives no medical result. If you have hearing loss, ringing, pain or sudden changes in hearing, see a doctor or an audiologist.
Why can I not hear anything near 20 kHz?
Most adults cannot hear that high. The upper limit of hearing tends to fall with age, and many people lose the top range earlier. Speakers and earphones also often cannot produce it: many roll off well below 20 kHz, and the audio sample rate of your device can limit it too.
Why do low tones sound weak or disappear?
Small speakers and most earphones cannot move enough air to play 20 to 60 Hz. You may feel a flutter or hear only overtones. Over-ear headphones or a subwoofer usually do better. The ear is also naturally less sensitive to very low pitches.
How safe is it?
Keep the volume low and use the stop button at any time. High pitches at a loud level can be uncomfortable or harmful, so raise the volume in small steps and never test with the volume turned far up. Do not use it on children or with someone who cannot tell you when it is too loud.