Surround sound test — check every 5.1 speaker online
Surround sound test
Connect the computer, TV box or phone to your receiver or soundbar, turn the volume down, then play all channels or tap one speaker at a time.
Press a button — the page will check how many channels your audio output reports.
A surround sound test sends a short sound to one channel at a time so you can confirm each speaker is connected to the right output. This one plays a noise burst on front left, front right, center and both surrounds, and a 50 Hz tone on the subwoofer channel — six channels in about 15 seconds.
It runs in the browser, so it tests the path from the device you open it on through your receiver or soundbar. The sections below cover the 5.1 layout, why a browser sometimes plays only two channels, and how to read the result.
5.1 surround sound test
A 5.1 surround sound test checks six channels: three front speakers, two surrounds and the subwoofer. The page sends each sound to the channel number that the W3C Web Audio specification assigns to that speaker, so a sound that comes from the wrong place points to wiring or receiver settings, not to the test.
| Channel number | Speaker | Test sound |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Front left | Noise burst, 2 sec |
| 1 | Front right | Noise burst, 2 sec |
| 2 | Center | Noise burst, 2 sec |
| 3 | Subwoofer (LFE) | 50 Hz tone, 2 sec |
| 4 | Surround left | Noise burst, 2 sec |
| 5 | Surround right | Noise burst, 2 sec |
The order comes from the Web Audio API channel ordering table, which lists front left, front right, front center, low frequency, back left and back right for 5.1. The noise is filtered to a middle band, which is easier to locate by ear than a pure tone.
Why only two channels play
Only two channels play when the audio output the browser sees is stereo. The specification describes the destination’s maximum channel count as the most channels the audio hardware supports, and this test reads that number before it plays anything.
Step 1
Check the status line
After the first press, the tool says how many channels your output reports.
Step 2
Set the device to 5.1
In the computer’s sound settings, choose the receiver or HDMI output and set its speaker layout to 5.1.
Step 3
Reload the page
The browser reads the channel count when the test starts, so reload after changing settings.
Step 4
Run the test again
If it still reports two channels, the connection or the device in between is passing stereo only.
Phones and most laptops report two channels on their own speakers. That is expected: they are stereo devices, and for them the left and right speaker test is the right tool.
How to read the result
Reading a surround test result is a matter of matching each lit button to the speaker you heard. Sit in your usual listening spot, play all channels, and note anything that does not match.
| What you hear | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Every channel from its own speaker | Wiring and layout are correct | Nothing — adjust levels in the receiver if some are louder |
| Left and right swapped | Cables swapped at the speakers or the receiver | Swap the two front cables |
| Surrounds play from the front | Receiver set to a stereo or front-only mode | Choose a 5.1 or multichannel input mode |
| Subwoofer tone from a main speaker | Receiver sending bass to the main speakers | Check that a subwoofer is enabled in speaker setup |
| Center silent, voices from left and right | Center speaker disabled or phantom center mode | Enable the center speaker in speaker setup |
For the low end in more detail, the bass and subwoofer test steps from 100 Hz down to 20 Hz.