Surround sound test
Play each speaker channel in turn to check that it is wired and placed correctly.
If your browser or system is mixing down to stereo, this test shows which channel should play, not which one does. Check your system audio output settings for true 5.1 or 7.1.
The channel recordings are not available, so each channel plays a tone panned roughly to its side.
Which channels did you hear?
All channels are working.
Missing: .
That points to a wiring or configuration issue rather than a broken speaker. Check the cable for each missing channel and the speaker layout in your system settings, then read how to test speakers step by step.
This browser cannot play the test sounds. Web Audio is unavailable or was blocked. Try a current version of Safari, Chrome or Firefox.
To clear a wet speaker without sound: take the case off, hold the phone with the speaker pointing down, tap it gently against your palm, dab the grille with a dry cloth and leave it in moving air for a few hours.
The surround test needs JavaScript to play sound. Enable it in your browser settings, then reload this page.
How to run the test
- Pick your layoutChoose 2.0 for two speakers or a soundbar, 5.1 for five speakers and a subwoofer, 7.1 if you also have rear speakers.
- Sit where you normally listenPlay each channel and check that the sound comes from the speaker lit on the map.
- Play all in sequenceThen tick the channels you heard. The result tells you which ones to check.
What each channel does
| Channel | Layouts | What it carries |
|---|---|---|
| Front left and right | 2.0, 5.1, 7.1 | Music and most effects. Everything plays here in plain stereo. |
| Centre | 5.1, 7.1 | Dialogue. If speech is hard to hear in films, check this one first. |
| Side left and right | 5.1, 7.1 | Ambience and movement beside you. Called the surrounds in a 5.1 set. |
| Back left and right | 7.1 | Sound from behind the listener, added in a 7.1 set. |
The ".1" is the subwoofer channel. It is not tested here because a browser cannot address it separately.
Common surround problems
Left and right are swapped
The cables are crossed at the amplifier or the speakers are on the wrong sides. Swap the two plugs and test again.
Every channel comes from the front
The device is sending stereo. Set the system audio output to 5.1 or 7.1, and note that many browsers mix down to stereo regardless.
The centre is silent
Dialogue will be hard to hear in films. Check the centre speaker cable and that the receiver has a centre speaker enabled in its setup menu.
Rear speakers are very quiet
Surround levels are often set low from the factory. Raise the surround channel level in the receiver, or run its automatic calibration.
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