5.1 and 7.1 Surround Sound Test Online
Play a sound on each speaker, one at a time: front left, center, front right, surrounds, subwoofer. If your system isn't set to 5.1 or 7.1, you still get the left / right test and the bass test.
- 5.1, 7.1 and stereo
- Pink noise or rising chirp
- Bass from 20 to 200 Hz
- No file to download
100% private — Everything is processed directly in your browser: your files, voice, and image are never sent to Chatzam's servers.
How do you test a 5.1 surround sound system?
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Set your computer's output
In the Windows or Mac sound settings, pick your output (HDMI, speakers, sound card) and set it to 5.1 or 7.1: the help inside the tool shows you how. Turn the volume down before you start.
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Detect your output
Click “Detect my audio output”. The tool shows how many channels your browser can drive (2, 6 or 8) and switches to 7.1, 5.1 or stereo mode to match.
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Listen to each speaker
Start the test of all speakers, or tap a speaker on the diagram to hear it alone. The sound should only come from the highlighted speaker. Then test the bass with the sweep.
A real channel-by-channel test
5.1, 7.1 and stereo
As soon as your browser sees 6 or 8 output channels, the tool drives them one by one. With a stereo output, you still get the left / right test and the bass.
Room layout
A top-down layout lights up the speaker that's playing and shows its channel number, so you can spot a swapped cable or a silent speaker.
Pink noise or rising chirp
Bursts of pink noise, the reference sound for calibrating speakers, or short rising chirps that are very easy to locate in the room.
Bass test
Low notes from 40 to 80 Hz on the subwoofer channel, a 20 to 200 Hz sweep with the frequency on screen, and a volume warning before you start.
How does this 5.1 and 7.1 speaker test work?
A 5.1 system has six channels: front left, front right, center, subwoofer (the “.1” channel, called LFE) and two surround speakers. A 7.1 system has eight, with two rear speakers and two side speakers. This tool creates the sounds itself in your browser, with no file to download, and sends them channel by channel: three bursts of pink noise (or rising chirps) on each speaker, one after another, going around the room, then low notes on the subwoofer. The layout lights up the speaker that's playing and shows its channel number. You can also tap a speaker to hear it alone, loop the whole round while you adjust your speakers, and set the volume with the slider.
Why does my browser only see two channels?
A browser can only send multichannel audio if your computer gives it a 6- or 8-channel output. By default, Windows and macOS set most outputs to stereo. To switch to 5.1 or 7.1, open your system's sound settings and choose your speaker setup: on Windows, “More sound settings”, Playback tab, “Configure” button; on a Mac, “Audio MIDI Setup”, then “Configure Speakers”. Then click “Detect again”. If you're connected to an AV receiver, a TV or a soundbar over HDMI, optical or ARC, the output has to be multichannel PCM: a browser doesn't produce a Dolby Digital or DTS stream, so a soundbar connected by optical cable stays in stereo as far as the browser is concerned. In that case, you can still test the left and right channels and the bass; for a left / right test with a phase check and a full frequency sweep, there's also the “Left-Right Audio Test” tool.
Check your speaker order and wiring
The sound should only come from the speaker shown on screen. If it comes from a different one, it's often a swapped cable, for example the surrounds plugged in where the center and subwoofer should be, or a speaker assigned to the wrong position in your system settings. If it comes from nowhere, check the cable, the speaker's power and your receiver's setup. The channels are sent in this order: 1 front left, 2 front right, 3 center, 4 subwoofer, then 5 and 6 for surround left and right in 5.1; in 7.1, channels 5 and 6 are the rear speakers and channels 7 and 8 the side speakers. That number is shown on each speaker in the layout. The order beyond 5.1 (rear and side speakers in 7.1) depends on your system and audio driver: if those two pairs seem swapped, it isn't necessarily a wiring problem. Pink noise, which contains every frequency with the same energy per octave, is the reference sound for comparing how each speaker sounds.
Test your subwoofer: bass sweep and low notes
The subwoofer plays low-frequency sounds, usually below 120 Hz. The test sends 40, 60 and 80 Hz sine tones to the LFE channel during the speaker round, then offers a 20 to 200 Hz sweep over 20 seconds, with the frequency shown live, and fixed notes from 25 to 120 Hz. To play a specific frequency of your choice, use the “Tone Generator” instead. Note the frequency where you start to hear or feel the sound: that's the low-end limit of your system, often around 30 to 50 Hz for a living room subwoofer. Rattling, furniture buzzing or sound that fades out at certain frequencies point to a room resonance or a setup problem. Because bass is much more powerful than it seems, a volume warning appears before the first bass test, and both the fixed notes and the sweep fade in gently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I test a 5.1 surround sound system on a PC?
First set your computer's output to 5.1 (on Windows: “More sound settings”, Playback, “Configure”), click “Detect my audio output”, then start the test of all speakers. The sound should come in turn from the front left, center, front right, surrounds, then the subwoofer.
Why does the test only show stereo when I have a 5.1 system?
Your browser only sees what your operating system gives it. Set the output to 5.1 in your sound settings, use a multichannel PCM output (HDMI to an AV receiver, a multichannel sound card or analog jacks), then click “Detect again”. A soundbar connected by optical or ARC receives stereo or a Dolby bitstream, which a browser can't produce.
A speaker doesn't play or the sound comes from the wrong place: what should I do?
Check the speaker's wiring and power, then the speaker setup in your system or on your receiver, especially where each speaker is assigned. The channel number shown on the layout helps you spot a swapped cable.
Does the test work with 7.1?
Yes, if your system gives the browser eight output channels: 7.1 mode then appears next to 5.1 and stereo. Channels 5 and 6 are the rear speakers, channels 7 and 8 the side speakers.
Can the test damage my speakers or my ears?
The starting volume is moderate and you control it with the slider, but bass can catch you off guard: turn down the receiver or computer volume before you start, raise it gradually and avoid long listening at high levels. A warning appears before the first bass test.
Can I test Dolby Atmos, DTS or Dolby Digital?
No: the tool sends uncompressed audio (PCM) to each channel, so it doesn't test Dolby or DTS decoding or Dolby Atmos height effects. It's for checking that each speaker is properly connected, set up and audible.