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Device test

Play each side and check it comes from the right place.

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Speaker test for Mac

macOS keeps a balance slider that is easy to nudge and hard to find, and it sits behind a surprising share of "one side is quiet" reports. Play both tones, then check the settings below.

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The short answer

To test speakers on a Mac, play the left and right tones below and confirm each comes from the correct side. If one side is quiet, open System Settings → Sound and check the Balance slider is centred — a slider dragged off centre is far more common than a failed speaker.

Getting it right

Four things worth knowing

  • Check the balance slider first

    System Settings → Sound → Output → Balance. A stray trackpad gesture can move it, and nothing anywhere on screen indicates that it is off centre.

  • Option-click the volume icon to switch output fast

    Holding Option while clicking the menu bar volume control lists every input and output device and lets you switch without opening System Settings at all.

  • Audio MIDI Setup is where the detail lives

    It shows the sample rate, per-channel volume and the speaker configuration. When something sounds wrong but the basic settings look fine, look there next.

  • Turn Spatial Audio off for a channel test

    Spatial and head-tracked modes move the stereo image on purpose, which makes a left-right check unreliable. Switch to Stereo in Control Centre before you start.

Nothing leaves your device

This test runs entirely in your browser. There is no upload, no recording and no server that could receive anything — close the tab and it is gone.

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FAQ

Questions people ask

Anything we've missed?

Tell us

No sound from my Mac at all.

Check the output device in System Settings → Sound, then that the volume is not muted, then whether the browser tab is muted. If the output list is empty, restart — Core Audio occasionally needs it.

Why did my Mac send audio to the TV?

macOS switches output when an HDMI or AirPlay device connects, and remembers the choice. Set it back in System Settings → Sound; it will switch again next time that device appears.

One side went quieter and I changed nothing.

Check the Balance slider. It causes this far more often than a failing speaker, and nothing on screen flags it as being off centre.

Can I test each speaker on a MacBook individually?

The tones here separate left and right, which is what a MacBook has. For a setup with more speakers, use Audio MIDI Setup → Configure Speakers.

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