5.1 Surround Sound Test

How to use the surround sound test

This free 5.1 surround sound test plays pink noise from one speaker at a time – front left, center, front right, surround left, surround right – and a 50 Hz tone for the subwoofer. Use it to check that every speaker works, is connected to the right channel and is placed where it should be.

1. Connect your computer to your AV receiver, soundbar or home theatre by HDMI (or optical for compressed formats).
2. Set your computer to 5.1. On Windows open Settings → System → Sound → More sound settings, choose the HDMI device, click Configure and select 5.1 Surround. On a Mac use Audio MIDI Setup → Configure Speakers → Multichannel.
3. Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox and check the message above the buttons – it shows how many channels your browser can use.
4. Set a low volume and press each speaker button. Only that speaker should play.
5. Press Cycle all speakers to go around the room automatically.

What each channel should sound like

Why does my browser show only 2 channels?

Web browsers can only send surround sound when the operating system offers a multichannel output. If the page reports 2 channels:

• Your output is set to stereo or headphones – change the speaker setup to 5.1 as described above.
• You are connected by Bluetooth or a 3.5 mm cable, which carry only two channels.
• Your soundbar or TV accepts only stereo PCM over HDMI ARC. Many soundbars create surround from stereo internally; in that case you cannot test each speaker separately from a browser.
• Safari on Mac and browsers on phones usually expose only stereo.

In stereo mode this page still works: the left and right buttons pan to the left and right speakers, which is enough to check basic wiring. For a plain two-speaker check use our left right audio test.

Common surround problems and fixes

• Rear speakers silent: check the receiver's speaker configuration (surround speakers set to "Yes"), the speaker wires and that the source is really multichannel.
• Left and right swapped: swap the speaker wires at the receiver for that pair.
• Center speaker quiet: raise the center level in the receiver's speaker levels menu – dialogue clarity depends on it.
• No subwoofer: see our guide on how to test a subwoofer and our bass test.
• Sound comes from all speakers at once: the receiver is in a stereo-upmix mode such as Dolby Surround or "All Channel Stereo". Switch to "Direct" or "Multichannel" while testing.

Supported devices and browsers

• Best resultsChrome, Edge or Firefox on Windows connected by HDMI to an AV receiver.
• MacChrome or Firefox with the HDMI device configured as 5.1 in Audio MIDI Setup.
• Phones, Bluetooth, headphonesStereo only – the test simulates surround with panning.
• How it worksChannels are routed with the Web Audio API; nothing is uploaded.

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Frequently asked questions