Hearing Range Test
Dial up to find your personal upper limit — and optionally how low you can hear. Not a clinical test.
10.0 kHz
ReadyTurn your system volume down first
Start at a low volume, especially with headphones and low bass tones, then raise it slowly.
This page differs from the hearing test: here you find your frequency limits on this setup; there, each ear is screened per frequency for how quietly you can hear. Both are non-medical.
This tool runs locally in your browser — no audio is uploaded.
How to use
- 1
Set a fair level
Put headphones on in a quiet room and set a comfortable, moderate volume. The upper limit shifts a lot with volume, so keep it fixed for the whole test.
- 2
Find your upper limit
Start at 8 kHz and raise the frequency. Press "Mark heard" while the tone is still audible, and continue until it disappears — that silence point is your approximate upper limit.
- 3
Optionally check the low end
Switch to the 20–200 Hz band and find the lowest tone you can still hear as sound. Below it you may feel vibration rather than hear tone.
How it works & limits
This page plays a continuous sine whose frequency you control, and records where you stop hearing it. It answers "how high can I hear today, on this device" — nothing more. The hearing test page answers a different question ("how quietly can I hear speech-range frequencies, per ear") with graded steps; the two pages are complementary, not alternatives.
Upper limits depend heavily on loudness, headphone response, and age — most adults top out between 14 kHz and 17.5 kHz, and losing the extreme highs is normal with age. This is not a "hearing age" diagnostic and cannot replace an audiogram; if you have concerns about your hearing, consult a professional.
FAQ
What is a normal upper hearing limit?
Roughly 17–18 kHz when young, drifting down with age; many healthy adults hear to 15–16 kHz in their 40s. Numbers vary by person, volume, and equipment — treat yours as approximate.
Why can I hear 15 kHz with one headphone and not the other?
Most likely that earcup or its seal behaves differently at high frequencies, or your ears differ. Re-seat the headphones and test again before drawing conclusions.
My limit changes every time I test — why?
Volume setting, background noise, and attention all move the result by hundreds of hertz or more. Keep conditions identical if you want comparable numbers.
Is a higher limit better?
No. Music and speech live below about 8–10 kHz; limits above that barely matter for daily life. Do not chase high numbers by turning the volume up — that risks the hearing you care about.
How is this different from the hearing test page?
This page finds your frequency limits at a comfortable volume. The hearing test screens how quietly you hear six key frequencies, one ear at a time, with graded results.
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