Quick Answer
Put on headphones, open the Hearing Range Test, and let it sweep through frequencies from roughly 20Hz up to 20kHz. Note the point where the tone becomes inaudible at the low end and the point where it disappears at the high end - that range is your approximate audible hearing range for this test.
Why This Is an Informal Check, Not a Medical Hearing Test
It's worth being upfront about what this test can and can't tell you. Your result here depends heavily on your headphones' actual frequency response (very few consumer headphones reproduce a perfectly flat 20Hz-20kHz range), your device's speaker or DAC quality, your volume level, and background noise in your room. A proper audiological hearing test uses calibrated equipment in a soundproof booth specifically to remove all of those variables. This test is useful for a rough, informal sense of your range and for noticing a big change over time, but it isn't a substitute for a real hearing test if you have actual concerns about your hearing.
Step-by-Step: Running the Test
- Use headphones rather than speakers - room acoustics and speaker frequency response vary too much for a meaningful speaker-based result, especially at the extremes of the range.
- Set your volume to a comfortable, moderate level before starting - not maxed out, since very high volumes at either frequency extreme can be uncomfortable or even risky for your hearing.
- Open the Hearing Range Test and start with the low end, letting the tone sweep upward from around 20Hz.
- Note the frequency where you first clearly hear the tone start.
- Repeat from the high end, letting the tone sweep downward from 20kHz, and note where it becomes audible.
- For a more controlled check at any single frequency, use the Frequency Generator to play a fixed tone and adjust it manually.
Headphone Quality Changes What You're Actually Measuring
It's worth understanding that budget headphones often roll off noticeably before 20kHz on the high end and may not reproduce sub-40Hz content cleanly on the low end, regardless of your actual hearing ability. This means a low "range" result with cheap headphones could reflect the headphones' limits rather than yours. If you get a surprisingly narrow range and want a more accurate personal number, try the same test with a higher-quality pair if you have access to one, and compare - a meaningfully wider range on better headphones tells you the first result was more about equipment than hearing.
How to Interpret the Results
- Range roughly 20Hz to somewhere between 15-20kHz - a fairly typical range for a younger adult with healthy hearing, though the exact top end varies a lot by age.
- High end noticeably below 15kHz - this is actually very common and often just reflects normal age-related high-frequency hearing loss, which most people experience gradually starting in their 20s and 30s, well before it's noticeable in everyday listening.
- A sudden, noticeable change compared to a previous test, especially in one ear only - this is worth mentioning to a doctor or audiologist, since a real hearing test can rule out something that needs attention.
Why High Frequencies Fade With Age
The inner ear's hair cells responsible for detecting the highest frequencies are the most delicate and the first to gradually decline with age and cumulative noise exposure, a well-documented pattern called presbycusis. This is why it's completely normal for the top of someone's audible range to be well below 20kHz, even in people with no hearing complaints at all - most everyday sound, speech, and music sits well within a much narrower range than 20Hz-20kHz, so a reduced top end usually isn't noticeable in daily life.
Getting a More Consistent Result
If you want to compare your result over time (say, testing again in six months), try to keep conditions as similar as possible: same headphones, similar volume level, and a quiet room. Testing with different headphones each time makes the numbers hard to compare, since headphone frequency response varies significantly between models, especially cheaper ones that often roll off noticeably at both extremes.
FAQ
Is it normal to not hear anything above 16kHz?
Yes, especially for adults past their teens or early twenties - high-frequency hearing naturally declines
with age and this is common rather than a sign of a problem on its own.
Can loud music damage my hearing range permanently?
Yes, repeated exposure to loud sound, especially at high frequencies, is a well-established cause of hearing
damage over time, which is part of why this test is best run at a moderate volume rather than maximum.
Should I test with earbuds or over-ear headphones?
Either works for a rough check, though results may differ slightly between them due to different frequency
response - stick with whichever you plan to use consistently for future comparisons.
Does this test replace a doctor's hearing test?
No - treat it as an informal check. If you have genuine concerns about your hearing, a proper audiological
exam with calibrated equipment is the reliable way to assess it.
Why do I hear the tone differently in each ear?
Slight differences between ears are common and usually not concerning on their own. A large, consistent
difference is worth mentioning to a doctor, since it's more informative than either ear's number alone.