15 kHz Hearing Test

How to use

1. Set the volume low. The tone is preset to 15 kHz. Turn your volume well down before you start, since high frequencies feel harsh fast.
2. Press Play. Start the tone and listen for a thin, steady whistle. Raise the volume slowly only if you hear nothing at all.
3. Check one ear at a time. Use the Left and Right output to compare your two ears, or to test a single speaker or earbud at 15000 Hz.

Why test this

A 15 kHz tone sits near the top of everyday hearing, which makes it a useful checkpoint. Hearing it confirms your ears and your headphones both still reach the upper treble where cymbals, sibilance, and air live. Missing it early is one of the first signs the top of your range is rolling off, whether from age, noise exposure, or speakers that simply cannot push that high. Because the tone is fixed at a single clean frequency, you remove the guesswork of sweeping a slider and get a repeatable yes or no. Run it on a few sets of headphones and you quickly learn whether a dull sound is your ears or the gear.

What the results mean

A clean 15 kHz sine should read as a thin, steady, high whistle. If you hear it plainly, your high frequency hearing and your playback chain are both intact at this point in the range. A faint version is normal, since high tones feel quieter and small drivers lose output up top. Silence is the result worth following up. Switch to known good headphones first, because a phone or laptop speaker often cannot reproduce 15000 Hz even when your ears can. If the tone stays missing on capable gear, your own high frequency response has likely dropped there. Use the Left and Right routing to check whether one ear hears it better than the other.

FAQ

Should I be able to hear 15 kHz?

Most people under about 50 hear 15 kHz clearly. It sits high in the range but below the limit, so a healthy adult ear and decent headphones should reproduce it without trouble.

I cannot hear 15 kHz. Is that bad?

Not on its own, though it can be a clue. Losing 15 kHz earlier than expected can point to high frequency hearing loss or gear that rolls off the top end. Try it on better headphones to rule out the speaker.

Why does the 15 kHz tone sound faint?

High tones carry less perceived loudness and many small speakers struggle up there. A faint or thin sound is normal. If it vanishes entirely, the limit is either your gear or your hearing.

Is a 15 kHz tone safe to play?

Yes, at a sensible volume. The danger with any high tone is cranking it loud to chase a sound you can barely hear, which can stress small drivers and tire your ears. Keep it quiet.