Subwoofer Bass Test
Check how deep your subwoofer, speakers or headphones really go: play steady bass tones from 10 to 200 Hz, jump to common test frequencies, or run a sweep and mark where the bass fades or something rattles. All tones are generated in your browser.
Bass sweep
A downward sweep (200 → 10 Hz) finds where your subwoofer's output fades out. Mark rattles or buzzes to find loose panels or objects in the room.
How to use the Subwoofer Bass Test
- Turn your system volume down, then set the tool's volume to about 25%.
- Press Play tone or pick a preset like 40 Hz; raise the volume slowly until you hear or feel it.
- Step through the presets from 100 Hz down to 20 Hz and note where the level drops sharply.
- Run a sweep from 200 to 10 Hz and press Mark (or Space) when the bass disappears; press Mark a rattle when something buzzes.
- Adjust your setup: subwoofer crossover, position or level, and test again.
Bass frequency reference
| Frequency | Nearest note | What it sounds or feels like |
|---|---|---|
| 16.35 Hz | C0 | Lowest pipe organ notes; felt more than heard |
| 20 Hz | ≈ E0/D♯0 | Commonly quoted lower limit of human hearing |
| 27.5 Hz | A0 | Lowest key on a standard 88-key piano |
| 30–40 Hz | B0–E1 | Movie explosions, synth sub-bass, deep electronic music |
| 41.2 Hz | E1 | Lowest open string of a 4-string bass guitar |
| 50–60 Hz | G1–B1 | Kick drum "thump"; mains hum (50 Hz Europe, 60 Hz North America) |
| 80 Hz | ≈ E2 | Typical subwoofer crossover (THX); low E of a guitar is 82.4 Hz |
| 100–120 Hz | G2–B2 | Upper bass, punch; where small speakers start to work |
| 150–200 Hz | D3–G3 | Warmth and body of voices and instruments |
Typical low-frequency limits
| Device | Usable bass down to about |
|---|---|
| Phone and laptop speakers | 150–300 Hz |
| Small Bluetooth speakers | 60–100 Hz |
| Bookshelf speakers | 45–70 Hz |
| Over-ear headphones and good earbuds (sealed) | 20 Hz or lower |
| Home-theater subwoofers | 18–35 Hz |
These are typical ranges; real limits depend on the model, the room and the volume. Earbuds need a good seal to produce deep bass.
Getting even bass in a room
- Subwoofer crawl: put the sub at your listening seat, play a 40–60 Hz tone or the sweep, crawl around the room and listen for where the bass sounds smoothest. Place the sub there.
- Corners boost bass but also excite the strongest room modes; a spot a little out of the corner is often smoother.
- Set the crossover and phase so the transition at 80–120 Hz is seamless: play tones near the crossover and flip the sub's phase switch, keeping the setting that sounds louder at your seat.
- Check stereo wiring with the Tone Generator or measure relative levels with the Sound Level Meter.
Frequently asked questions
What frequency range does a subwoofer cover?
Most home subwoofers play from roughly 20–30 Hz up to a crossover point of 80–120 Hz, where the main speakers take over. THX recommends an 80 Hz crossover. Small desktop subwoofers often reach about 40 Hz; large home-theater subs can go below 20 Hz.
Why can't I hear the 20 Hz tone?
Human hearing is much less sensitive at very low frequencies, so 20 Hz has to be far louder than 1 kHz to sound equally loud, and many speakers, laptops, phones and earbuds can't reproduce it at all. Below about 20 Hz you mostly feel pressure rather than hear a pitch. Don't keep turning up the volume to chase it.
Is it safe to play bass tones loud?
Be careful. Sustained low tones at high volume can push a woofer past its excursion limit and damage it, and loud sound damages hearing. Start quietly, use short tests, stop if you hear distortion, clicking or flapping, and never use maximum volume on small speakers.
What does the sweep tell me?
As the tone glides down, listen for where the level falls off: that is roughly your system's low-frequency limit. Big jumps in loudness at certain frequencies are room modes (standing waves); moving the subwoofer or your seat can smooth them out.
Which waveform should I use?
Use sine for real bass response: it contains only one frequency. Square and sawtooth waves add harmonics at 2×, 3×, 4× the frequency, so you will hear something even when your speaker can't reproduce the fundamental. They are handy for finding rattles, not for judging how low a speaker goes.
How do I find rattles in my car or room?
Turn on Pulse, play tones between 30 and 100 Hz at moderate volume, and walk around. Buzzes usually show up at a few specific frequencies. During a sweep, press Mark a rattle to note each frequency, then tighten or damp the offending panel or object.