Microphone test
See your live input level, record a few seconds and play it back. Noise suppression is turned off so you hear your real microphone.
Your browser will ask for microphone access. The test reads the raw signal with noise suppression and auto gain turned off, so you hear what your microphone actually captures.
Your audio never leaves this device. There is no upload and no recording on any server.
Why this test turns off noise suppression
Browsers enable echo cancellation, noise suppression and automatic gain control by default on any microphone stream. Those are useful on a call and actively misleading in a test.
With automatic gain control on, a barely functioning microphone looks healthy because the browser amplifies whatever it receives, including the noise floor. With noise suppression on, a rattling connection or a buzzing ground loop gets filtered out, and you find out about it mid meeting rather than here.
This test requests the raw signal with all three disabled, so what you see on the meter is what your microphone is actually producing.
What to check
Level
Speak normally at your usual distance. The meter should move clearly into the middle band. If it stays near the bottom, raise your input level in your system sound settings. If it pins at the top, lower it, because clipped audio cannot be repaired afterwards.
Waveform shape
A healthy signal shows a flat line at rest and clear peaks when you speak. A waveform that is never flat when you are silent means constant background noise, often electrical interference or a fan. A waveform that squares off at the top is clipping.
The recording
Record five seconds and listen back with headphones. This catches problems that a meter cannot show you: crackle from a failing cable, a hum from a ground loop, dropouts from an unreliable USB connection, or a muffled sound from a physical obstruction.
Common faults and what causes them
Crackling or intermittent dropouts
Usually the cable or connector. On a USB microphone, try a different port directly on the machine rather than a hub. On a 3.5mm connection, the jack is the most common failure point, particularly on headsets.
A constant hum
Typically a ground loop, where two devices are earthed at slightly different potentials. Moving the microphone to a different USB port, or powering devices from the same outlet, usually resolves it.
Very quiet even at maximum gain
Check whether your microphone needs phantom power or a preamp, which most XLR microphones do. Also check for a physical gain dial on the microphone itself, which is easy to knock down.
Nothing at all
Look for a hardware mute switch first, since headsets and USB microphones very often have one and it is the most common cause of a completely silent input. Then check that the correct device is selected as your system default.
Common questions
Is my audio recorded or uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. The level meter, the waveform and the test clip are all processed on your device, and the page has no server to send audio to. Closing the tab discards the recording.
Why does this sound worse than I expected?
Because it is accurate. This test turns off noise suppression, echo cancellation and automatic gain control, which video call apps enable by default. You are hearing your raw microphone rather than heavily processed audio. Background noise you never notice on calls will be audible here.
What level should I be aiming for?
Normal speech should sit in the middle band of the meter, with peaks reaching toward the upper end but not hitting maximum. If the meter pins at the top, you are clipping and the audio will distort. If it barely moves, your input gain is too low.
The meter moves but I hear nothing in the playback.
The meter reads the input and the playback uses your output device, so this points at your speakers or headphones rather than the microphone. Check your output device selection and volume, and try the playback with headphones plugged in directly.
My microphone works here but not in a specific app.
That is an app level permission or device selection issue rather than hardware. Check that the app has microphone permission in your operating system privacy settings, and that it is set to the same input device your system default uses.
Can I test a different microphone?
The browser uses your system default input. Change the default in your operating system sound settings and restart the test. Browsers do not offer a reliable way for a page to switch input devices on your behalf.
Troubleshooting guides
Test your other hardware
Most hardware faults travel in pairs. If one device is misbehaving, check the rest.