Troubleshooting
If you cannot hear the tones, confirm your browser tab is not muted and the correct output device is selected. Disable Mono Audio and check your system volume mixer, then re-run the test. If sound still fails, try another browser or restart your audio device.
Pro tip
Use headphones for the clearest left/right separation and keep volume at a comfortable level.
Common symptoms
- No sound output
- Wrong output device
- Mono audio enabled
Stereo system not working gives you a repeatable baseline for stereo direction, balance, and mono downmix issues. This page focuses on the silent tab and wrong output cases first.
First confirm the basics: the tab is not muted, your device volume is up, and the correct output device is selected. Run the left tone, then the right tone, and pay attention to where the sound is clearly strongest. If you still hear nothing, try a different browser, disable extensions, and re-check the OS mixer for the browser app. If one side is much quieter, it can be a balance setting, a loose connector, or a worn cable. If you want a more reliable baseline, do two passes with a familiar track that has obvious panning, then repeat the tones. When both methods agree, you can trust what you are hearing.
To make this stereo system not working useful, do one small sanity pass before you blame the hardware. Make sure your browser tab is not muted, select the correct output device, and disable any mono or accessibility mixing. If you use an adapter or a detachable cable, re-seat it and try a second port. Once audio is working, you can use the left-only and right-only tones to confirm stereo direction.
Once you identify the pattern, fix one thing and re-test. If you want to isolate whether the issue is the browser, the device, or the output path, generate a steady tone with frequency generator or run speaker cleaner if the grill is clogged. For more audio checks, open Audio tests and come back to stereo test whenever you need the stereo system not working again.