Microphone Test: Check Your Mic Online

Allow microphone access and speak. You get a live level meter, a waveform and a short recording you can play back to hear exactly what others hear.

Nobody hears their own microphone the way everyone else does. You join a call or a match, and it takes a teammate saying you sound like you are underwater, or that they cannot hear you at all, before you realise something is wrong. This microphone test lets you check first. It shows your live input level in decibels, a waveform of your voice, peak level and clipping warnings, and lets you record a five second clip to hear yourself exactly as others will.

Everything runs inside your browser. Your audio is analysed on your own device and is never uploaded or stored.

How to test your microphone

1. Press Start microphone and allow access when your browser asks.
2. Pick the right device from the microphone list if you have more than one, such as a headset and a webcam mic.
3. Speak at your normal volume and distance. The level meter and waveform should move with your voice.
4. Watch the status tile. Aim for Good level while talking, not Quiet or Clipping.
5. Press Record 5 seconds, say a sentence, and listen to the playback.

Toggle noise suppression and echo cancellation on and off to hear what your browser’s built-in processing does to your voice. Apps like Discord, Zoom and Teams apply similar processing.

How the microphone tester works

Measuring the level

The tool reads your microphone signal many times a second and calculates its average energy, known as RMS. That value is shown in dBFS, decibels relative to full scale, where 0 is the loudest a digital signal can be and quieter sounds are negative numbers. A quiet room might sit around minus 60 dBFS, normal speech between minus 30 and minus 12.

Peak and clipping

Alongside the average, the tool tracks the single loudest moment. The thin marker on the meter holds your recent peak so you can see it. If peaks reach 0 dBFS, the signal is clipping, which sounds harsh and distorted to listeners and cannot be fixed afterwards.

Sample rate and channels

The sample rate shows how many times per second the audio is captured, usually 44.1 or 48 kHz. Channels shows whether the microphone delivers mono or stereo. Most voice microphones are mono.

Browser processing

With the processing option off, you hear the raw signal from your microphone. With it on, the browser applies noise suppression, echo cancellation and automatic gain control, the same kind of cleanup most calling apps use. Comparing the two tells you whether a problem comes from the microphone itself or from software filtering. If your voice sounds robotic or cuts out between words only when processing is on, the suppression is being too aggressive and your app’s equivalent setting is worth turning down.

Headset, USB and built-in microphones

Laptop and webcam microphones sit far from your mouth, so they pick up more room echo and keyboard noise. Headset and USB desk microphones are closer and more directional, which usually gives a cleaner, fuller voice at lower gain.

Understanding your microphone results

Reading the waveform

A healthy waveform is nearly flat when you are silent and grows clearly when you speak. A thick band when silent means background noise or electrical hum. A waveform that is flattened at the top and bottom is clipping.

Fixing common microphone problems

• No signal at all. Check that the correct device is selected, the hardware mute switch is off, and the microphone is allowed in your operating system privacy settings.
• Access was blocked. Click the lock or camera icon in the address bar, allow the microphone, and try again.
• The mic is in use elsewhere. Close apps that may be holding it, such as Discord, Zoom, Teams or OBS.
• Very quiet. Raise the input level in your system sound settings. For USB microphones, check any gain knob on the microphone itself.
• Echo or feedback. Use headphones instead of speakers, or enable echo cancellation.
• Muffled or distant. Speak across the microphone rather than directly into it, and check you are using the front of the mic.

Tips for sounding better on calls and streams

• Keep the microphone about a hand’s width from your mouth for most headsets and desk mics.
• Reduce echo with soft furnishings. Curtains, rugs and a bookshelf help more than you might expect.
• Turn off noisy fans and keyboard clicks near the mic, or use noise suppression.
• Set levels so normal speech sits in the good range with some headroom for laughing or shouting.
• Test again whenever you change headsets, cables or USB ports.
• Record a clip at the same distance you actually sit during calls, not leaning in towards the screen, so the test matches real use.

Clear audio is only part of a good call or stream. Check your picture with the webcam test, make sure your connection has enough upload with the internet speed test, and if you type while talking, confirm every key works with the keyboard tester. The monitor test rounds out a full setup check.

Frequently asked questions

Related tools