Speaker test: check channels and frequencies

Crackling, distortion or a silent channel: targeted test tones reveal whether your speaker, your headphones or just one frequency range is affected.

Interpreting what you hear

• One channel silent (headphones): is it the headphones or the device? Test the headphones on a second device; with wired ones, a dirty plug or socket is a common culprit.
• Crackling at low tones (200 Hz): typical of a damaged or dirty membrane – often after water contact or prolonged max-volume use.
• High tone (8 kHz) barely audible: rule out your own hearing first – high-frequency hearing declines with age. Have someone else listen before blaming the speaker.
• Everything quiet and muffled: speaker grilles clogged with dust and pocket lint are the most common cause.

First aid for muffled or crackling sound

Clean the speaker grilles gently with a soft dry brush – no needles, no liquid cleaners, no compressed air. After water contact: shake the water out with the speaker facing down, let it dry for hours, and play the 200 Hz tone at high volume – low frequencies vibrate residual water out of the speaker. If sound stays distorted afterwards, the membrane is probably damaged; replacing the speaker module is usually one of the cheaper phone repairs.

Earpiece vs. main speaker

Your phone has at least two sound outputs: the quiet earpiece at the top for calls and the main speaker at the bottom. If only one is affected, calls may work while music stays silent – or vice versa. Test both separately: music uses the main speaker, a normal phone call uses the earpiece.