What a sweep test shows
A frequency sweep plays a single pure tone that glides from low to high. Listening for where the sound appears, disappears, buzzes or suddenly gets louder tells you a lot about your speakers or headphones: where the bass rolls off, whether anything rattles, and how high your gear (and your ears) can go.
- Rattles or buzzing at a particular frequency usually mean something loose, often in the room rather than the speaker.
- Sudden loud or quiet spots in the bass are room resonances; try moving the speaker.
- Where the tone fades out at the top is the limit of your gear or your hearing.
Start at a low volume: very low and very high tones can be louder than they sound.
Questions
Why is the sweep logarithmic?
We hear pitch logarithmically: each octave sounds like an equal step. A logarithmic sweep spends equal time on each octave, so it sounds even.
Can a sweep damage my speakers?
Not at a sensible volume. Avoid high volumes at the very bottom of the range, where small speakers can over-extend.
How do I test my subwoofer?
Use the Bass 20–200 Hz range and listen for where the sound fades in and for any rattles.
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