// phbeks.com / audio
// audio check

Test your mic & speakers in 30 seconds.

A single-file, offline-first audio troubleshooter. Pick the right device, see your level, hear yourself, and walk through plain-English fixes — before opening a ticket.

01 Test your speakers / headphones

Pick the device you'll use for calls, then play a test sound. If you can't hear anything, the rest won't work either — start here.

Output
Did you hear it?
02 Test your microphone

Ready when you are

Click below to grant mic access. Permission is asked once — release any time.

Best with headphones to avoid echo.

MIC ACTIVE
Input
// waiting for sound — speak into your mic
// speak to measure your level
Hear yourself (live)
⚠ headphones only — speakers cause feedback
RECORDING 00:00

✅ Your voice playback

CLEAR PLAYBACK = MIC OK
0:00
0:00
// playing through: system default
03 Troubleshooting

Click the issue you're hitting — try the steps top to bottom. Most call problems are fixed by one of these.

People on my call can't hear me
  1. In step 2 above, check the Input device dropdown matches the mic you're actually using (headset, not laptop mic).
  2. Speak — does the green level bar move? If not, your OS or headset is muting the mic.
  3. Look for a physical mute button on your headset or its cable — many headsets have one and it's easy to bump.
  4. Open Windows Settings → System → Sound → Microphone properties and confirm volume is up and the mic isn't disabled.
  5. In your call app (Zoom, Teams, Meet), open audio settings and pick the same mic you selected here.
I can't hear them (no sound coming out)
  1. Click Play test tone in step 1. If you hear it, the problem is the call app — pick the right speaker in its audio settings.
  2. If you don't hear the tone, check the Output device dropdown is your headphones/speakers, not "Communications headphones" or a virtual device.
  3. Open the Windows volume mixer (right-click the speaker icon → Open Volume Mixer) — make sure your browser isn't muted.
  4. Unplug and replug your headset; if Bluetooth, disconnect and reconnect.
  5. Try wired headphones if you have any — that rules out Bluetooth issues fast.
People hear an echo or my own voice
  1. Switch to headphones. Echo almost always comes from your speakers feeding back into your mic.
  2. If the "Hear yourself" toggle in step 2 is on, turn it off — that's a deliberate echo loop.
  3. Lower your speaker volume on calls when not using headphones.
  4. Move the mic farther from any speaker.
I sound choppy / robotic / cutting in and out
  1. Close other apps using the mic (other call apps, OBS, browser tabs with meetings open).
  2. Check Wi-Fi: move closer to the router, or plug in an Ethernet cable. Most "robotic voice" issues are network drops, not the mic.
  3. If you're on Bluetooth, switch to a wired headset for the call — Bluetooth call mode is low quality and drops easily.
  4. Restart the browser. If it persists, restart the laptop — drivers occasionally get stuck.
  5. Run Record & play back here. If the playback sounds clean, the problem is your network or the call app — not your mic.
My Bluetooth headset sounds muffled / low quality on calls

This is a known Windows behavior: when an app uses your Bluetooth mic, Windows switches the headset to "Hands-Free" mode, which is much lower quality than music mode.

  1. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Devices → your headset → Device details.
  2. Disable the "Hands-Free" service (sometimes called "Headset"). The headset keeps working as a speaker but your laptop mic is used instead.
  3. In step 2, pick your laptop mic as the input device. Voice quality goes up, battery lasts longer.
  4. Or: just use a wired headset for calls. It's the most reliable fix.
The browser blocked my microphone
  1. Click the lock icon (or the small icon left of the URL) in your address bar.
  2. Find Microphone and set it to Allow.
  3. Reload the page.
  4. If you don't see a microphone option, your IT admin may have blocked it for this site. Ask IT to allow microphone access for this page.
Still stuck — what to send IT

Click below to copy a short report (browser, OS, devices it can see, sample rate). Paste it into your ticket — it usually saves a round trip of questions.