500 Hz tone
A standard audiometry frequency.
Volume first: turn your device down before you press play. Tones start quiet on purpose.
Raise the volume slowly once the sound is playing. Keep headphones off your ears until you know how loud it is.
Hz
Waveform
0 dBFS is the loudest your device can play; every 20 dB lower is a tenth of the amplitude.
Space plays and stops · ↑ ↓ semitone · Shift+↑ ↓ octave
What 500 Hz is used for
One of the frequencies tested in a standard pure-tone hearing test, and a common reference for acoustic measurements of rooms.
| Period | 2.000 ms |
|---|---|
| Wavelength in air (20 °C) | 68.6 cm |
| One octave down / up | 250 Hz / 1000 Hz |
The generator above starts at 500 Hz. You can still move the slider to any other frequency, or open the full tone generator.
Questions people ask
Why can't I hear the 500 Hz tone?
Check the tab is not muted and the correct output device is selected. 500 Hz is well within the range of nearly every speaker and headphone.
How long is one cycle of 500 Hz?
2.000 milliseconds. In room-temperature air the wavelength is about 68.6 centimetres.
Keep testing
- Tone generatorSine, square, triangle and sawtooth from 1 Hz to 22 kHz.
- Frequency sweepLogarithmic or linear sweeps over any range and duration.
- Speaker testChannel, range and polarity checks for stereo speakers.