Sound Reaction Test
Wait for a short tone, then click, tap, or press Space as quickly as you can. Five valid trials give you a median, best response and consistency while keeping audio-output context visible.
5-trial median
Audio context
No microphoneListen, then react
Enable sound above, then start the five-trial session. The screen deliberately does not flash when the tone plays.
Click / tap / Space · react only after the beep
Auditory reaction history
History stays in this browser. Output type is saved with each session because built-in, wired and wireless audio should not be treated as interchangeable setups.
Complete a sound session to start your history.
| Date | Median | Best | Consistency | Output |
|---|
End-to-end browser audio timing
This score is not pure auditory nerve latency. It includes when the browser schedules the tone, the operating system and audio stack, your speaker or headphones, hearing and processing the cue, and the delay of your click, tap or key press.
ReactionMetric does not subtract a guessed Bluetooth or hardware correction.
Compare the same setup
Wireless audio can add transmission and buffering delay that a web page cannot reliably remove. Built-in and wired outputs can also have their own buffering. For useful personal tracking, keep the same output type across sessions.
After the sound check, browser-reported AudioContext latency fields appear here when available.
Visual vs auditory reaction time
Controlled studies often find differences between auditory and visual response timing, but the size of that difference depends on task design and measurement hardware. A 2024 countermovement-jump study, for example, found faster response time to an auditory cue than a visual cue in its participant sample.
Research context: Lowell et al. (2024), auditory versus visual stimulus. Different task and population; not a browser benchmark.
Sound reaction test FAQ
Does this test use my microphone?
No. It generates a short tone in your browser using the Web Audio API. It does not record audio or listen to your environment.
Why do I need to enable sound first?
Modern browsers generally require a user interaction before web audio can start. The sound-check button unlocks audio and lets you confirm the tone is audible before timing begins.
Does Bluetooth make the result slower?
Wireless audio can add output latency and buffering, but the amount varies by device, codec, operating system and browser. ReactionMetric records your selected output context instead of subtracting a fixed number.
Why does the screen not change when the beep plays?
A visual change at the same moment could become a second go-signal. The test keeps the stage visually neutral so the intended cue is auditory.
Is auditory reaction time faster than visual reaction time?
Some controlled studies report faster responses to auditory than visual cues, but there is no single universal browser gap. Task design, output latency and response method matter, so compare your own repeated results under consistent conditions.