BENRI / GUIDES
How to test your microphone and voice on Windows 11
Try your microphone or headset on Windows 11 before a Teams, Zoom or Google Meet call. Make a short recording and check your voice level and background sound.
Record your voice and a silent pause
Connect the microphone or headset you will use for Teams, Zoom or Google Meet to your Windows 11 PC, then record your voice briefly before the meeting. What you hear in the room and what the microphone picks up can differ. A distant microphone may record your voice quietly while clearly picking up music from a nearby speaker.
Read a short sentence from your usual position, then stay silent for a few seconds. Listen back to check your voice volume and how much music, keyboard noise or ventilation the recording includes.
Combine recording, a meter and playback
A device recorder gives you a quick listen-back. Audacity can help compare several recordings and waveforms. BENRI lets you inspect the input level while making a short browser recording. Use the meter and your ears together.
Scroll horizontally to compare →
Ways to inspect the sound| Method | What it shows | Useful when |
|---|
| BENRI Microphone Test | Input level, waveform and listening back | You want a quick browser-based check |
|---|
| Device recording app | Your voice and surrounding sound | You want a quick playback with minimal setup |
|---|
| Audacity | Recording, waveform and input meter | You want to compare several recordings |
|---|
Record and listen back with BENRI Microphone Test
- Choose the microphone and start recording.
- Read a short sentence at your usual distance and volume while watching the waveform and dBFS level.
- Stay quiet for a few seconds to check music or room noise.
- Stop and listen back. Change one distance or gain setting and repeat the same sentence.
BENRI also shows the input level and waveform. The screenshot uses a test signal to demonstrate the display.
Input level and waveform displayed with a test signal for the example. (Japanese interface.)BENRI Microphone Test: check your voice and background sound ↗
A voice recorder: check how you sound
- Start a voice recording with the microphone in its normal position.
- Read a short sentence, then stay quiet for a few seconds to capture the background.
- Listen to both, change the distance and record the same sentence again.
Easy to start when playback is enough. Choose a metered tool if you also want numerical level comparisons.
Audacity: record waveforms for comparison
- Choose the microphone as Audacity’s recording device and start recording.
- Record a sentence and a quiet pause, then stop and play it back.
- Change distance or input settings and record again to compare voice and background waveforms.
Useful for keeping recordings and moving on to audio editing. BENRI is convenient for a quick browser check.
Open the official instructions
Use dBFS to compare the signal
The input meter reports the level of the digital microphone signal in dBFS. Values closer to 0 dBFS represent a larger signal.
For speech during a call, around −25 dBFS is a practical target for a suitable volume. Speak normally from your usual position, adjust input gain toward this level, and listen back to check clarity.
Compare speech with silence to see the difference between your voice and background sound. Record the same sentence while changing microphone distance or input volume, then compare the meter and playback.
Listen for a comfortable speaking level, clear speech without distortion, and how noticeable the background sound is.
Audacity: reading the meter toolbars
WebRTC audio-level requirements
Change one thing and repeat the sentence
For quiet speech, adjust microphone distance or input volume. For intrusive music, lower the playback level, reposition the speakers or use headphones.
Each time you change one part of your setup, record a short sentence and listen to it. Compare it with the recording from before the change to hear how your voice and background sound differ.
Audacity: making a test recording
