How to Handle Headphones Before Playing the Whistle

Remove headphones and earbuds before starting the whistle. Check which output your device will use, lower system volume, and keep the sound source away from ears. Begin with a short hold at low software gain. Stop immediately if the sound causes discomfort. Silence at a high frequency is never a reason to raise volume.

Check the output before touching Play

Open your device's sound settings while the whistle is stopped. Look for wired headphones, wireless earbuds, or another selected output. Remove anything worn on the ears before continuing. If you want speaker playback, choose that output in the device settings and check it again before starting. Keep the phone, laptop, or separate speaker away from ears. Do not use an earbud to check whether a high setting produces sound. The app generates a tone but does not measure what reaches a listener. Start with low system volume even when the app's gain already looks low.

Finish connecting or disconnecting audio equipment before playback.
Keep the stop control within easy reach.

Read frequency and volume as different controls

The frequency setting begins at 440 Hz. Its upper bound is the whole number below or equal to the actual AudioContext sample rate multiplied by 0.45. Coarse adjustments move in 100 Hz steps. Presets request 4, 8, 12, 16, or 18 kHz, with any value above the current cap reduced to that cap. Read the visible setting after choosing one. None of these numbers confirms speaker response. Remove your headphones and earbuds, then check the selected output before playing the whistle. Separately, software gain ranges from 0% to 25%. The default 10% value is a software control, so keep system volume low too.

Do not treat a higher frequency as a quieter setting.
Do not interpret an inaudible tone as proof that output has stopped.

Choose playback that is easy to stop

Use hold mode for an initial brief playback so releasing the control ends the tone. Toggle mode continues until you stop it. Steady, pulse, and warble change the playback pattern; they do not establish a safe listening level. A 10 ms cosine fade softens the tone's start and finish, but it does not replace low volume or distance. On a keyboard, Space toggles playback and Escape stops it unless you are typing in a text field. Leave the typing field before relying on those shortcuts. If anything feels uncomfortable, stop instead of trying another pattern.

Check the chosen hold or toggle mode before starting.
Use the visible stop control when keyboard focus is uncertain.

Stop manually before changing equipment

End playback before inserting a plug, removing headphones, or switching wireless outputs. The app stops on tab hiding and audio interruption. It also stops when it receives a devicechange signal. Browser support for that signal is incomplete, so an output change may happen without a usable notification. Automatic stopping cannot cover every route change. After changing equipment, recheck the selected output and system volume before another short playback. Dogs vary in their responses. Neither a visible setting nor a reaction establishes a suitable volume. This app is not a hearing test and makes no training promises.

Treat every equipment change as a fresh output check.
Leave playback stopped while sorting out an uncertain connection.

Stop the whistle, remove headphones or earbuds, and inspect the selected system output.
Set system volume low, keep the speaker away from ears, and review software gain.
Read the current frequency, select hold mode, and make one brief playback.
Release the control, confirm playback has ended, and stop using the sound if uncomfortable.

Can I wear headphones to check an 18 kHz preset?

Remove them first. The preset is a generation setting, and listening through headphones does not verify output safely.

Does the 25% gain cap set a fixed loudness?

No. It caps software gain. It does not measure the sound produced by your equipment at a particular distance.

Will unplugging headphones always stop the tone?

No. Stop manually beforehand because browsers do not report every audio route change.

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