FullScale Hearing Test

1. Introduction & Overview

FullScale is a full-spectrum hearing test that measures up to 37 frequencies between 125 Hz and 20 kHz. It determines your hearing threshold at each frequency — the softest level at which a tone is just barely audible. Results are presented in dB SPL and Implied dB HL (Decibels Hearing Level), comparable to traditional audiogram values but derived differently for the extended frequency range.

Output

• In-App Results — Audiogram scatter plot and threshold data table, available immediately after test completion on all platforms

The following are available on the FullScale mobile app (iOS / Android) only and are not included in the desktop ARIA ONE / FullScale standalone application:

• Extended In-App Results — Additional visuals and tables (premium, mobile only)
• PDF Report — 8-page analysis emailed to you (premium, mobile only)
• CSV Data — Raw and cleaned threshold data in CSV format (premium, mobile only)

Platforms

FullScale runs on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. The desktop version runs as a standalone application or as a plugin inside a DAW or plugin host.

Getting results into ARIA ONE

Your hearing profile must reach ARIA ONE for threshold-based sound personalization. There are several paths:

• Onboarding — When you take the hearing test during the ARIA ONE onboarding flow, your results are applied automatically. No extra steps required.
• FullScale inside ARIA ONE — In Advanced View, open SERVICES > HEARING. In Simple View, open the hearing/personalization section and launch the test there. After completion, use Export Test if you want a local desktop export, or use ARIA ONE's sync workflow for server-based profiles.
• FullScale Standalone / Mobile — Take the test in the standalone desktop app or the iOS/Android app. Desktop builds can write a local shared-library export with Export Test; signed-in cloud workflows can also bring results into ARIA ONE through sync.
• Sync Now — If you have taken a test on any platform while signed in, open SERVICES > SYNC in ARIA ONE, or use the Bottom Bar sync control, and run Sync Now to compare/pull available profiles from the server.

Limitations

The test uses your headphones' full volume range. Some frequencies naturally require higher playback levels to be audible — this is expected. For the widest frequency coverage, use calibrated devices that support extended high-frequency output. A "no response" at a given frequency may reflect the device's output limits rather than hearing ability.

Notice

The FullScale Hearing Test is not a diagnostic or treatment tool for any medical condition. It should not be relied upon for self-management of health issues. Consult a medical doctor or qualified health professional for any hearing-related questions. This application is intended for sound personalization and as a preparatory resource before consulting a healthcare provider.

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2. Getting Started

System Requirements

Mac

• CPU: Apple Silicon or 64-bit Intel Mac
• Memory: 8 GB RAM minimum (16 GB recommended)
• Storage: 16 GB free disk space
• OS: macOS Ventura 13 or newer
• Screen: Minimum 1280x1024, Recommended 1600x1024
• Plugin Formats: Standalone, AU, AUv3, VST3, AAX

Windows

• CPU: 64-bit Intel or AMD CPU
• Memory: 8 GB RAM minimum (16 GB recommended)
• Storage: 16 GB free disk space
• OS: Windows 11
• Screen: Minimum 1024x768, Recommended 1280x1024
• Plugin Formats: Standalone, VST3, AAX

iOS / iPadOS

• OS: iOS / iPadOS 15.0 or newer
• Device: iPhone and iPad
• Formats: iOS app, AUv3 App Extension

Android

• OS: Android 6.0 / API 23 or newer
• Formats: Android app
• Target SDK: Android API 35 in current builds

Audio

• Channels: Mono or stereo host bus layouts; stereo input/output by default
• Sample Rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz
• Bit Depth: Host/device dependent PCM audio
• A virtual audio driver may be useful for routing audio when using the plugin in a DAW.

Sample rate and downloadable content

• Additional test tone content is available for download and should be installed. On first launch, a dialog prompts you to download supplementary sample packs for non-48 kHz sample rates.
• Match the sample rate in Audio Settings to your audio device's native rate. Mismatched sample rates increase the likelihood of artifacts during testing.

Launching FullScale

FullScale can be accessed from multiple entry points depending on platform and UI mode.

Desktop — Inside ARIA ONE

• Advanced View — Open SERVICES > HEARING from the left-side Navigation Panel. This launches the embedded FullScale interface inside the ARIA ONE window.
• Simple View — Open the hearing/personalization area and choose the FullScale hearing test from there.

Desktop — Standalone FullScale Application

Launch the FullScale standalone app directly from your Applications folder (Mac) or Start Menu (Windows). This runs FullScale independently of ARIA ONE in its own window with a dedicated home screen, test flow, and results view.

iOS / Android

Open the FullScale mobile app. The test flow, setup, and results are presented in a mobile-optimized interface.

Signing In

Sign in through FullScale or ARIA ONE to access cloud features:

• Server-side test storage
• Cross-device sync

You can also test without signing in. See Section 13 (Offline / Anonymous Testing).

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3. How It Works

The FullScale experience is organized around a small set of dedicated views that are shared across standalone and embedded workflows:

• Home view — Informational cards plus your saved test history
• Setup view — Device, volume, and calibration flow
• Test view — Active hearing test interface
• Results view — Audiogram, threshold table, definitions, and export actions

In standalone desktop builds, these views live inside the FullScale window. In ARIA ONE, the same hearing-test flow is embedded inside the main application.

Overview

The test plays tones at various frequencies and volume levels through your headphones. Press the HEARD button each time you hear a tone. The volume adjusts automatically to find the softest level you can detect at each frequency.

Test Controls

A toolbar at the top of the test screen provides play/pause, settings, audition, and save & exit controls (detailed in Section 7).

Audio Settings

Before starting, confirm your headphones are connected and the correct output device is selected in Audio Settings (top bar). The test pauses automatically when Audio Settings is opened.

Tips

• Test in a quiet environment with minimal background noise.
• Use headphones or earbuds — the test cannot run through speakers.
• Set device volume to a maximum level before starting.
• You can pause and resume at any time — progress saves automatically.

After Part One

After completing Part One (standard frequencies), you can continue with Part Two (extended psychoacoustic frequencies) or save and exit with your current results.

Export to ARIA Studio

From the results view, Export Test writes a local hearing-profile export into the shared Altitude library used by ARIA desktop products.

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4. Path Selection

When starting a new standalone or non-onboarding test, the first screen presents two pathway options:

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Calibrated

Uses device-specific frequency response data to compensate for headphone characteristics.

• Requires selecting your headphone/earbud model from the device list
• Supports extended high-frequency testing with compatible devices
• Setup takes a few extra minutes

Express

Uses generic defaults. No device selection required.

• Works with any headphone or earbud
• Less accurate without device-specific calibration
• High-frequency results may be limited by uncalibrated output

Guidance

• Use Calibrated when your headphones are in the device list.
• Use Express when your device is not listed or you want to skip setup.

Note: In onboarding mode (launched from the ARIA ONE onboarding flow), the path is selected automatically from your earlier onboarding choice instead of showing this choice screen.

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5. Setup

The setup flow walks through several cards before testing begins. In standalone or non-onboarding flows, the Calibrated path shows all steps below while Express bypasses device selection. In ARIA ONE onboarding, the path may already be chosen for you before setup opens.

5.1 Your Details

Collects basic information:

Field	Description
Name	Auto-populated from your account (read-only)
Email	Auto-populated from your account (read-only)
Age	Select from dropdown (18–99)
Gender	Select from dropdown (Prefer not to say, Male, Female, Non-binary, Other)

Press Create Test to register the test on the server (or locally in offline mode).

5.2 Volume Guidance

Two guidance cards:

• Bluetooth Devices — Volume guidance specific to calibrated Bluetooth headphones.
• Other Devices — General assumed-volume guidance for wired or uncalibrated devices.

Set your device volume according to the guidance before proceeding.

5.3 Device Selection

The unified device search combines two device sources:

Calibrated Devices

Dropdown of internally measured headphones and earbuds with known frequency response data. The list is OS-specific (iOS/Mac vs Android/Windows).

Community Database

Searchable table of headphones and earbuds with frequency response data from the AutoEq project. Type a model name to search.

Device Not Listed

If your device is not in either list, proceed without device-specific calibration.

1 kHz Volume (dB SPL)

For community database devices, enter the 1 kHz output volume of your headphones in dB SPL. Default: 112 dB. This calibrates test levels to your hardware.

Press Submit to confirm the device selection and apply calibration data.

5.4 Frequency Response

After device confirmation, a frequency response graph displays the response curve of your selected device. X-axis: frequency (125 Hz – 20 kHz). Y-axis: relative level.

5.5 Review & Submit

The final card displays a summary of all selections:

• Name, email, age, gender
• Selected device and source
• Volume setting

Review and press Submit & Start Test to begin.

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6. Taking the Test

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The test screen

Displays three readouts during testing:

• Current Frequency — the frequency under test (e.g., "4000 Hz")
• Ear Side — which ear is being tested ("Left" or "Right")
• Volume Level — the current playback level in dB

The HEARD button

Large button at center/bottom of the screen. Press it each time you hear a tone. The test engine adjusts volume levels adaptively based on your responses to find your threshold at each frequency.

Test structure

Two parts:

Part One — Standard Frequencies Tests standard audiometric frequencies across both ears in four segments:

1. Right ear — first frequency group
2. Left ear — first frequency group
3. Right ear — second frequency group
4. Left ear — second frequency group

Part Two — Extended Psychoacoustic Frequencies Tests additional frequencies using psychoacoustic scales (Bark, ERB, extended lows). Optional and configurable after Part One completes (see Section 9).

Tone types

The test plays one of four stimulus types (configurable in Settings):

• Pure — Steady single-frequency sine wave
• Pulsed — Intermittent beeping pattern
• Noise — Narrow-band noise centered on the test frequency
• Noise Pulsed — Intermittent narrow-band noise

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7. Test Controls

Five controls in the toolbar at the top of the test screen:

Settings

Opens a settings overlay on the left side. The test pauses automatically when opened.

Setting	Options	Description
Tone Type	Pure, Pulsed, Noise, Noise Pulsed	Stimulus type
Calibration	Standard, Enhanced	Calibration method
Speed	Multiple levels	Tone presentation speed
Display	Multiple modes	Visual feedback during testing

Restart / Skip Previous

Opens a restart dialog with up to three options:

• Restart Current Frequency — Re-test the current frequency.
• Go Back to Prior Frequency — Return to the previous frequency (unavailable at segment boundaries).
• Restart from Checkpoint — Return to the last major checkpoint.

Play / Pause (Center)

Starts and stops tone playback.

Audition

Opens a manual audition panel on the right side. Allows you to:

• Select a specific frequency
• Choose ear (Left/Right)
• Select tone type and calibration
• Play at a target dB level

Useful for verifying responses or inspecting specific frequencies.

Save & Exit

Saves progress and returns to the home screen. Resume later from the My Hearing Tests list (Section 12).

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8. Progress & Breakpoints

Breakpoint modals

At 25%, 50%, and 75% completion, a modal appears showing:

• Current progress percentage
• Two buttons: Resume (continue) and Save & Exit (save and return home)

Dismiss the modal by clicking outside it to continue testing.

Automatic saving

Progress saves continuously. If the application closes unexpectedly, resume from where you left off.

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9. Part One Complete & Part Two

Part One complete screen

After Part One finishes, a screen presents:

• Part Two customization options
• Resume Test and Save & Exit buttons

Part Two options

Three checkboxes select which extended frequency scales to include:

Option	Description
Bark	Bark scale — models frequency resolution of human auditory perception
ERB	Equivalent Rectangular Bandwidth — models auditory filter bandwidths
Mids	Extended mid-frequency testing

Select one or more and press Resume Test, or press Save & Exit to conclude with Part One results only.

Part Two testing

Same format as Part One — tones play, press HEARD when you detect them. The additional frequencies extend your hearing profile across psychoacoustic scales.

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10. Understanding Your Results

In-app results view

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The Results View displays after test completion or when viewing a saved test.

Audiogram scatter plot

Plots hearing thresholds across frequency:

• X-axis — Frequency (Hz/kHz)
• Y-axis — Hearing Level (Implied dB HL)
• Left Ear — Circles
• Right Ear — Triangles
• Reference Line — Normal hearing reference curve

Higher dB HL values mean sounds at those frequencies must be louder for you to hear them relative to the reference model.

dB HL table

Tabulated threshold values at each tested frequency: left ear, right ear, and reference values.

Hearing definitions

Accessible via the Hearing Definitions button:

• Normal — Below 20 dB HL
• Mild — 20–40 dB HL
• Moderate — 40–70 dB HL
• Severe — Above 70 dB HL

Reading the graph

Data points above the reference curve indicate reduced sensitivity at those frequencies. Deviations do not necessarily indicate hearing loss — individual hearing varies.

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11. Exporting to ARIA Studio

What it does

Writes your completed hearing profile into ARIA-compatible local files for threshold-based sound personalization.

How to export

1. Open the Results view for a completed test.
2. Press Export Test.
3. Confirm the export path when prompted.
4. FullScale writes the files to the shared Altitude library on that machine.

File locations

• macOS: ~/Music/altitude/shared/lib/
• Windows: C:\ProgramData\Altitude\shared\lib\

Requirements

• Test completed
• Desktop FullScale or desktop ARIA ONE build

Using the export afterward

The exported files are written to the shared Altitude library so ARIA desktop products on the same machine can use them. In ARIA ONE, open the Hearing EQ workflow and load or refresh the local/shared profile library as needed. If you are using cloud sync instead of a local export, use Sync Now in ARIA ONE.

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12. Managing Tests

My Hearing Tests

The home screen lists all hearing tests (online and offline), sorted by creation date, newest first.

Each test card shows:

• Title — Test name (editable)
• Date — Creation date
• Status — Completed or in progress

Actions

• Resume — Available on incomplete tests. Restores calibration data, device settings, and progress, then navigates to the test view at the last position.
• Open Results — Available on completed tests. Displays the results view with audiogram, table, and export options.
• Rename — Edit the test name from the card. Allowed characters: letters, numbers, spaces, underscores, dashes (max 64 characters).
• Delete — Removes the test permanently. Online tests are deleted from the server; offline tests from local storage.

Refreshing

The list refreshes automatically when returning to the home screen. It combines server tests with locally stored offline tests.

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13. Offline / Anonymous Testing

Overview

Offline mode runs the full test without sending test data to the server.

Starting an offline test

Press Test Anonymously on the home screen. This enables offline mode and proceeds to the setup flow.

Behavior

• Test data is saved as local files on your device.
• All features work identically: setup, testing, breakpoints, Part Two.
• Offline tests appear in the My Hearing Tests list alongside online tests.
• Resume, rename, and delete work the same as online tests.

Limitations

• Not synced to the server or other devices.
• Extended PDF reports are not available (requires server processing).
• Cloud-dependent follow-up features, including account-based sync and some AI/personalization workflows, are reduced or unavailable offline.

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14. Glossary

Term	Definition
dB HL	Decibels Hearing Level. Measures hearing relative to normal hearing, adjusted for the ear's frequency sensitivity.
Implied dB HL	Comparable to traditional dB HL but derived differently for frequencies outside standard audiometric norms.
dB SPL	Decibels Sound Pressure Level. Measures absolute sound pressure intensity.
Hearing Threshold	The softest level at which a sound is just barely audible.
Audiogram	Graph of hearing thresholds across frequencies (frequency on x-axis, hearing level on y-axis).
Frequency	Sound wave cycles per second, measured in Hertz (Hz). Higher values = higher pitch.
Bark Scale	Psychoacoustic scale modeling the frequency resolution of the human auditory system.
ERB	Equivalent Rectangular Bandwidth. Psychoacoustic measure of auditory filter bandwidth.
AutoEq	Open-source project providing frequency response measurements for headphones and earbuds.
Calibrated Device	Headphone or earbud with a known, measured frequency response used to improve test accuracy.
Speech Region	Frequency range important for speech comprehension, typically 500–8,000 Hz.
Full Spectrum	The audible frequency range tested: 125 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

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