diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7f48fb87..5471cedd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ and this project adheres to
 
 - 📈(frontend) downgrade unreachable external home URL from error to event
 - 🐛(frontend) handle 401 responses when syncing user preferences
+- 🐛(frontend) harden speaker test against missing sinks and play errors
 
 ## [1.26.0] - 2026-08-12
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/components/SoundTester.tsx b/src/frontend/src/components/SoundTester.tsx
index 5080a1a4..7faa0845 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/components/SoundTester.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/components/SoundTester.tsx
@@ -3,27 +3,30 @@ import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
 import { useMediaDeviceSelect } from '@livekit/components-react'
 import { reportError } from '@/features/analytics/telemetry'
+import { canTestAudioOutput } from '@/features/rooms/utils/canTestAudioOutput'
 
 export const SoundTester = () => {
   const { t } = useTranslation('settings')
   const [isPlaying, setIsPlaying] = useState(false)
   const audioRef = useRef<HTMLAudioElement>(null)
 
-  const { activeDeviceId } = useMediaDeviceSelect({ kind: 'audiooutput' })
+  const { devices, activeDeviceId } = useMediaDeviceSelect({
+    kind: 'audiooutput',
+  })
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    const updateActiveId = async (deviceId: string) => {
-      try {
-        await audioRef?.current?.setSinkId(deviceId)
-      } catch (error) {
-        reportError(
-          'device_switch_failure',
-          new Error(`Error setting sinkId: ${error}`)
-        )
+    if (!canTestAudioOutput() || !activeDeviceId) return
+    if (!devices.some((device) => device.deviceId === activeDeviceId)) return
+    audioRef.current?.setSinkId(activeDeviceId).catch((error) => {
+      if (error instanceof DOMException && error.name === 'NotFoundError') {
+        return
       }
-    }
-    updateActiveId(activeDeviceId)
-  }, [activeDeviceId])
+      reportError(
+        'device_switch_failure',
+        new Error(`Error setting sinkId: ${error}`)
+      )
+    })
+  }, [devices, activeDeviceId])
 
   // prevent pausing the sound
   navigator.mediaSession.setActionHandler('pause', function () {})
@@ -32,9 +35,13 @@ export const SoundTester = () => {
     <>
       <Button
         variant="secondaryText"
-        onPress={() => {
-          audioRef?.current?.play()
-          setIsPlaying(true)
+        onPress={async () => {
+          try {
+            await audioRef?.current?.play()
+            setIsPlaying(true)
+          } catch {
+            setIsPlaying(false)
+          }
         }}
         size="sm"
         isDisabled={isPlaying}
@@ -48,7 +55,7 @@ export const SoundTester = () => {
       {/* eslint-disable jsx-a11y/media-has-caption */}
       <audio
         ref={audioRef}
-        src="sounds/uprise.mp3"
+        src="/sounds/uprise.mp3"
         onEnded={() => setIsPlaying(false)}
       />
     </>
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/notifications/hooks/useSoundNotification.tsx b/src/frontend/src/features/notifications/hooks/useSoundNotification.tsx
index 900d30ea..cf052f42 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/notifications/hooks/useSoundNotification.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/features/notifications/hooks/useSoundNotification.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import type { NotificationType } from '@/features/notifications/NotificationType
 // fixme - handle dynamic audio output changes
 export const useNotificationSound = () => {
   const notificationsSnap = useSnapshot(notificationsStore)
-  const [play] = useSound('./sounds/notifications.mp3', {
+  const [play] = useSound('/sounds/notifications.mp3', {
     sprite: {
       participantJoined: [0, 1150],
       handRaised: [1400, 180],
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/Device/OutputSoundTester.tsx b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/Device/OutputSoundTester.tsx
index ba6f7d9f..27439b51 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/Device/OutputSoundTester.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/Device/OutputSoundTester.tsx
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ export const OutputSoundTester = ({
       {/* eslint-disable-next-line jsx-a11y/media-has-caption */}
       <audio
         ref={audioRef}
-        src="sounds/uprise.mp3"
+        src="/sounds/uprise.mp3"
         onEnded={() => setIsPlaying(false)}
       />
     </StyledContainer>