Found another way of demonstrating - this handy WebAudio synth:

https://jsfiddle.net/remotesynth/69tQE/

The bottom 1/3 of the keys are nearly inaudibly and suffer from significant clipping.

Note that this example uses the Oscillator API instead of a buffer and has the same result.

There's also a good chance this is a psychoacoustic effect and the real question is if the API should include an option to enable loudness correction.

I cannot reproduce this on the sample URL. I can hear output. For the webaudio synth URL, I do have problems hearing the very lowest sounds. I don't not hear clipping.

For a quick and easy test, paste the following into hoch.github.io/canopy:

// @channels 1
// @duration 1.0
// @sampleRate 44100

var osc = context.createOscillator();
var gain = context.createGain();

osc.frequency.value = 120;
gain.gain.value = 1;

osc.connect(gain);
gain.connect(context.destination);

osc.start();

Even for a frequency of 16.35, I see that the sinusoidal waveform is produced. I can't actually hear this though.  Perhaps my headphones don't go that low or that I'm too old to hear it.

I doubt webaudio will ever spec a loudness correction, but if this is important to you, file an issue on the spec at https://github.com/WebAudio/web-audio-api/issues

First, I can clearly hear the left channel with my headphone (Sennheiser HD650) and the audio interface. I can even see the level meter from the audio interface is outputting the sound correctly.

Try to mute the right channel. The perceptual loudness of square wave is much bigger than the pure sine with the same peak amplitude, so you might feel like you don't hear the left channel at all.

In short, this is an issue about the inferior frequency response of the reproduction device (i.e. headphones, earbuds), not the web audio implementation.

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For the record, I didn't turn up the system volume high enough.  When I do, I can hear all the notes from the synth.

Please test again with different headphones/speakers.

We are unable to reproduce this issue.

Tried again on headphones - I can hear the frequencies without clipping.

Previously I tried on 15" and 13" Macbook built-in speakers and couldn't hear anything.

Thanks for confirming that things are working correctly with headphones!

Closing as WontFix.  Everything is working.