6 best stethoscopes

Therapists and pediatricians at patient receptions necessarily use such a diagnostic method as auscultation - listening to the respiratory tract and lungs to determine wheezing and their nature, an audio definition of the heart and other organs. For these purposes, a medical device using a stethoscope is used; its more perfect form is the phonendoscope.

How to choose the "right" device

Stethoscopes are distinguished by the purity of the conducted sound, its volume, design and principle of operation. When choosing, you need to pay attention to several parameters:

1. Material of manufacture of the head and rigid tubes - aluminum, steel or plastic. Polymer products are the cheapest, but they have the lowest conductivity, wheezing in such a stethoscope is difficult to hear. Aluminum models are more practical, the most accurate, but also expensive - steel.
2. Head membrane the device must be flexible, depends on the degree of fit to the body and audibility, respectively. Its size is also important: the larger the diameter, the wider the range of sounds in the body can be heard.
3. Sound tubemust be thick so that the waves do not dissipate on the way to the ear. The larger its internal diameter, the better. The minimum required length is 30 cm, but it is more convenient to use 50-55 cm.
4. Olives for ears (tips) from plastic do not change shape, worse fit to the auricle, respectively, audibility suffers, unlike using a stethoscope with soft tips.
5. Type of sound transmission the device is mechanical, based on the transmission of noise according to the laws of physics, or electronic, which has a sound amplifier and dynamics for the ears.

Stethoscopes are divided into 3 types depending on the specific application. They differ in the degree of conductivity of sound and its accuracy.

1. Pediatric (therapeutic) for listening to the rhythms of the heart and the condition of the respiratory tract. The membrane and its ring when touched do not cause a feeling of cold for the comfort of patients of different ages.
2. Cardiological transmit sounds of different frequencies for a more accurate auditory definition of the heart.
3. Obstetricians to listen to the fetal heartbeat in the womb.

Many doctors, especially in private clinics, prefer universal devices suitable for diagnosing all the problems described - phonendoscopes.

So what makes a stethoscope different from a phonendoscope?

Distinctive feature	Stethoscope	Phonendoscope
Diagnostics	Depending on the type: wheezing in the trachea and lungs, heart sounds, the heartbeat of children in the womb	More accurate diagnosis of the respiratory system: pneumonia, pleurisy, gastrointestinal problems, heart, intrauterine listening.
Influence of a sound background indoors on diagnostics accuracy	Need silence in the room, listening to the body without clothes	No effect, significant sound enhancement.
Membrane	Low frequency membrane	High-frequency membrane, tube - low-frequency, more versatile solution

Outwardly, it is difficult to distinguish a stethoscope and a phonendoscope - they have a similar design, both can be mechanical or equipped with an amplifier. Thus, it is impossible to identify the best device, it is necessary to take into account its purpose and technical features.

Experts of the EXPERTOLOGY portal have identified 6 best mechanical and electronic stethoscopes, which are trusted by doctors, we can confidently recommend them for purchase for home use.

Top stethoscopes ranking

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Top Mechanical Stethoscopes	1	KAWE Planet Cardiology (43920)	16 000 ₽
	2	ADC ADSCOPE 602	6 000 ₽
	3	Riester cardiophon 2.0	6 500 ₽
	4	AMRUS 04-AM507	400 ₽
Top Electronic Stethoscopes	1	LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes 3100BK27	34 320 ₽
	2	Switel BH170	3 890 ₽

Top Mechanical Stethoscopes

The simplest devices are mechanical stethoscopes, they are also the most reliable, but they do not always convey sounds perfectly. As we have said, it is important to choose the “right” model.

KAWE Planet Cardiology (43920)

Rating: 4.9

Top rated stethoscope KAWE Planet Cardiology (43920) with an adjustable bow and a floating membrane with a diameter of 42 mm. The original production tool can be identified by the serial number printed on the golden golden metal double head, which, by the way, can be switched from low frequencies to high frequencies for diagnosing problems in various organs.

The total length from a massive head to an adjustable ear olive is 75 cm, it is convenient to carry out diagnostics while maintaining a comfortable distance between the patient and the doctor. At the same time, the sound quality is uncommon, the noise from the fingers is leveled, like other sound background from the outside. A good hearing contributes to the movable membrane, which adapts to the reliefs of the body as precisely as possible; it is capable of transmitting noise under the skin up to 120 mm. The system of the stethoscope is two-pipe for better sound conductivity and increase the accuracy of diagnosis.

The KAWE Planet Cardiology stethoscope (43920) is widely used by doctors of various specializations and receives only positive feedback, so it will not become superfluous in a home medicine cabinet, if handled skillfully, it will help diagnose various diseases in the early stages. The price of the device is about 14,000 rubles.

ADC ADSCOPE 602

Rating: 4.8

The second place in the ranking is the cardiological stethoscope ADC ADSCOPE 602 made in the USA. A stylish black device from the bow to the head with a length of 71 cm is convenient to use to diagnose low and high frequency noise with a corresponding head switch, from the touch of the rim of which there is no feeling of cold.

A feature of the device is an AFD technological membrane with an adjustable frequency of high sensitivity. It conveys the slightest noise that stainless olives help the ear to catch - they don’t lose their sound thanks to the Adsoft ™ PVC ear plugs. Cardiological headband with binaural arms fixed at an angle of 15⁰, contribute to a comfortable fit of the stethoscope in the ears of the doctor and better hearing.

The tube is double, it is made of flexible PVC, which retains its mobility and elasticity during the whole service life of the stethoscope. The total weight of the medical device is 215 grams (a bell for the diagnosis of adults) and 243 grams with a pediatric diaphragm. The kit includes a bell, ear inserts, identification plate.

The average price of ADC ADSCOPE 602 is 10 300 rubles.

Riester cardiophon 2.0

Rating: 4.7

In third place is a simpler model of the Riester Cardiophon 2.0 stethoscope with an updated head design with improved conductivity of noises in the body up to 3 times in a wide range of 10 ... 100 Hz. The device has soft, adjustable olives, tight to the auricle, sound insulation is also improved in the conductive tube - they are made of elastic material. Rings of a two-membrane head are not cooled and do not cause discomfort.

The stethoscope is equipped with two membranes with a diameter of 44 and 32 mm with the perception of low and high frequencies, respectively.To hear all the slightest noise will help Y-shaped tube, separated by acoustic valves for each ear of the doctor.

The complete set of Riester Cardiophon 2.0 provides a box for storage of the device, 2 replaceable membranes and a badge. The total weight of the stethoscope is 204 grams, and the average price is 6,500 rubles.

AMRUS 04-AM507

Rating: 4.6

The model AMRUS 04-AM507 closes the rating in the category of mechanical stethoscopes, ideal for pediatric diagnostics due to the bright colors of the tubes - they can be green (aquamarine), pink or red. The rotating double-sided head is designed to work with children: it is reduced, equipped with an elastic membrane, the rim does not cool when listening. A conductive tube 55 cm long with thick walls does not dampen noises; conical olives made of vinyl contribute to their conservation in the auricle, but the fit of the chrome-plated tubes is too strong - the spring is elastic but presses too hard on the ears, this is noted by all ordinary people and doctors using the AMRUS stethoscope 04-AM507. The device has one membrane, its diameter is 35 mm, which contributes to susceptibility to a narrow spectrum of sounds.

The average price of 400 rubles - the lowest in our ranking.

Top Electronic Stethoscopes

Electronic stethoscopes are the most modern instruments for listening to noise in the body and organs. They are equipped with a sound amplifier, so diagnostics can be carried out even in a noisy room. Stethoscopes are mostly universal, suitable for use in all areas of medicine.

LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes 3100BK27

Rating: 4.9

Recognized leader among LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes 3100BK27 electronic stethoscopes, equipped with a sound amplifier up to 24 times! Electronics also suppresses up to 85% of extraneous noise, leaving no chance for the doctor to doubt. Oliva is universal, it fits snugly to the ear shell, the two-channel conducting tube does not lose waves either. The head of the stethoscope works in two modes: to listen to low and high frequencies, switching is carried out by pressing one button.

LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes is equipped with a backlit LCD display that displays the AA battery charge, device operation mode (type of frequencies), heart rate, volume level, and a stethoscope is convenient to use even in a darkened room. The signal processor facilitates the process of auscultation. The device is turned on and controlled by a 5-button pad, the power can be switched off manually or automatically after a user-defined time.

The electronic stethoscope LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes 3100BK27 is used in neonatology, cardiology, pulmonology and other areas of medicine where accurate diagnosis of the examination and the deepest sound transmission are needed.

The price of the device on average is 35 000 rubles.

Switel BH170

Rating: 4.5

In second place is the budget model of the electronic stethoscope Switel BH170, which you can buy about 3,800 rubles. The purpose of the device is to listen to the baby’s heartbeat in the womb during a gestation period of 5 months. In this case, there is the possibility of feedback - doctors recommend to include future baby music, read poetry, just talk through the microphone. By the way, the sounds emitted by the child can be recorded in the device’s memory, and headphones are included with the kit for easy listening.

The power supply of the stethoscope is provided by 3 AA batteries.

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Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.