So I've got this electronic stethoscope that I quite enjoy and it occurred to me that I should talk about it on my blog. You can also learn a lot from their website, and particularly this video. The developers boast that it's "the smallest, most powerful stethoscope in the world" and amplifies over 100 times, and though I couldn't tell you whether either of those lofty statements is totally accurate, they seem pretty on-point to me.
Here she is in her case (provided), which doesn't hold all of the parts included, but does hold most of the important ones--the stethoscope itself, charging block and cable, and adapter for headphones. The scopes contain rechargeable lithium ion batteries and recharge pretty quickly with the tools provided.
Below, she is next to my Littmann Master Cardiology for scale. Not sure about the weight of the Littmann, but these weigh under 2 ounces, so they don't feel as heavy as some chest pieces from cardiology stethoscopes. The way the chest piece *feels* on my chest is a big deal to me, and I'll concede that some brands just give me more warm and fuzzy feelings than this one does. But hey, it *sounds* heavenly. The factory setting has two filters programmed in--one to represent the bell and the other the diaphragm on an acoustic scope. But what I didn't realize until I watched the video I linked to above is that removing the filters (or "keeping them open") creates the best sound to my ears. The tradeoff is that supposedly ambient noise will be more noticeable, but I haven't yet noticed this any more than I did with the filters. It sounds like a good cardiology scope this way, just MUCH, MUCH louder. (The volume is also adjustable, of course). You can also customize the auto shut-off feature; I have mine set to shut-off after 10 minutes--a nice little listening session.
IMO, the earbuds that come with these are rubbish. I can barely hear anything with them. I decided to purchase these over-the-ear headphones (pictured), and they're perfect. Nice, bassy sound. Thinklabs recommended Beats headphones, but 1) those are pricier, and 2) most of them are wireless and though I know that's still feasible, these scopes aren't Bluetooth-enabled and are made for wired headphones.
Finally, these come with two cords and an adapter (below) for recording purposes. I downloaded the free Thinklabs Wave app, and the recordings are crisp and beautiful, though the app itself doesn't have the most user-friendly interface. It's easy enough to send the file you've just recorded via text, fb messenger, etc., but more difficult to find the damn file later. I probably need to play with it more, but I'll just say that it's not intuitive.
The worst thing about this stethoscope by far is the price tag. I have been buying stethoscopes for decades--as soon as I was old enough to have any money of my own, and I'd never spent so much at once. But I think it was worth it and I hope to use this one for many years to come.
