ADC 3001697 Adscope Model 603 Premium Stainless Steel Clinician Stethoscope with Tunable AFD Technology, Black

Outstanding quality, looks great, feels great! Been a nurse for 14 years, just about every speciality. Gone through about 5 stethoscopes ranging from $100-$300 (some were stolen, others broke) . This is absolutely the best bang for the buck. Quality sound isolation, crisp detailing, and build quality is top notch. 2 things I'm concerned about. 1 is the wear on the arms. The coating may come off over time. 2 the ear buds a a little hard for my liking (personal preference). There are 2 other sets in the package, so maybe I'll try those.Verdict: unless you're in a HIGHLY specialized cardiac or pulmonary place, or you want to look cool (and have your stethoscope stolen), This is absolutely perfect for daily use!

I'm an AEMT in Mobile, Alabama.Coming up as a Basic, of course, I bought a couple of cheapie steths just to get through Labs, Psychomotor and Clinical Rotations. What I found was that a classmate of mine, who is a seasoned medic who had to re-qual after years in the National Guard, had a set similar to (one model below) these in blue. I was actually quite impressed with the difference in of a decent-quality scope and did some research online. When I passed National Registry, I promised to treat myself to a GOOD quality stethoscope and trauma shears.I had my eye on the Littman II, which at the time, was closer to $130. I put some alcohol-swabs, my BP cuff and a pair of my own ear guards in my purse and head to the local scrub and medical supply stores to listen to some scopes. I found the Littman scopes not a whole heck of a lot better than some of the less-known but still good-quality options. Discounting Cardiac scopes (I don't need to hear the difference between Mitral-valve Prolapse and Ventricular Septal Defect, LOL), Sprague scopes (well-priced but the tubing can rub and make it difficult to hear on a moving truck) and anything that looked cheaply made, I narrowed myself down to AdScope, MDF and Kila Labs. Amazon made my choice easier: after tearing apart all of the reviews I settled on this. I couldn't be happier.PROS:-This ADC model scope comes in a nice box, similar to Littman. It came with hard-plastic ear guards (which I immediately replaced with soft rubber) a spare diaphragm and a name plate that snaps over the bifurcation point.-The chestpiece is heavy and of excellent quality and it switched cleanly to the bell setting with a quiet but satisfying "catch" into position. It's solid, brushed-metal so you could easily have it engraved, if desired.-The tubing is thick enough to block out some ambient noise but not so thick as to be inflexible or vulnerable to cracking.-Respiratory sounds in all fields are easy to find and hear, as are the Korotkoff sounds in all orthostatic positions. Apical pulse with the bell is okay too.-The nameplate snap-on is a better anti-theft/identification tool than the "tag type" you see on some models. It's got a space to either write-in or stick a printed label onto and once it's snapped on and glued together, it's not going anywhere unless someone deliberately breaks that puppy off.-Color choices. They're just nice to have. :)CONS:-Heavier chestpeice means it's unbalanced when draped around your neck. That means you have to keep the durn thing tucked pretty firmly into the binaurals to keep it from slipping. Great for ER rotations but not so easy at a MCI MVC.-The "anti-chill" (as is the case with most scopes) doesn't really provide much in the way of anti-chill. What it DOES provide is an area to pay attention to during normal disinfection. This isn't a big deal, just get your fingernail in there while you're using the swab.ALSO OF NOTE:Be careful when gluing on that nameplate. The instructions recommend a drop of Krazy or nail glue, which works great but both glues contain chemicals whose fumes are corrosive to rubber and plastic so make sure you use the tiniest amount possible and get a buddy to hold it still so you can hold the thing in place while it dries so you don't risk rubbing the tubing into the inner sides of the thing. If you get that glue onto the tubing, you could make it brittle in that spot and it may eventually crack.If you're shopping for a gift for a Pre-Med, Nursing or Paramedic student, this is a GREAT buy. The color options, gift box, the fact that it's engravable and the quality make this at the very LEAST, a nicer "back-up" scope than the pitiful ten-dollar "can't hear-ums" to keep in the trauma bag or locker of even the most die-hard Littman fan. And the reasonable price-point means that even if they STILL want to throw away money on a Littman, no one's feelings will be hurt over this one.

This is a great stethoscope for a reasonable price. I own two Littmanns (a classic and a lightweight) and initially I only bought this stethoscope as an inexpensive spare but I was so happy with the quality that I came right back and bought a second one just because. I'd say that it hears just as well as my Littmanns do, and the weight of the bell is comparable to my Littmann classic. My favorite part though is how stunningly pretty the metallic colors are. First I got the metallic ceil (light blue), then I got the metallic Caribbean teal with the iridescent bell. Both are so sparkly and gorgeous! Plus I like that the tubing is just a little longer than my Littmann because it doesn't slide off my neck as easily from the weight of the bell. Functional AND beautiful? How often can you say that about nursing equipment? Highly recommend.

NOTE: This review of the ADC stethoscope is in direct comparison to the Littmann Classic II S.E.I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist working full time in a critical care unit. I rely on my stethoscope as the most important physical tool I have. In a normal shift, I could use it as many as 200+ times over the course of 12 hours. As such, I was hesitant to risk lesser quality. I started with the famous black Littmann Classic II S.E. right out of school. A word of warning, don't hang it over your car mirror if it's hot and sunny. I did this ONCE a long time ago and it made a permanent bend in the tubing, and it did finally break there after 2 years.After reading the reviews on the ADC, I decided to give it a try.The Good:-it is slightly longer than the Littmann, which I appreciate since I've got a large neck.-the build quality, fit and finish seem excellent, on par with Littmann, though I've only had it a month.The Bad:-earpieces are not QUITE as comfortable as the Littmann. Not UNcomfortable, but LESS comfortable.-it seems slightly HEAVIER than the Littmann. Just slightly. I usually don't notice it.-it seems slightly QUIETER than the Littmann. My hospital gets a lot of elderly and overweight people with COPD. A very large person with bad lungs breathing shalowly is not the easiest person to auscultate. With the Littmann, I could hear EVERYTHING I needed to hear. With the ADC, I do feel like everyone sounds slightly more diminished, and from time to time I wonder if those fine inspiratory crackles associated with CHF, or the wheezes of a COPD/asthmatic could be louder if I had my trusty Littmann. I think in the end I will get used to this stethoscope, but I do have to make a conscious effort to get full contact of the diaphragm on the chest, whereas with the Littmann I could even hear great while listening over monitor leads and multiple layers of clothing. That's about what it's like- listening to someone with a sweatshirt on.Overall I am pretty happy with my purchase and would purchase again. I'm confident enough in my assessment skills that the shear volume level of what I hear is less critical than when I was fresh out of school. You sorta develop an ear for hearing what you need to hear over time, so the sounds don't have to JUMP out at you as much. I am also a little careless, and running to code blues every night dropping it, getting it hung on doorways, drenching it in hand sanitizer, stuffing it in my locker... I don't feel I'm careful enough to justify the cost of another Littmann at this time.EDIT: It is now September 2012 and I wanted to update this review to just say that the thing is still going strong with zero issues. I put my old Litman on the other day, the one with the taped up tubing. Gawd, it felt short. That said, I keep it around my house because I've got 3 kids and a wife with a scary mix of asthma and allergies, and it's loud and clear every time. I still feel the same about the ADC today as I did when I first got it. Glad it's long, but do wish it was a hair lighter and a bit louder.