The Best Digital Stethoscopes

Digital, or electronic, stethoscopes are a step up from the standard acoustic stethoscopes. They provide features such as sound amplification, background noise reduction and volume settings. Some digital stethoscopes will even automatically shut off when not in use. Since these stethoscopes are digital, they will require the use of batteries. Be aware that they are also relatively pricier than the standard stethoscopes.

Thinklabs ds32a Digital Electronic Stethoscope

• This digital stethoscope has natural sound quality. There is an amplification setting healthcare professionals can adjust for when there are obese patients, noisy backgrounds or faint heart sounds. It is even ideal for those who are hard of hearing. Healthcare professionals can also switch to acoustic mode, which provides the sound of a stethoscope without loss of air tubing. There are also bell and diaphragm modes for cardiac and pulmonary examination. You can preset the ds32a to your desired shut off time and have it power up for your next use. It comes with ear tips, 2 AAA batteries and a one-year warranty. The current price is $249.00.

Littmann 3000 Electronic Stethoscope

• This stethoscope has ambient noise reduction. It will reduce background noise up to 75 percent, according to the All Heart website. It can do this without eliminating any body sounds. It also has amplification up to 18 times greater than an acoustic stethoscope. It will help pick up hard to hear noises from the heart, lungs and other organs. There are programmable volume settings and a one-button volume control and frequency mode. The 3M Littmann Snap Tight Soft-Sealing Ear Tips will provide a comfortable fit. It comes with a single AAA battery, audio low-battery warning, automatic power shut down and two-year warranty. It currently costs $259.98.

Mabis Signature Electronic Stethoscope

• This stethoscope provides volume amplification and a sound filtering system. It can easily detect hard to hear sounds that are sometimes difficult to identify in standard stethoscopes. This stethoscope comes equipped with a built-in computer chip. With this chip, the stethoscope can be used into three modes: standard bell, diaphragm and extended diaphragm. The electronic amplifying system has eight different volume levels, which is ideal for health professionals who are hard of hearing. Whenever its powered on, this stethoscope will adjust to the collection mode and volume mode it last used. There is also twin tubing for maximum hearing. The Mabis Signature Electronic Stethoscope comes with three mercury batteries and a three year warranty. It is currently $329.99.