Stethoscopes

Which model hears what

• Classic III — a double-sided chest piece with a tunable diaphragm; the adult side and the paediatric side are swapped by turning it. Remove the diaphragm on the paediatric side and it becomes an open bell for low-frequency sounds. Enough for general auscultation, and the most common model among students and nurses.
• Cardiology IV — a tunable diaphragm on both sides and a bell side that is 40 % larger and 60 % deeper than the Classic III. The difference is audible on low-frequency findings — a third heart sound and the diastolic rumble of mitral stenosis.
• Master Cardiology — a single-sided, hand-turned chest piece and Littmann's best acoustics without electronics. No paediatric side; you change frequency range with the pressure against the skin alone.
• Classic II Pediatric and Infant — a compact and an extra compact chest piece respectively, giving full skin contact on children and newborns.
• CORE Digital — up to 40 times amplification and active noise reduction, with Bluetooth to the app for displaying, recording and sharing the auscultation. USB-C charging.

Not sure which level you need? Our guide to choosing a stethoscope sets the models against each other.

Fit and wear parts

A stethoscope that sounds poor is usually badly adjusted rather than badly chosen. The eartubes should angle forward in the direction of the ear canal, and the eartips have to seal — two sizes are included, so change them if they leak. The dual-lumen tubing in the Cardiology IV and Master Cardiology removes the noise of tubing rubbing against tubing. The tubing is latex- and phthalate-free, but it ages: replace it when it becomes stiff.

Contact us or request a quote for equipment for an organisation. See also blood pressure monitors, penlights and reflex hammers.