ADC Adscope 603

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.

Ummm, thank you! Bought this to have at the house. At work I have a Lithmann and this does not come short of its quality. Color is cute! Quality is great- sound is clear and with a good pitch, good weight to the stethoscope, bell and ear pieces all with good quality. Good length of the line- not to firm or wobbly. Comes with extra ear pieces and attachment to identify your name unto. $50 cheaper and with very similar quality- all for it! Good deal!

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!

Just arrived yesterday, tried it out today and wow is it loud! I don't know what anyone was complaining about not being able to hear heartbeats, etc. My problem is that it is so loud it hurt my ears. I've got to figure out how to use this to hear my husband's heart without killing my ears. Other than that, I'm very pleased with this stethoscope. It arrived in a sealed package, obviously new, with extra ear plugs and very long instructions. And yes, I read them through before trying things out, but will read them again and search online for more info. Lifetime warranty, assembled and tested in the US, looks very well made from quality parts. Not sure what a medical professional would say, but for occasional home use this is really good quality, especially for the price.

Better than a Lippencot for half the price. Crystal clear sound.

Nice lightweight stethoscope. Bought this to replace one had a long time and was pleased with this one.

I got this stethoscope while in my CNA class since I couldn't learn to do blood pressures with the crappy classroom ones. The Frosted Glacier option doesn't really have any blue in it and is almost clear with a hint of grey. I thought it would set me apart from others since it was different, but people tend to think it's a crappy one because it's see-through for some reason. The black name tag snap on piece of plastic rattles and makes it hard to separate important noises from periphery. I only like the feel of the ear buds that came originally attached and not either of the extras. Great for the price! *****Update May 2013***** I haven't needed to use this much since I didn't go into the medical field but kept it for home use. It stayed in a closet on top of our first aid kit. I am preggo and I pulled it out to listen to baby's heartbeat now that I am far enough along and it worked for that! Unfortunately, the coating on the tubing got darker in storage (making the tubing a dark grey opaque) and is rubbing off on anything it touches. I'm taking 2 stars off my 4 star review for this because it's not like I even used it a lot and wore the coating off. The stethoscope continues to work great, but I shouldn't have to scrub down the entire thing to keep this product from getting black smudges on myself and anything this touches. I have a feeling that the other "Frosted" stethoscopes' coating will wear off easily too. I will add pictures so you can see what I mean. *****Update May 2017***** I finally uplaoaded pictures! Lots more of the coating has worn off, but it still just sits in a closet until needed. I ended up with late term preeclampsia and needed my BP checked weekly for a few months following the birth of my second. However, I can confidently say this has been used less than 100 times in the last 5 years. Also, I didn't notice the ADC CSR's comment on this until earlier this year and recently e-mailed them to get an address to send it back to. The ADC bp cuff (that I purchased at the same time) stopped working at the end of my home BP checks in 2016, so I'm sending that back too (bulb takes an hour to reinflate when valve is wide open). I will update with how the replacement process goes. So far they have been very responsive and helpful via email. *****Update June 2017**** Received a brand new stethoscope and a new pair of first aid scissors for my trouble. The BP cuff was fixed and everything is grand. 5 stars now for customer service.

My first stethoscope in nursing school was an Adscope (by the looks of the box a very old one lol), given to me by a teacher in my work study because at the time I could not afford one of my own (I used to borrow it from the lab for clinicals, and she gave it to me when I graduated!). I am very pleased to be replacing my old but well-loved Adscope with a newer, lighter much more stylish one (new on the left, old on the right). So far, I love the acoustics. The sounds are very clear and it rids of a lot of background noise just like my old one. This stethoscope is perfect for any nursing student or nurse. It performs just as well as my colleague's Littmans, and the fact that it is a fraction of the price makes this purchase even sweeter. The tubing is much more lightweight without taking away from the quality of the product. It is more flexible too. The earpieces aren't quite the best; though they are light, they feel a bit cheap, especially compared to my old one's (a hard plastic vs the new one's thin silicone). That being said, they are still comfortable. I love that the name tag is not sticking out of the tubing as my old stethoscope tended to get caught on things. The diaphragm/bell is about the same weight and same size, the new one slightly smaller. Anyway, I am very happy with this purchase and would gladly recommend this product to any nursing student, nurse or other medical professional on a budget, or anyone simply seeking a quality stethoscope! The lifetime warranty is also a plus by the way. Not that you'd really need it. This old stethoscope still has lots of life in it, and perhaps someday I can give it to someone in need like me in the future!