Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have read many of the reviews here and as a practicing physician for the past 43 years, felt compelled to comment. Recently I opened a closet in my home and out came the dozens of stethoscopes that I had used over the past 40 years. They came tumbling down. The best stethoscope is the one that you personally like the best. Stethoscopes are like pizza, everybody's got their own favorite toppings and their own favorite place. And don't tell them any different. To paraphrase a nurse's comment, when I was a clueless medical student, I purchased a Harvey triple head stethoscope. I couldn't hear a thing. It was best used for self-defense being so heavy you could knock out any attacker with one blow. The original Littman was a horrible piece of junk and left a bitter taste in my mouth for the brand from the get-go. Sprague Rappaport was the way to go. Yes, I have a Littman Master Cardiology [Littman improved after Welch Allyn bought them out] yes I have a classic III, yes, I tried a Tyco's double even tried Tyco's nursing scope, which back in the 1980s was fantastic. I recently read the review [...] which I found quite informative. They rated the Omron Rappaport Spragg as the second-best. If they had not taken two points off for the fact that it was double tubed it would've been rated the best. I purchased this item from Amazon. Immediately I used duct tape (called "gorilla tape" comes in black) to stop the double tubing from bumping. The stethoscope is fantastic. It is loud and clear and can be used in pediatrics as well. Sure, the diaphragm is not as tough as a $200 scope, but it comes with a replacement, and you can always purchase more. I recommend this to anyone. Now for those of you feel a cheap stethoscope is beneath you, I encourage you to buy a very expensive one for the following reason. There is an indirect relationship between the time a stethoscope get stolen, and its price. In short, the more expensive the stethoscope, the sooner you will find that somebody ripped it off. This is especially true if you spend much time in a hospital setting. For most of my career I worked in an emergency room and it seemed that at least once a week, somebody was looking for their stethoscope. I like anchovies mushrooms and onions on my pizza. Your choice is up to you.