Which stethoscope is better?

[hellerd2003]

I just received the list of needed supplies for my nursing program. They recommend purchasing either a Littmann Cardiology III or Classic II S.E. stethoscope. The former is around $160-180, and the latter is appx. $80.

While I know that the Cardiology III is supposed to be "better", I am wondering if that "better" really makes a difference in practice. Would I be just as happy in the field with the less expensive model? Or is the Cardiology III worth paying double the money for? Any opinion from someone who has used both???

Thanks in advance for any responses.

--Heather

[KacyLynnRN]

I love the plain old steths with the double tubing, costs about $15 and you can buy them at jasco.com or cottonscrubs.com. I think they are called sprague stethescope. If you can use one of those, I highly recommend it. You can hear a lot better and it's a lot less expensive!