Welch Allyn Harvey Elite vs. Littmann Classic II S.E.

kz020 · Jun 7, 2013

I have both of these stethoscopes and like them both. The littman is very light and comfortable. I can hear sounds well.

The Harvey is considerably heavier. The chest piece is stainless steele. You could probably knock someone out if you throw it hard enough. Lol. The binaurals are both adjustable. The earpieces do not curve out like others do so you know which direction is correct. Tubing is dual channeled. Its is very classic in its styling so I find it to look more professional. I use it more than the Littmann Classic.

chewychipsahoy · Jun 7, 2013

Thanks for your input. Which one is more comfortable worn in the ears, the Littmann or the Harvey Elite?

kz020 · Jun 8, 2013

That's tough to say since each person is so different. I would really suggest you try them both. To me they are both comfortable. The littmann ear pieces are soft and squishy. The WA are also rubber but more firm. However, I like that the WA is more adjustable.

I ordered my WA online and got a student accessory kit for free. It included 3 sets of additional ear pieces (2 hard and 1 soft) in addition to the one on the steth. It also came with a peds converter kit to change the steth to a peds steth. Very useful!!

chewychipsahoy · Jun 8, 2013

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! After reading a ton of Littmann Classic II S.E. and a few WA Harvey Elite reviews, I ordered the WA through their website. Looking forward to trying it out! Now I just need to figure out the name tag or engraving situation..

kz020 · Jun 8, 2013

Do they offer the accessory kit with it? I ordered mine from Steele's and they give it for free if you order the student kit. It also came with a CD to distinguish heart sounds. Hope you like it!!!

kz020 · Jun 8, 2013

I had a name tag on mine that was engraved but I lost it during clinical one day. Wasn't worth the money to replace it. I do have the chest piece engraved with my name.

I have the 28" model. Funny story....my first day of clinicals one of our instructors kept telling us we should cut the tubing if our steth was too long. I was obviously new and green around the ears. So I go home and decided to cut 2" off the tubing. You can imagine my horror when I try to reattach the chest piece and it was a no go! I look and realize it was a dual channel tube. I was horrified after I mutilated this piece of equipment that set me back $220.00 when I first purchased it. LOL. Luckily I called WA and they promptly sent me new tubing with no hassle! So thankful they have a 10 yr warranty:)

chewychipsahoy · Jun 8, 2013

I'm not sure if a free accessories kit comes with it - I do get the peds kit for free. The CD sounds useful! I also found this webpage for heart sounds, provided by WA.

LOL about the tubing! Glad it got fixed quickly.. Is that why you got the Littmann one?

kz020 · Jun 12, 2013

The littmann was a present. I used it twice then switched back to the WA. Let me know how you like it when you get your steth!

green34 · Jun 13, 2013

I love my Littman Classic II S.E. but the Cardiology III is a lot better in my opinion. I own both in rainbow but I ope down the line to purchase different color tubing for my Cardiology III.

kz020 · Jun 14, 2013

I agree. The cardio III is a terrific stethoscope. However, a lot of people had it in my school and I wanted something different so i went with the WA. I love it just as much as the cardio III which I used briefly. Now I am on the market for a Master Cardio but will probably wait.

chewychipsahoy · Jun 18, 2013

Hi! So the Harvey Elite arrived yesterday and I can say that the sound is much more clear than the Littmann Classic II S.E. - The eartips are a little more painful though at first and I have to gently pull the eartubes apart to reduce the tension.

Yes, it did come with the heart sounds CD and extra eartips and a nametag with plate for engraving or writing.

Overall, I'm glad I went with the Harvey because the sound is phenomenal. The Littmann Classic II S.E. sound is more echo-y and booming - loud yet slightly muffled. The Harvey Elite is not as loud, but the clarity and reduction of background noise is a noticeable difference.

The Harvey Elite is not as heavy as I thought either and the construction of it excellent.