Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner by Marpac (formerly known as the Sleepmate/Sound Screen 980A)
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List Price: Our Price: $49.99 You Save: $9.96 (17%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner by Marpac (formerly known as the Sleepmate/Sound Screen 980A)
Customer Review: Love It (but I also had realistic expectations)
Summary: 5 Stars
When I began sleeping with a humidifier a few months ago during a bad cold, I grew to love the sound of white noise while I was sleeping. Well, it didn't take long to kill my humidifier by running it every night, so I went looking for a sound mahine on the internet. Now that I've been using the Marpac or over a month, I can say I'm very pleased and can't imagine sleeping without it.
To address some of the comments made in other reviews...
This machine is not a miracle worker. It's not intended to block out every noise possible. It does block a lot of noise, and the rest of it is muffled.
There are two volume settings (hi and lo), plus you can adjust the pitch. I sleep with mine on low and it's plenty loud. Those that say they have it on hi and it's not loud enough are either hard of hearing or they're crazy. (Sorry....I know it's subjective, but trust me, for the average person, the hi setting is very, very loud.)
If the sound does not seem soothing to you, try using it on low for awhile, then gradually increase the volume over a period of a few weeks. I turn mine on as I begin getting ready for bed, so that by the time I actually crawl into bed, I hardly notice it's on. The instructions also say it works best if it's not right next to the bed, so try moving it around the room too.
Bottom line...it's been very helpful for me in both getting to sleep and staying asleep. I'm purchasing a second one today to use while I'm studying in another room. Unfortunately, our backyard borders two other houses with dogs, unruly children on trampolines, and adults who like to party outside during all seasons and at all hours of the night--so my Marpac is getting good use!
Update 3/28/10: It's been nearly a year and I'm still loving my Marpac! My husband would rather not have it on, but he tolerates it. It's so great for blocking small noises that tend to otherwise keep me awake: hubby watching tv downstairs, dog moving about, chirping birds too early in the morning, barking dogs, etc. I bought a second one for another room so I could study without being distracted by other household noises. I can't imagine being without it!
Customer Review: Capturing elusive sleep
Summary: 5 Stars
Update 7/3/10: Still using the SleepMate after a year and I can't sleep without it! I take it with me whenever I go on vacation or spend the night somewhere else. It worked wonders while camping to drown out the sounds of early risers. (well only if you camp w/ electricity!) It does take a little while to get used to since it's a different sound, and I've found it's better at about 3-4 feet from the bed. Trust me when I say, if you need white noise to sleep, this is the product to use.
I've had the SleepMate for a few months now and I've certainly noticed a difference in my sleep. I work third shift, and my house is on the corner of a three-way stop. So you can imagine my annoyance at the non-stop work commuters who screech to a halt and then floor it.
I always use a fan to try and drown out the sounds, even earplugs sometimes, but they both only mask the higher frequencies, and not the lower frequencies that well. So I ended up doing some research and purchased this. I've seen the comments on the expense, but what is a good night's sleep worth anyway? It's not too exorbitant, no more expensive then those ugly Ugg boots people wear.
I was surprised at the compact design. Very simple and unobtrusive. And although it doesn't get as loud as a fan on high, what can you expect from a little machine? You can adjust the tone and volume to a degree, which helps with the aforementioned lower frequency sounds of car engines. They suggest keeping the machine between yourself and the sound you want to block, and also not right next to your head. This is good advice, as I put the machine 2 feet from the bed and then 3 feet, and I noticed a difference in the perceived volume.
It's a pleasant whooshing sound, like a fan but with less choppy air movement. It did not bother me in the slightest and so far I really like it. I think it would be perfect for travel, as one who spent the night listening to a fellow hotel dweller hack up a lung, it would certainly be useful in places where you can't get a fan. It's small enough to even fit in carry on luggage.
Customer Review: Over 13,000 hours and still as good as new
Summary: 5 Stars
We purchased the SleepMate white noise generator 4 years ago. The nice thing about this device is that it produces a very natural white noise. It has two volume settings and the level and "pitch" of the noise can be changed by adjusting the rotating top and sides of the device. When our children were younger, we wanted something that would filter out the typical sounds children make at night, but would still allow us to hear them in case of emergencies.
Even though our children are no longer babies, we still use the SleepMate EVERY night simply because it helps us to sleep soundly. One of our neighbors recently complained about a dog barking in the middle of the night. The dog in question lives immediately across the street from us, but his barking has never once woken us at night -- thanks to the SleepMate. I advised our neighbor to get a white noise machine of his own.
There are various other electronic devices out there that offer multiple sound types, touch screens and lights. In my opinion, all of those features are COMPLETELY unnecessary (and possibly counterproductive). The design of the SleepMate strikes me as kind of retro -- it looks like the typical beige plastic appliances you would see in the 1970's. But you know that if an appliance STILL looks like this and is STILL popular, it must be very good at its job.
Now the most important part: we have used the SleepMate at least 9 hours per day, 365 days per year for the past 4 years (13,000+ hours) and it works just like the day we bought it. In this day and age when EVERYTHING seems to be increasingly disposable (how long do your children's toys actually last?) it's very nice to have something like this that just keeps going and going.
I can even take a nap during the day when my kids are playing with friends at home. That says something :)
Customer Review: The perfect white noise machine
Summary: 5 Stars
This sound screen is exactly what I was looking for. I have trouble sleeping at night and in order to block out those night sounds I have been using a Honeywell HEPA filter on high all night long for the last 3-4 years. The problem is the HEPA filter is moving a lot of air and draws roughly 250 Watts of electricity, which is a lot to be running 12+ hours a day, ever day of the year. Also its not very feasible for me to take it with me traveling, which makes it hard to sleep on the road. Electronic white noise equivilents all sound very electronic to me and I can usually hear the point of repetition, which bothers me and keeps me awake.
So I asked for and received the Marpac 980 A for christmas - it is the perfect solution. It draws a lot less electricity, which was something I was looking for. It creates the same sort of sound the air filter or a fan creates - the dial allows you to adjust how loud it is and the type of noise - one way is a mostly rushing air noise, the other is more of a pleasant mechanical hum. It also has two settings on the on/off switch, low and high.
The sound screen is a lot softer volume wise than something like my air filter, when I first turned it on my husband remarked 'Is that as loud as it gets?', however, while my air filter sits on the other side of the room, far away, I put the marpac next to me on my nightstand and it actually seems about the same volume at that proximity. It's small size (about 4.5" diameter) means I can take it with me when travelling. I also liked that it has foam padding on the bottom so it will not scratch nice furniture it is set on.
It does let off a very very slight airflow out the holes, if I put my hand right over them I can feel it, but not enough to reach my face sleeping next to it and bother me.
Customer Review: Absolute night saver
Summary: 5 Stars
I think I have a mental problem -- I tend to fixate on a sound, especially in bed as I try to sleep. I'll lie there and just focus on that sound even though I'm dead tired and need to sleep. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment building with an old, retired couple living below me who watch TV all into the night. I need to wake up early for work so I go to bed early, and I would just lie there listening and listening to the sound of their television below me. It would drive me insane, but I couldnt bear to go down there, band on the door and tell them to keep it down. The way I see it, they have the right to use their space as much as I have the right to use mine, and as I said, I have a problem -- I don't think they were playing their television THAT loudly, I was just sensitive to the sound.
After researching the web and reading up on white noise, I found this product and was really skeptical. But, I bout it anyway becuase, hey, what can I lose, except for $50 bucks?
The first night with it was fantastic. For those other reviewers who say this machine doesn't drown out all noise, I agree. But I don't think that's the point. For me, it gave me a new, consistent, and soothing sound that I could focus on rather than the thumping/banging/music/this and that sound from a television. If I focused REALLY hard, I could still hear the television sound below me with this machine on, but lying in bed, I'll just focus on the fan noise of this machine and I'll be in doze land before long.
I've had this machine now for about 10 months, and I keep it on all night every night (sometimes longer on the weekends because I'll sleep in). I have not had a problem with it yet. But even if it does break down, I'll buy a new one because it works so well.