A Nurse's CORE 500 Review Too Good Not to Share

In her words: The review

"Okay, I finally did it. I bought the Eko CORE 500 Digital Stethoscope. Was it expensive? Yes. Are we going to talk about that? Absolutely not. 😂

First up, the unboxing.

I ordered the blue chestpiece covers, and I thought I was picking ONE blue. Nope. You get all three. Pacific Blue, Lagoon Blue, Iceberg Blue. Apparently my stethoscope has a seasonal wardrobe now. Then we have the matching ear tips and they give you SIX replacements. Which is great, because if you've ever owned a stethoscope, you know those ear tips eventually disappear into the same dimension as pens and 10 mL flushes.

Then we get the Quick Start Guide with a QR code, because this is no longer just a stethoscope. This is technology. We've got an app. We've got Bluetooth. We've got charging instructions. Gone are the days of 'put it in your ears and listen.'

First impression: this thing is SOLID. It's heavy, sturdy, and feels extremely well made. Which it should — for what I paid, I expect this thing to hear a murmur from the parking lot.

Peel off the screen protector — arguably one of the most satisfying parts of purchasing anything electronic — flip her over, inspect the goods. And then we've got the actual stethoscope tubing. It comes with black ear tips already installed, so naturally I immediately started taking things apart. You plug the tubing into the digital unit and now we officially have a stethoscope that requires Bluetooth. What a time to be alive.

There's another set of ear tips in the box, the charging cable, and then, my personal favorite, alcohol wipes in the fanciest little cardboard container I have ever seen. These wipes have nicer housing than some of my medical supplies.

Now for the fun part. You can switch between Pulmonary, Cardiac, and Wide modes. So instead of me moving the stethoscope around saying, 'Wait…was that a murmur or did their stomach just growl?' we've got OPTIONS.

Now let's look at the website, because this is where I discovered how dangerously customizable this thing is. I went with black on black, because apparently I wanted my stethoscope to look like it has a security clearance. But they have silver, blue, gold, rose gold, and a bunch of other options. 

You can also have it engraved — for an additional fee, of course, because at this point we've already committed financially. There's also a protective case. I did not buy it. (I had to establish ONE financial boundary.)

Then you choose your chestpiece colors. I picked the Ocean Collection, which comes with Pacific Blue, Lagoon Blue, and Iceberg Blue. 

I originally thought I had to pick which blue I wanted, so I spent entirely too much time debating this decision…only to discover THEY SEND ALL THREE. Fantastic. Love that journey for me.

Then you can choose your ear tip colors to match, or mix and match if you want your stethoscope to have more personality than you do after a 12-hour shift. 

The website gives you a little preview so you can spend 45 minutes designing a medical device like you're building a Sims character. You can add protection, and there's information about using HSA/FSA funds. Because if I'm going to spend this much money on a stethoscope, I would LOVE for Uncle Sam to stay out of it.

Now THIS is where it gets cool. A traditional stethoscope basically sends sound through hollow tubing to your ears. This thing said, 'Cute. But what if we added electronics?' 

It digitally amplifies the sound, and you can adjust settings, record sounds, play them back, and visualize what you're hearing through the app. So when I say, 'I swear I heard something,' I can now bring RECEIPTS.

It also connects through Bluetooth, including compatible hearing devices, which is honestly a really cool accessibility feature. And it goes beyond just listening.

You can check heart rate, view ECG data, and it has features designed to help identify things like AFib and certain murmurs. Basically, I bought a stethoscope and received a tiny computer. So far, first impressions: the quality feels incredible, I love the customization, and there are WAY more features than I will ever fit into one review.

Next I actually need to put this thing on some chests and see whether it was worth the money. Because for this price, I better be able to hear somebody's thoughts."

The update: A game-changer for patient education

Aurora followed up with us after her initial review, this time to share how the CORE 500 has held up in daily practice. Here's what she told us.

"After using the CORE 500 with several patients, I can honestly say one of my favorite features is being able to let patients hear exactly what I'm hearing.

As a home health nurse, patient education is a huge part of what I do. I can explain crackles, wheezing, or diminished breath sounds all day long, but actually letting a patient hear those sounds in their own lungs completely changes the conversation.

Instead of simply telling someone what I'm hearing, I can share it with them and use it to reinforce my education.

I can explain what a sound may indicate, why we're monitoring it, and why their medications, daily weights, breathing exercises, activity, diet, or other lifestyle modifications may be so important. It helps connect the 'why' behind the education to something they can actually hear for themselves.

The sound quality and amplification are excellent, but for me, the CORE 500 goes beyond simply helping me hear better. It has become another patient teaching tool. Being able to say, 'Here's what I'm hearing, listen to this,' adds an entirely different level of understanding and involvement for the patient.

It's helped me level up my assessments, reinforce my teaching, and make patients more active participants in understanding what is happening with their own health. That alone has made the CORE 500 worth it for me."

Ready to try the CORE 500™ Digital Stethoscope for yourself? Get started.