Customer Reviews

Marpac 980A Sound Screen Sleep Conditioner White Noise Generator Dual Speed

5 star:		(181)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This is the second sound conditioner that I have owned. It cost more than the first one, however, it is worth every extra cent. It has a much richer and more soothing sound than sound machines that use a digital recording. I live in an apartment that is in a noisy business district with a 16 yr. old that stays up all night, yet, I sleep like a childless person who lives in the country. I love this white noise machine!

I think there is a contest in my neighborhood, that I'm unaware of. I suspect it's designed to find out which homes can produce the most noise. My neighbors are definitely in on it. They're probably in the top five! I surmise that when their dog isn't barking continuously on its own, they're standing in the yard yelling 'speak' and throwing meaty tidbits her way.

In addition, one child is always toting a boom-box, blaring rap, while the other is bouncing a basketball off the side of their house, sometimes for eight hours straight, often running onto my porch to impress me with his dribbling skills. I think the neighbor behind me is in the top five, too. He's taken up drums, and on the weekend he moves his stereo, complete with auditorium sized speakers and sub-woofer, onto his patio for my enjoyment. Ah, yes---this is the good life!

Okay, okay...maybe it is just me, and this is the normal hum of 'daylight living,' from which I've become so removed. I do a lot of 12 hour night shift work, and I can't expect the world to come to a screeching halt because I'd like a little sleep. But, something had to give!

Something did! My new Marpac 980 recently arrived and I couldn't be more satisfied. It is small (and portable), but solidly built, with cushioning on the bottom to prevent vibration, or furniture scaring. The instructions are clear regarding how to adjust the volume quality, with the top rim and collar. It also has a low and high setting switch. I set mine on the highest level...remember, my neighbors are in the top five.

For such a small machine, the sound really fills the room and there aren't any quirky artifacts, or rattles. The sound is consistent and pure. I quickly adjusted to this new, distraction from the madness, and found it quite comforting.

On the very first trial, a water main had broken close to my home. There were Public Service workers with their, noisy Bobcat, digging to China for hours. I could barely hear them. Ah, the sound of success.

If your neighborhood enters the contest, you might just want to consider one of these machines, too. Sleep deprivation is bad for both mental and physical health. Just ask me :-).

Update 11/19/10: My first Marpac unit is still going strong, and I have since ordered a second one. I think I'm addicted! I don't only use them to sleep with, now. I use one anytime I feel like blocking out the outside world---like when reading, studying, or searching for a Zen moment. These units still receive my highest recommendation. I will never be without them, until they are extracted from my cold, lifeless hands.

Do you have a family member who is a light sleeper? If so, this sound machine will be a godsend for you. We purchsed it because my two year-old kept waking every time my husband or I would get up in the night to use the bathroom or get a drink of water.

Ever since we plugged this machine in, he sleeps through all of our noise. This is great for people who have smaller homes with hardwood floors, where the sound of footsteps can be disturbing to sleepers.

My wife purchased one of these white noise generators for a vacation we were going on over a year ago. It is small and very lightweight with an eight foot long cord, which is nice and long. Its small size means that it fits easily into any luggage and takes up very little room on a night stand. The noise it makes is pleasantly "white," which means that it doesn't disturb you while reading in bed and yet it provides enough cover for the little noises that can sound so loud at night. The volume produced can be modulated by turning the top, making it louder or softer.

Overall, we are very pleased with our purchase of this item. We have experienced nothing but trouble free service from it, and we have even purchased a second one for the baby's room. We love this item and give it our highest recommendations!

I work as a professional mediator and share a suite area with an attorney. I have placed the Marpac outside my office door and it cancels much of the conversation noise coming from the other areas of the suite. I believe it also reduces the possibility that any conversation taking place in my office can be heard outside the office door. This helps support confidentiality and privacy in both practices and also helps ease clients' worries about privacy and confidentiality. Also, the machine issues a constant pleasant air blowing sound without any engine noise or other intermittent noise. I recommend this product for office spaces, where there are similar concerns.

I experimented with placement of this unit. Too close to the bed and there was a vibration from the fan that I could hear. On the nightstand, the unit vibrated and resonated through the wood. I found that my unit sounds best when it is placed (a) on a pillow across the room from my bed, about 8 feet from the end of the bed or (b) on a wire shelf about 6 feet off the floor and about 5 feet from the bed. In either of these locations, the sound fills my sleeping space with a pleasant white noise that I tune out. I rarely hear my husband's snoring now, and I never hear anything from outside.

Marpac 980 Sound Screen & SleepMate Sound Conditioner

Perfect for Apartment living! It really helps eliminate noises that, otherwise, might keep you from trying to get to sleep.
A very grateful customer!

I have one of these in every bedroom of my home. My guest love spending the night and sleeping well from the relaxation the Sleepmate provides. I also use the Sleepmate 980A in my granddaughter's room while she naps during the day. She...well...sleeps like a baby...smiling. It filters out all the noise outside her bedroom window. Well worth the purchase!!!

My husband and I (and now the dog) have become accustomed to white noise from a floor fan. Only problem was in the winter I was freezing my behind off. We came upon this machine. It is the perfect solution! We all sleep well and none of us are popsicles in the morning. We put it on the lower sound control. The more elevated sound would be great if you're somewhere there is lots of noise. We're planning on taking it on our next trip as well!

Excellent white noise produced - our baby and preschooler both sleep much better now that they have these in their rooms. The look of the product is not intrusive either, and the settings are sensible and easy to use.

My only complaint is that our first machine developed a rattle on the high volume setting, a few months after purchase. The company replaced it free of charge but we did have to pay to ship it back and it has taken them a few weeks to send a replacement, which is not ideal.