I get really irritated. People swear by these scope but don't even know how to spell it.
It's Littmann.
And they're not the best, just most recognized.
I have a Kila (recent gift) and a ultrascope (also a gift).
I love my ultrascope. I have owned a littmann lightweight and a littmann classic and used a littmann cardiology and my partner owns the electronic one. My ultrascope is better in my opinion. I hear everything more clearly.
It is also unique so it is less likely to be stolen and I wipe it down and allow pedis to play with it on transports. They like the bright color.
I like the Kila as well, I hear everything clearly, it is just like the littmann in construction and acoustics but significantly less expensive.
It is like most things...
The user behind the equipment.
Most users will never be good enough to be inhibited by equipment.
the littmann scopes are manufactured by 3m, their quality comes from the manufacturing specifications. (margin of acceptable error)
Which means you could buy any 3m scope and it will potentially be as good as a littmann. It might also be slightly worse. But unless you are doing more advanced auscultations, it won't matter.
What I have noticed in EMS is the littmann cuts out a fair amount of background noise. But I would wager it is easily overcome by the right earpieces and not having your feet on the deck of a running ambulance which will interfere with your conductive hearing. (which is actually what a stethoscope is for)
The most diagnostic (sensitive ones) are actually the ones used in OB for fetal heart tones. It is about as inexpensive and simple as it gets.
Just like buying the finest bicycle will not make you Greg Lemond, buying the highest quality scope will not make you any better at auscultation either.
The reason I have the Littmann I do (which I have used for more than 10 years now) is because I got it for an almost criminally low price because it was on clearance from a nursing uniform store going out of business.
I only know one provider outside of the internet who actually uses an electronic scope, and only because it was a gift, she said she would not have purchased it herself.