I travel a lot, and used to often have trouble in my hotel room. First, I'm used to the sound of my house (the a/c, my wife, baby monitor hum, etc). Second, hotel A/C kicking on and off can be loud, people in the hall are loud, city noises, etc. Most white noise generators that make nature sounds fail miserably for a few reasons. First, they use cheap tinny speakers with too much treble. You can easily pinpoint the source of the sounds and it gets annoying. Second (and most important), they use 6 second clips of nature (1 ocean wave, a few raindrops), and then loop it over and over. When you wish to focus on the white noise to sleep, you WILL hear the loop and it WILL drive you crazy. I can tell it's the same ocean wave over and over... I can hear the spot where the loop starts over.
The Marsona white noise generator is different. First, the speaker is really quite good. Nice base quality, and it really fills the room with sound in a non-directional way (I can't tell exactly where it's coming from). Second, the eletronics actually synthesize the rain/surf sound dynamically, as opposed to using a recording. This means no obvious loop point, and each wave sounds slightly different enough to prevent distraction. I couldn't believe I was spending more than $50 for a white noise generator when you can buy boxes that make dozens of different sounds for far less. However, how many sounds do you need other than the one that makes you fall asleep (and stay asleep)? This box produces 1 sound, with a pitch control and a treble/bass control (calling it rain, waterfall, surf--all depends on these controls), and it works tremendously. I cannot recommend it enough. I imagine their larger units must even be better, but for travel, this is great.
It might sound crazy to shell out $70 for a machine that's only purpose is to emulate a softly whooshing vacuum cleaner. But once you get one of these you'll never want to sleep without it again!
I used to run a HEPA air filter in my bedroom all night (hey, I figure I might as well breathe clean air for 1/3 of my life, right?) Eventually you get so used to the sound of a running fan that you need it every time you sleep. Besides, my apartment bedroom faced the parking lot, so there was always a lot of noise from people driving in and out and slamming car doors, etc. I'm a very light sleeper, so the HEPA filter helped me get to sleep by masking those sounds.
Whenever I'd travel I'd always turn the room fan on "high" before hitting the sack. In hotels where I couldn't manually turn on the fan, I'd toss and turn all night, distracted by the sound of silence (as contradictory as that sounds).
When I moved in with my wife, her bedroom was too small for my HEPA air filter. So I found the Marsona TSC-330 on Amazon and decided it was worth a try (and a lot less expensive than buying HEPA filters). All I can say is, WOW, I wish I'd bought one of these years ago! The bedroom in our house faces the street, so again I have to deal with traffic noises and cars going by at all hours. The Marsona masks those sounds and enables us to get to sleep and stay asleep.
My wife and I now take this little gizmo with us everywhere we go when we know we'll be staying overnight. We even bought the optional battery pack, in case we go camping or are staying somewhere without an outlet.
My wife calls it the "sleep machine", and when my mother told me that my dad was having trouble sleeping, I told her about the Marsona. She bought one, and now they use it every night too!
PROS
No moving parts to break (sounds are created digitally).
Imitates various sounds like "rain", "waterfall", and "surf". Really though, all you're doing is changing the pitch (high or low), volume (loud or soft) and whether or not the sound comes and goes (which mimics ocean surf).
Really helps you get to sleep (and stay asleep)!
Also helps babies and dogs sleep.
CONS
Might take some people a few weeks until their brain gets accustomed to the sound. But it's well worth the wait!
The controls are on the bottom, which is not convenient but also not too big of a deal because you generally just set it the way you want it and leave it that way every night.
On/Off switch is located in the back, rather than on the top where it would be more easily accessible.
The battery pack is a separate unit, and somewhat bulky. They should modify the device to run off of a 9-volt battery or something. We almost never have a need for the battery pack, though, so it's a minor point.
Calling this a "travel" device is a bit of a stretch, IMHO. It's about the size of a thick paperback novel (think John Grisham). It also has one of those bulky AC adapters with the power brick on the end. It fits fine in a standard suitcase, but if you're REALLY traveling light (like with only a small overnight bag) then it does take up a bit more room than you'll probably like.
Buy Marpac TSC 330 Travel Sound Conditioner Now
I was torn between buying the Marsona TSC-330 or the Marpac 980 Sound Screen. I wound up buying both so I could decide for myself. Both are a big step up from the other looping recorded track systems out there. The TSC-330 has a fairly natural sound but not quite as nice as the real fan sound of the Marpac 980 (the 980 uses a real fan to make the noise).
Bottom line: If you don't need this for travel I would go with the Marpac 980 for it's more natural sound and lower price. If you are looking for a travel unit and don't mind paying a slight premium, the Marsona TSC-330 sound is good enough and less bulky to throw in a suitcase.
Read Best Reviews of Marpac TSC 330 Travel Sound Conditioner Here
My shopping criteria were:
1) A simple white noise machine to mask tinnitus and extraneous noises (snoring dogs, fighting cats, etc)
2) Decent sound quality, without annoying repetitions/transitions
3) Compact, unobtrusive, and convenient
I purchased the Marsona TSC-330 because lower priced machines seem to have problems with sound quality. In addition, many claim an array of special sound effects which are often reported to be ineffective, and which violate the KISS principle. Simple is good.
I am satisfied with the sonic output of the Marsona, and use it every night. It does the job. However, it is not without its annoyances, and in today's electronics marketplace, it is outrageously overpriced for its functionality (for example, consider that you can buy a DVD player with a full-function remote for half this price).
The on/off switch is extremely flimsy and stiff. It is a three-position sliding switch, with the off position in the center. Sliding it to one extreme turns on the constant white noise, and at the other extreme, it activates the variable white noise (a crude wave sound). The switch is recessed into a tight nook located at the bottom rear of the unit, the least accessible location imaginable (unless they placed it inside the cabinet, requiring a screwdriver to access). It is sometimes necessary to pick the unit up and turn it around to operate the switch, which has a tendency to overshoot the central "off" position no matter how carefully it is maneuvered. A real nuisance for the most-used control.
The two remaining controls, volume and tone, are sliders located under the side wings of the unit. I set them once and don't mess with them, but again, their location and orientation are poor you need to flip the unit upside down to see which is which.
I am rating the product 3 stars, though 2.5 is more realistic. To earn 5 stars, especially in view of its price, the Marsona should:
1) Mount the controls in an accessible location.
2) Use a decent quality power switch.
3) Provide a simple on/off remote control. Instructions recommend that the unit be placed on the opposite side of the room for maximum effectiveness. A bedside remote would be helpful.
4) Enable battery power so that the unit is truly travel-friendly.
I am confident that these improvements could be made while preserving the manufacturer's high profit margin, and would result in a product that not only helped me sleep better at home or on the road but also made me feel that some thought went into its (usability) design.
Want Marpac TSC 330 Travel Sound Conditioner Discount?
Well I don't think you give a feather about my family situation and all that garbage people bore you with...so, the bottom line:
Pros: It does not produce annoying recorded repetition of sound (known as a loop). It makes a very pleasing, constant "whoooshhhhhhhh" sound. You cannot hear any repetitive cuts, like you do with 95% or the cheaper noise makers. It sounds like waterfall or heavy distant rain. You can adjust the tone and the volume.
It is small enough to pack in suitcase, even a small overnight suitcse. It is pretty light. It feels sturdy. Not like a toy, but like a solid piece of serious workmanship.
For all the people who say these kind of noise makers "just aren't loud enough" for your sleeping baby. Either get rid of your baby or buy the friging ocean! You can't have EVERYTHING!
And for all you penny pinchers, the reason it cost alot is because the people who make it ARE SERIOUS and decided to make something of quality that WORKS LIKE YOU'D WANT IT TO WORK. They did not cut corners and hope to fool you with unrealistic advertising b.s. Go buy some rinky dink 25 dollar gizmo and complain about it later if you want. Or buy this one and be happy!
I've gone through alot of noise makers. The only one better is the Marpac 980, because it uses real wind like a fan, but it's too big and heavy for travel.
Stick with me kid, you'll go far.
A great product to use if you have thin hair and want it to wave up! When it says "use a small amount"...REALLY USE A SMALL AMOUNT! It has a great hold like Murrays but without the extra slickness that it leaves in your hair; however, like any product, if you use too much of it, its going to mess up your scalp. Use a small amount!
