Ecotones Sound and Sleep Machine
If you have problems sleeping at night, you should look into purchasing the best white noise machine so you can enjoy a good night’s rest. White noise machines are also known as sleep machines or sound machines, which are all fancy terms for a little gadget that plays audio in the right frequencies to induce sleep and block outside noise. Some of the white noise machines produce sounds digitally through audio samples and some can produce them organically through an internal fan. The audio produced by these sound machines are known to match the alpha, delta, and theta brainwaves which naturally induce sleep. Furthermore, sleep machines can block and mask environmental noise by playing frequencies that match the frequencies in your environment. Using sound machines has been scientifically proven to induce and enhance sleep and is particularly useful to babies. They are also quite mobile depending on what model you buy so you can take them with you while traveling. While some people argue you can just use an ipod to replace a sleep machine, those people underestimate the convenience of sound machines. They often have timers that gradually shut down the music, alarms to wake you up, rich audio samples and speakers, and adaptive sound to mask environmental noise. An ipod cannot replicate these features. You can also use a white noise machine with the best sleep mask to ensure that you fall asleep fast.
Best White Noise Machine Reviews
- Ecotones Sound and Sleep Machine (Top Pick)
- Marpac Dohm Single Speed White Noise Machine
- Sound Oasis S-550 Sound Machine
Ecotones Sound and Sleep Machine
We really like the Ecotones Sound / Sleep Machine and think it is the best white noise machine if you are going digital. The way that digital sleep machines work is that they simply play an ambient audio sample through built in speakers. In terms of audio quality and the quality of the speakers, there is nothing comparable. The speakers face up and really lighten up the room, delivering a rich full sound that sounds like high definition audio. The quality of the audio sample is extremely high bit rate (1411 kbps) and there is no clipping or distortion. There are 10 different environmental sounds you can chose from including pure static (white noise), fire, waterfall, ocean, meadow, brook, meditation, rainfall, city, and train. Each soundscape is composed by taking many random samples and randomizing them to replicate on continuous sound. So basically, there will be no loop heard twice. These sounds were researched, tested, and proven to promote swift relaxation based on the music composition of the audio.
Ecotones Sound and Sleep Machine uses a really cool technology called adaptive sound. What adaptive sound does is try to neutralize all environmental noises by playing over them. It will determine the amplitude and main frequencies of the main sounds coming from the environment and adjust the audio volume to match it. Basically if there is a lot of noise in the background, Ecotones will play louder to mask out that noise. Don’t worry, it will not be an abrupt change like an alarm, so it will not disrupt your process of trying to fall asleep. Ecotones also has a bunch of other features that makes it the best white noise machine that uses digital audio samples. It has a timer that will gradually fade away the audio sample after 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes of continuous play. There is also a button you can press that will enhance the audio being played and injecting random sounds to it such as a breeze. It adds to the overall richness of the track. Overall, this is our top pick and we recommend this product to everyone who has trouble falling asleep.
Marpac Dohm Single Speed Sound Conditioner
If you are looking for more of an organic sound, the Marpac Dohm is the best white noise machine for you. The Marpac Dohm is not a digital white noise machine in that does not use any audio samples to deliver its sound. It is pure analog and uses a fan to produce all of the sounds it makes. The device is made entirely of plastic and contains slits running along the side and top. These silts can be adjusted to control the pitch of the sound that is produced by the sound machine. The Marpac Dohm produces sound mechanically by producing air through a fan in the middle that flows through the small silts. The sound produced is essentially white noise, which is a bit of a whizzing sound and many people says it sounds like calm static.
We really like the fact that this sound machine does not produce a digital sound. The digital sound always sounds a bit unnatural since the sounds produced digitally can never truly replicate the natural sound where it was produced. Also, the acoustics of the room will not match the digital audio samples and thus will not sound quite right, unless you have setup your speakers perfectly. The whooshing sound this sleeping machine produces is very relaxing and obviously sounds organic. However, by using a mechanical white noise machine you lose some great features and in particular, you really only have one type of noise to listen to. Of course you can still change the pitch of the white noise but it is not the same has having a lot of various ambient background samples to choose from.  Despite this, many people swear by the Marpac Dohm and love the organic sound. Before committing to the Marpac Dohm, be sure to search for some samples of what a mechanical sleep machine sounds like. All in all, the Marpac Dohm is the best white noise machine that produces a soothing organic sound. Although it doesn’t come with fancy functions like alarms, adaptive sound, or a plethora of different sounds to choose from, it does come with one great sound and it does it well.
Sound Oasis S-550 Sleep Machine
Sound Oasis is the best white noise machine if you don’t like the Ecotones machine and prefer different sounds. While we are still gung ho about the Ecotones as the top digital sleep machine, but it is always good to present another great competitor. In terms of the sound quality, we really like the speakers of the Sound Oasis and actually prefer it over the Ecotones machine. These speakers produce a nice full sound that projects in many directions. The highs and mids on these speakers are clearer on the Sound Oasis vs the Ecotones. In term of the collection of audio samples, some maybe disappointed that there are only 6 different sounds to choose from. You have the sound of rain, ocean, summer night, stream, wind, and white noise. Each sound is recorded with multiple takes and these takes are randomized so it sounds like a continuous stream. So basically, these sounds are not just looped over and over again and do not get repetitive.
In terms of features, the Sound Oasis has a bunch of nice features that makes it a contender for the best white noise machine. There a knob on the sleep machine that controls a timer that gradually fades away the music after 30, 60, or 90 minutes of play. The sound card is also easily removable and you can even insert your own sound card if you want a better experience. This sleep machine also runs on batteries so you can take it with you on the road. It even has headphone jacks so you can use it in a public area such as on a flight. Overall, we really like the Sound Oasis but feel constrained by the limited options on its audio samples. Although we feel the audio quality is slightly better, we still prefer the sounds that the Ecotones produces.
Using the Best White Noise Machine
It is important to get good sleep so your brain and body can recover.  Having a good night’s rest is great for maintain good mental health and flushes of toxins in your brain. Regrettably, there are many people in this world who suffer from insomnia and some degree of problem inducing sleep. By using the best white noise machine or the best sleep machine, you can help induce sleep by simulating a natural sounding soothing environment and by blocking out environmental sounds. White noise machines are also called sound machine or sleep machines. They produce white noise or some natural soothing sound such as the sound of a waterfall either digitally or mechanically through pushing air. White noise machines are known to block outside noise by using white noise, which is basically playing a sound from every frequency in the audio spectrum. Some white noise machines can also adaptively adjust its volume to mask a sudden disturbance outside, such as construction or a dog continuously barking.  Sleep machines can be used everywhere including in your office, in the bedroom, and even while traveling. They are especially useful when you are traveling, when you are sleeping in a different environment. There could be new rowdy neighbors or a loud dog preventing you from falling asleep. By using the best white noise machine, you can condition yourself to fall asleep even in a different place.
White Noise Defined
White noise is basically a noise that has all of the frequencies in the audio spectrum. Different notes and sounds are produced by a combination of different frequencies. Low frequencies produce bass and higher frequencies produce treble and melody. White noise has a flat frequency spectrum, which means the intensity level (volume) at each frequency is the same, so the low frequencies are counter balanced by the highs. What does white noise sound like? It is pretty close to static from your tv or radio or a whooshing sound. There are many other sorts of noise defined by the audio community as well. You have black noise or the lack of sound, brown noise, pink and blue noise. Â For the other noises, there is not a flat frequency spectrum. The intensity or volume scales as you move up and down the frequency spectrum although every frequency is represented. White noise does a good job masking out outside noise by making sure all of the frequencies are covered. When a frequency plays over the same frequency, they mix together and become indistinguishable. Because white noise contains every frequency, it is able to mix with any sound.
Masking work like this: when there is a one on one conversation going on in a room, you can easily determine what someone else is saying. However, when there are more and more conversations going on, it becomes harder to figure out what the person you are having a conversation with is saying. It will be hard to concentrate on one conversation and all of these voices get blended together. White noise is like injecting a room with loads of conversation at all frequencies. It will mask outside noise by dumping it with a slew of frequencies to the point where you can’t tell where the sound is coming from.
