Marpac SleepMate 980A Electro-Mechanical Sound Conditioner

Marpac 980A, so-so overall (2010-08-27) : 2/5
I was pleasantly surprised at how small the unit was (nice to travel with), and how easy it was to manipulate the speed controls. The reason I bought this was to cover up the constant walking/stomping around my neighbors upstairs would create late at night. Originally, I was using the oscillating fan in my room or running my oven fan all night.

I live in a small apartment w/a small bedroom so I was a bit let-down by the sound quality. Even at the higher speed and at the correct placement of the unit, I still felt that it wasn't loud enough. Sounded even quieter than my original oscillating fan.

This type of machine is NOT appropriate for covering up loud music, neighbors walking/stomping-around, or any sudden loud sounds. This is more appropriate for something like a kid/baby's room to lull them to sleep with no other significant noise around. Overall, cute package but disappointed with the results.
Effective/Fantastic Product for the Sensitive Sleeper (2010-08-26) : 5/5
I am, unfortunately, freakishly sensitive to sound - not the best combo for someone who lives in an urban environment (from high rises with thin walls, to a studio overlooking a 24 hour sunroof, to a 2-flat with a thin ceiling). For a long time I would run my fan at a high level to cover the noise of my neighbors and traffic. That worked for some time, but I hated how dry it would make the room. I stumbled upon the Marpac SleepMate after doing a random Amazon search one day and thought I might as well give it a shot.

Thanks to everyone's reviews, I have found a fantastic product. The SleepMate can be adjusted at a variety of levels; I find the lowest one is often sufficient - for nights that the neighbors are a big louder, with just the flip of a button - voila! - all gone. It did take a week or so to get used to (which is included in the instructions so you aren't surprised; nice!) but now I can't imagine sleeping without it. A dream come true for those with super sonic hearing.
Great for a newborn (2010-08-18) : 5/5
A friend of ours recommended this white noise generator as something that would help our newborn baby sleep. He can't speak for himself, but he does seem to like it so far. We live in the downstairs unit of a two family home and our upstairs neighbor is not exactly known for being quiet. With no white noise, we can hear his louder conversations and his foot falls are often loud enough to wake us all up. The SleepMate is enough to drown out his conversations and to take the edge off his foot falls.

Sure - I think my baby likes this. But I *KNOW* I like it. When the baby moves to his own room, I guess I'll have to buy another one!
Bought the two-speed for my baby (2010-08-18) : 4/5
I have a VERY SENSITIVE 6 month old who wakes up often from her nap. I originally used a fan in her room but as the weather got colder, I needed to find a replacement that wouldn't make the room cold. Aesthetically, it's not very appealing at all. It looks like an ugly motor part... but the noise it makes sounds just like a fan so it did the job! I bought the 980A two-speed model but honestly, I couldn't really tell the difference between the 2 speeds. In my opinion, the higher speed just sounds FASTER but not necessarily louder so I keep it at the lower speed. For the price though, I wish this had a timer on it and a remote.
How did I ever sleep this well without one? (2010-08-17) : 5/5
My wife and I ordered one of these quite a while back so that we could drown out some of the neighborhood noise and the occasional house noises. We have slept SO well since we have had this that we are now wondering how we ever slept without it! When our son was born, we decided to get one for his room, and we are definitely glad that we did. He sleeps well during the night and he isn't awakened by the least little noise. We also can keep the volume on the TV at an acceptable level while he is sleeping and it doesn't bother him one bit.

The way this machine sounds is so much more soothing than a digital recording. Turn it on, and you can adjust the volume, and the pitch of the sound. It really is soothing when you are lying in bed trying to go to sleep, and it helps to drown out any noise that would interfere with a good night's rest.