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Our Verdict
Sturdy construction with overall light design and multiple sound/volume options for everyone’s unique needs. Portable but also durable despite the plastic construction. Extremely sturdy packaging for shipping and transport.
The good
- Portable, light, easy to toss in a book bag/carry-on for travel purposes
- Well built, sturdy construction
- Built-in timer for automatic shut-off
- Different noise options to suit a variety of needs
- Adjustable volume
- Removable cord allowing for ease in disassembly and travel
The not so good
- Disassembly for travel is a little challenging at times
Our rating: 4.0/5
First Impressions
Upon unboxing, it was clear that Avantek didn’t cut corners with product design or packaging. The product was heavily padded with industrial foam and encapsulated within a sturdy box to prevent any issues with shipping and handling. Surprisingly, I think this box may have had more padding than the packaging for my iPhone 8.
If you choose to order straight from Avantek, I can guarantee you won’t have issues with product damage during shipping and handling.
After the initial unboxing, I was somewhat surprised with the overall size of the product relative to the packaging it came shipped in. The box was rather large but the device itself could easily fit in the palm of your hand with ease (4” x 4” x 2.5”).
Pros and Cons
The unit itself is extremely light (10oz) and is easily situated on a nightstand or dresser for use while sleeping. However, Avantek has chosen to provide 20 individual sounds:
- 6 white noise sounds
- 6 fan sounds
- 8 nature sounds: ocean waves, rain, wind, stream, birds, crickets, campfire, and ticking clock
As such, you could use this unit to provide white noise while studying, working, or reading. Not only that, the unit comes with a built in 7-hour timer allowing automatic shutoff even while sleeping. However, if you’re not interested in the timed feature, you can simple use the one touch on/off function which will allow the unit to play continuously until it is manually shutoff.
After using the device in a variety of situations, I was quite pleased with the adjustable volume feature. In the past, I have used more simplistic white noise generators which lacked volume control options and I found environmental was still problematic even with ear plugs.
The only downside
As a whole, I’m very happy with what Avantek brings to the table. However, the one issue I had with the unit was the design of the power adapter and its attachment to the unit. To me it would have made more sense to have a port on the side of the unit as opposed to the underside.
Their current port still allows the unit to sit flat when facing up or positioned on its side. But, the issue arises when one wants to remove the power cord for transportation or travel. Based on the “L” design, it is quite difficult to remove and could even result in shorts within the cord if the user needs to remove it repeatedly over time.
If someone is using the unit primarily for sleep or business endeavors then this likely isn’t an issue. However, if someone is more accustomed to extensive travel, then this could become problematic. Some may prefer to leave the cord attached for travel but I found it much easier to transport once the power cord is removed.
Avantek vs Marpac Dohm
If you’re not familiar with white noise generators, Marpac (DOHM) makes one of the most well respected products on the market (NSF endorsed and 11,000+ Amazon reviews). I had been using their classic noise machine exclusively for the last 4-5 years with great success. Here’s a size comparison between the two models:
However, after using the Avantek model for a few weeks, I quickly realized there were two large drawbacks to the DOHM model:
- The cord attaches internally.
- There are only two sound settings (quiet and slightly louder).
Now obviously, I realize the technology at play here is vastly different – one uses an internal fan with adjustable noise vents (DOHM) and the other uses a speaker with different audio recordings (Avantek). I’m not sure there’s a benefit to one versus the other but the one obvious difference is the speaker gets significantly louder while also offering a variety of noise options.
“What about price?”
Avantek is priced rather competitively at $38 while DOHM comes in a little pricier at $45. Given the options each unit presents, I wouldn’t say I give an upper hand to either company but I will say, I can see a very unique application for each device.
If someone is dealing with a young child, Avantek could be a better option given the variety of sounds provided. However, DOHM presents a slightly more professional looking system with a different sound and look which seems more appropriate for clinical or business environments. Avantek also offers a professional model with a sleek profile along with a headphone jack which seems to be more business appropriate so I could see both units having an application.
Choose wisely but I think you’ll be satisfied with the unit from Avantek.
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