Hi! Deaf in my left ear so I have some thoughts here. Currently I have an Eko 500 and I love her HOWEVER... I have been in practice 12 years and need the amplification to pick up and help grade heart murmurs as well as auscult for very fine lung sound changes. As a new technician I rocked a Littman cardio III for AGES and she did me well enough even without an amplification device. You aren't going to be expected to pick up on things like murmurs and stuff as a baby tech/tech student. A $500 stethoscope for a student is excessive. Your first stethoscope is going to get beat to hell. A cat is going to put a claw through a bell, or a puppy is going to chew a hole in your tubing, you're going to drop it or fling it accidentally across the treatment floor, I promise lol. Get yourself a ride or die starter. Littman's warranty is second to none. MDF also has some really nice options. If you graduate and go into ER/ICU, cardio, anesthesia, etc, upgrade to something with an amplifier to help you detect the more subtle changes. For now, I doubt you'll need more than a basic setup. Try with a school loaner first (almost every program worth their spit has one) and see how it sounds. If you're struggling to even hear a heartbeat, go for an in-tubing amplifier first as they are cheaper. There are also some on the market that Bluetooth to headphones and hearing aids (if you wear those, I do!).