Marpac Dohm DS Natural White Noise Sound Machine – An FYST Review

Joshua October 16, 2016 8 Comments

There are many benefits to the use of white noise machines. ?Foremost among them is the ability to control your sleep environment by blocking out unwanted noises, thus minimising any possible disturbances to your rest. If you’re having trouble sleeping due to noisy surroundings, the Marpac Dohm DS All Natural White Noise Sound Machine represents an excellent offering to meet your needs. Check the current price of this product here. After taking a look at all the features of this unit, we’ve provided our ratings below. Read on for further details!

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The Dohm’s Value Promise

The Dohm was developed over 50 years ago, and has undergone several iterations in its design. Interestingly enough, the very first prototype?of this product was comprised of a doggy dish, a fan and foam supports. Looking at its new sleek design, one can definitely tell it’s come a long way. Throughout all developments however, from its beginnings as the SoundMate, then the SoundScreen, and now the Dohm, it has served many in the area of sleep quality. It has been so effective in fact, that it has been named the “Official Sound Conditioner” of the National Sleep Foundation! In my humble opinion, this shows a level of credibility and commitment that few other brands can offer.

How Does It Work?

The Dohm-DS has a fairly simplistic design: it is essentially a two-speed motor with an asymmetric fan, all encased within an ABS plastic acoustic housing. The design of the housing and the fan allow the production of a very smooth and soothing sound which is basically?rushing air. Marpac calls this “the Marpac Signature Sound”, since the sound is created without any disturbance to the air immediately surrounding the device. If you’re curious about?the secret sauce–asymmetric fans are known to be quieter because of their blade design. This allows them to spread noise across a range of frequencies–and thus enables products like the Dohm to produce all-natural white noise. This differs from regular fans which tend to hit one frequency most of the time and which are also much louder. Though you won’t get a wide variety of other sounds and soundscapes, it goes without saying that the Dohm-DS can definitely provide you with the kind of masking necessary to get a good night’s sleep in a potentially noisy environment.

The acoustic housing of the Dohm-DS has two nifty features that can help you control the?tone and volume of the white noise produced. Firstly there is a “collar” which you can rotate. This “collar” slides across several vents around the circumference of the machine, and depending on the direction in which you turn it, you are able to alter the tonal frequency output. At the top of the device, there is a dial cap which allows you to make the sound either louder or softer.?Altering the speed of the internal fan so as to deliver a different pitch is as easy as flipping the switch at the base of the collar. At the end of the day, you can customise the sound produced so as to find the most comfortable setting at which you can slip away into the land of dreams. To give you a visual illustration of this, here’s an excerpt from the manual (this is for the Dohm-SS, or single speed edition, but it behaves very similarly):

The Dohm-DS is available in three different colours: white, black and tan. The product comes with an 8′ power cord that works with any standard/domestic 120V outlet. It has a relatively small footprint and can easily fit in a number of cosy places in your room. You would think with the fan inside that vibration would be a problem, but the design of the unit includes a foam base which essentially makes that concern a non-issue. And let’s not forget that Marpac offers a 1-year limited factory warranty–so should you have any issues, customer service is but a call away.

Pros of the Marpac Dohm-DS

• Proven Reputation – Marpac has been around for a long time. This product is one of the best in class when it comes to pure white noise machines, and based on user feedback, Marpac is very serious about its value promise. Less than 10% of users have reported serious issues with this product.
• Effectiveness?- This unit can effectively cancel?ambient noise from outside your room.?Users include college dorm students to night shift workers all looking to be able to have uninterrupted sleep in potentially active environments. Sounds like stomping, dogs barking, and loud music are all dampened or rendered well-nigh imperceptible based on user reports.
• Great for Babies – This product is very friendly for newborns and provides a way for parents to lull their children to sleep fairly rapidly. Some place the device in a safe location close to the crib and have reported very stellar results despite there being noise and activity outside the child’s room.
• Energy Efficiency – The Marpac Dohm-DS consumes a mere 18W of power for usage. Customers keep this on for hours during the night and have barely registered any increases on their utility bills.
• Affordability?- The Dohm-DS isn’t as highly priced as a few of the other sound conditioners on the market. That makes it a very economic solution if you want great sleep but are on a budget.
• Simplicity – Plug it in, flip a switch, turn the collar and the cap–the Dohm-DS is extremely easy to use. It may not have a lot of settings but it is very approachable for all users.

Cons of the Marpac Dohm-DS

• Rare Motor Failure – The most serious issue reported was that of the machine’s motor failing, producing a high-pitched whine and a smell of burning plastic. While reported by less than 5% of users, it is recommended of course that you test the device and report any defects to the manufacturer so that you can take advantage of your warranty period.
• Low Volume – Some users report that the product is too quiet. Naturally this is a subjective quality and is likely to be heavily based on individual user preferences and environments.
• Initial Scent – As with many plastic products in packaging for long periods, the Dohm-DS may emit a strange smell upon the first few days of use. This can be a turnoff for some, but it usually goes away so quickly that it doesn’t remain a problem for an inordinate?length of time.
• Not Enough Variation – Because this is a pure white noise machine with noise being generated mechanically, there’s some limitation?to the amount of variation one can experience. There are no soundscapes or alternative tracks with this product, but as an “all natural” offering, it focuses rather well on doing what it needs to do.

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The Bottom Line: The Marpac Dohm DS Natural White Noise Sound Machine produces great quality sound for a reasonable price. While it may not have some of the additional features of those that produce artificial and nature sounds, it stands out in its category for its simplicity and effectiveness in blocking out sound which will no doubt improve your sleep. If you’re interested in purchasing this item, hit the link below and get started.

I do hope you found this review to be informative! Should you have any feedback to share regarding this product or just generally, please leave me a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as is possible!

Sleep well until next time!

–Josh.