Homedics make some of the most popular sound machines on the market. If you’re looking to buy a sound machine or white noise generator, you’ll definitely come into contact with this company and their products. In addition to this article reviewing some of their models, take a look at the previous article on the same subject – Homedics White Noise Machine Reviews, and then come back and read this article, too.

Let’s start off with one of their most expensive sound machines to date. Is it worth it? Is it the best white noise machine or just a lot of hype or somewhere in between? Let’s find out!

HoMedics Sound Spa Platinum Sound Machine
With CD and Atomic Clock Radio
Price: $75 US
Sound: 12 Built In Sounds
Other Features: Clock
Other Features: Radio
Other Features: Image Projector
Other Features: CD Player

Let’s just start this review off right: don’t buy this unit if what you’re looking for is a white noise machine or white noise generator device. You don’t need a clock, radio, cd player, or – best of all – an image projected onto your ceiling (do you?!) to get a peaceful nights rest via white noise.

The thing is though, if you do want all those other features – which sound actually really cool, by the way – the truth is many customers have had problems with these cool features, especially the image projector. It breaks easily and also has some brightness issues i.e. the screen just emits too much light at night for some people, even when the setting is set for it to be dim. Sheesh!

It’s too bad, because this could be one of the best white noise machine + combo clock/CD player/image projectors around. I would love to use mine more if it were a more solid product. But my bedroom window already lets in enough light…

In summary, sorry HoMedics – but folks, you probably will want to avoid the Sound SPA Platinum Sound Machine from HoMedics.

The good news is that I think you’ll be interested in the next white noise sound machine below.

Homedics SS-4000 Sound Spa Classic Deluxe
With Clock Radio, Sound Machine, and Time Projection
Price: $40 US
Sounds: 6 Different Sounds (ocean, waterfall, summer night, rain forest, and rain)
Other Features: AM/FM Radio, Digital Clock, Time Projector (not to be confused with a time machine

This seems to me to be a better version of the Platinum version reviewed above, which is ironic since it costs almost half the price. Not sure what happened there behind the scenes but either way, this is one of those white noise machines with a cool few bells and whistles AKA features that actually work right.

Obviously, you’ve got your white noise device built in here, allowing you to choose from 6 different sounds. That’s nice enough (although again, why not give us a few more sounds than just these 6? Variety is the spice of life.)

Beyond this the unit has a sharp digital clock on it, and an alarm clock too which allows you to wake up to either soothing sounds, the radio, or the classic alarm clock. The extra feature here is the cool time projector, which shoots an image of the time in a nice soothing blue light vertically from the unit onto the ceiling.

If the product above this one sounded like it should be the most awesome Homedics product, the truth is, this is the one you want! Half the price, good features, good sounds – Homedics hit a slam dunk with this one. Awesome!

The use of white noise machines has proven very helpful for people who suffer from sleep problems. By blocking out sounds – also known as sound masking or masking noise – a white noise machine helps create an inner/outer dichotomy between your resting mind and the outside world. Once you get used to having white noise at night, it’s like a trigger that gets turned on in your brain that helps you fall asleep and get a good nights rest.

However, humans – well, we’re a creative bunch aren’t we? When it comes to white noise sound, this means we’re ready to out different applications for it and see what works. Here are 5 other reasons, beyond the main reason addressed in the opening paragraph – that people use white sound sound machines.

1. The White Noise Machine Office Hack
Offices are loud places. Sometimes, all that extra sound can put a damper on focusing on the task at hand. One manner of addressing this problem is to use an office white noise machine, which is another way of saying you just buy a normal white noise machine for the office!

2. The White Noise Machine Baby Helper
Babies and sleep. Wow, what a subject. I honestly can’t imagine how hard it must be to deal with a baby or infant of which is having sleep problems. A baby white noise machine was invented just for these kids. These sound machines for babies are designed to sit near their bed or cradle and do the same thing they do for adults – generate white noise and help the baby fall asleep. Awesome. (PS. Check out our review of the HoMedics SoundSpa SS-3000 Lullaby sound machine for babies.

3. The Travel White Noise Machine
Sleeping in hotels, airports, and airplanes is obviously not good for the spirit. Even if you get the best hotel with the best bed, it’s still not your bed! Add it all up, and you’ve got a ripe scenario for sleep problems. Enter the travel white noise machine. These units are compact, battery powered, solid, and equipped with external speakers as well as headphones. Travelers love them. If you travel, you will to. Take a look at our Travel White Noise Machine article for more info on portable sound machines!

While the best sounds machines from companies like Conair, HoMedics, Marpac, Sound Oasis, and Brookstone, are going to continue to get the most use from people who use them at home, it’s clear to see that the use of white noise has other applications and can be used in different situations where external, annoying, distracting sound would be much better serviced if it were replaced by a soothing sound machine.