Mechanic's Stethoscope - replacement tubing

[markhm]

I have an old K-D 835 stethoscope and the vinyl tubing has become hard and unusable. What is the best tubing to use to replace the vinyl? The vinyl is a 1/4" ID thin wall tube. Should I stay with vinyl or go to rubber or silicone or what? Should I stay thin wall or go to a thicker wall to dampen external sounds? Has anyone had experience replacing the tubing on theirs and have you been able to make it an even better tool when you did it? I would like to buy tubing that will enhance the sound from the tip while damping external noise. And this is a USA made tool in otherwise perfect condition, so I don't want to replace it with a new import version.

 

[seber]

All soft hoses will have essentially the same damping qualities. Two stroke fuel line is easily available and comes in almost any size.