Headphones For Metal Detectors

[El Dorado]

Most of the chat and subject matter is about detectors, as it should be. The time has come for a new set of headphones and it is time for us to get a new set. Is there any difference in requirements for headphones on different detector brands, VLF vs PI, hard of hearing, etc? I am in the market and want to hear from others that have much more knowledge than I.

[Steve Herschbach]

I wrote a little article on the subject at Steve's Guide to Headphones for Metal Detecting

Here is a good article on the technical aspects http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-impedance

I hate to say it but best solution is plug them in and try them. Headphones I love you may hate! But for what it is worth I use and have abused DetectorPro headphones for years. They make good stuff and am using Nugget Busters these days. I was a Gray Ghost fan until I lost hearing in my right ear so now I prefer dual volume controls. I also took a liking recently to the Sun Ray Pro Gold. Real leather muffs do not sweat as much otherwise they are similar to Gray Ghosts with dual volume controls. I would like to get some Killer B headphones someday. A friend had a set and I liked the look and feel.

I like tighter headphones and some people do not. When I dig aggressively the Koss headphones that come with a GPX fly off my head. I guess my head is on the smaller side.

[Shasta gold hunter]

I have a set of nugget busters that are awesome on my gold bug pro but sound muted on my gp3000. I have to flick the selector switch to make it work on each machine but can't get decent volume on the minelab. The koss are much much louder. I turn down the detector volume with the koss to make them bearable. I really like the busters but don't know what is up with them on the Gp....is this common or are they faulty?

[ddmk6]

While I'm not a headphone aficionado, I have tried a couple different pair.  I currently have a set of the Nugget Buster NDT's.  I bought these on due to the replaceable headphone cord.  I'm still not really sold on the replaceable cord (been through 2 of them) but I really do like the phones themselves.  I love the separate volume knobs on each ear.  My hearing is not the same in both ears and it allows me to get a centered "stereo" sound.  They fit me really well and like Steve mentioned, I prefer a snug fit.  I hate phones flopping around while I'm trying to dig or set the detector down. 

 

The sound is excellent using them with the GPX 5000.  With the settings on the 5000 and the high volume limiter, you can really tweak them to clearly hear those faint signals. Love them on the GMT as well.  I'm not so sure I like them with the AT Gold.  May be just me but the sound seems "off" or like it doesn't really match the detector tones if that makes sense.  I'm still getting used to the AT though, maybe I will grow into it.  I will probably end up with a set of Grey Ghost amphibians for the AT though since I have plans for dunking it when things warm up a bit.

 

Good luck with your search.

 

Kenny

[Steve Herschbach]

I have a set of nugget busters that are awesome on my gold bug pro but sound muted on my gp3000. I have to flick the selector switch to make it work on each machine but can't get decent volume on the minelab. The koss are much much louder. I turn down the detector volume with the koss to make them bearable. I really like the busters but don't know what is up with them on the Gp....is this common or are they faulty?

All the Minelab PI units prior to the GPX were noted for weak audio, creating a cottage industry for aftermarket amplifiers. When the GPX came out and introduced the new battery it also included an amplifier integrated into the new battery. This pretty much solved the problem with the GPX series and mine runs great with my Nugget Busters.

Anyway, the issue is not so much your headphones but the GP 3000 audio output.

[Shasta gold hunter]

OK thanks. Good thing the koss work well with it. Any others that you know of that work well without the amp? Thanks Matt

[El Dorado]

Great info, thanks a bunch for all the input

[El Dorado]

Loads of fantastic info and really fast. Thanks for the feedback.... Looks like a set of Nugget Busters will be the choice.

[klunker]

Detector Pro- Good product, good folks to deal with. Head phones are one of those places where saving money can be expensive.

 I always use an amplifier. It takes a lot of volume to get through my thick head.

 

DDMKS; That's a kinda ratty lookin' Toyota but I think some of the folks here might be interested in what it's made out of.

[snakejim]

The Black Widow is a good headphone if you are hard of hearing.

http://www.detectorpro.com/blackwidow.htm

 

Jim