New Minelab Manticore

[dsb]

I bet 3/4 of WM 80's never seen more then 1 charge.  I'd use mine more if they made a screw in adaptor for 1/4 inch.

[phrunt]

I've got two WM08's and never used either, I have 3 ML80's and only used one pair one time, the others are unused.

[Sinclair]

I‘ve used the ML80s for about 1 year. Switched to WM08 and never looked back. I‘ve used the ML80s one single time afterwards - it was awful! Too muffled, everything sounded somewhat the same. Difficult to hear size and depth.. good targets didn‘t have that extra „oomph“, which makes you dig.

[Dan(NM)]

I used the ML80 headphones maybe twice with my Equinox. The sound quality in my opinion was lacking. I use the WM08 99.% of the time. I have been unable to find any Bluetooth LE transmitter-receivers or BLE wireless earbuds on the market so far. I am hoping that by springtime some affordable BLE products will hit the market. I live in Central Texas, by spring it gets way too hot for over the year headphones.

[steveg]

NAGANT and phrunt --

I hear you; I have only used my WM08 a time or two also (and both times I did, I used my favorite headphones -- the SunRay Pro Golds...I'm with you there, GB_Amateur!)

BUT -- that's because I was able to select from any number of Bluetooth aptX-LL headphone models on the market, and found some that sounded pretty good to my ears; good enough anyway that I didn't feel it imperative to use the WM08 and my Pro Golds.  

WITH THAT SAID, had the Minelab ML80 been the ONLY wireless headphone available, that would work with the Equinox, I GUARANTEE I would have used the WM08 and my Pro Golds, exclusively.

So, I'm not saying Minelab NEEDS to produce a "WM" type of module.  What I AM saying is that if Minelab uses a proprietary technology for the Manticore headphones, such that the Minelab-supplied headphones are the only option, THEN there may be much more interest, from a larger number of users, for a "WM" type of module.  

In other words, it's not apples-to-apples to say that folks not using the WM08 (in light of all the Bluetooth headphone options that are compatible with the Equinox) means that folks would NOT use a "WM" type of module with the Manticore, IF WE ASSUME that only the Minelab-supplied headphones will be compatible with the Manticore, and no others.

And the reason I keep harping on this point, is that I have HEARD (though my sources may be incorrect) that the wireless technology Minelab is using with the Manticore IS INDEED proprietary to Minelab.  I hope folks who have heard that the Manticore headphones will use Bluetooth LE technology, are correct...

Steve

[Sinclair]

I think it would be pretty dumb to not follow at least the BT road. It was one of the reasons I‘ve bought the Nox - albeit I‘ve never found any good BT integrated headphones - using standard protocols is always a good idea.

Minelabs response to my questions from this morning leave this part open:

“The full audio details have not been published yet, but my current understanding is that MANTICORE requires dedicated Minelab Wireless Headphones to be used with the detector. The MANTICORE Wireless Headphones are supplied as standard with the detector and deliver low latency audio from the detector.

The MANTICORE Wireless Headphones are over-ear headphones with a very similar form-factor to those used on our latest premium Gold Detector; the GPX 6000. These are comfortable headphones for long periods of detecting and also come with an optional curly wire to enable them to be used as traditional wired headphones.

There is not an optional wireless module available like the EQUINOX WM08 or CTX 3030 WM10.
The WM08 / WM10 / WM12 wireless modules are not compatible with the MANTICORE.“

 

Unbelievable why the audio details haven‘t been released yet… 

[steveg]

17 minutes ago, Sinclair said:

I think it would be pretty dumb to not follow at least the BT road. It was one of the reasons I‘ve bought the Nox - albeit I‘ve never found any good BT integrated headphones - using standard protocols is always a good idea.

Minelabs response to my questions from this morning leave this part open:

“The full audio details have not been published yet, but my current understanding is that MANTICORE requires dedicated Minelab Wireless Headphones to be used with the detector. The MANTICORE Wireless Headphones are supplied as standard with the detector and deliver low latency audio from the detector.

The MANTICORE Wireless Headphones are over-ear headphones with a very similar form-factor to those used on our latest premium Gold Detector; the GPX 6000. These are comfortable headphones for long periods of detecting and also come with an optional curly wire to enable them to be used as traditional wired headphones.

There is not an optional wireless module available like the EQUINOX WM08 or CTX 3030 WM10.
The WM08 / WM10 / WM12 wireless modules are not compatible with the MANTICORE.“

 

Unbelievable why the audio details haven‘t been released yet… 

Thanks for sharing, Sinclair, and hence my concern -- a "one-size-fits-all" (one-tone-profile-fits-all) headphone option that is proprietary, with no other options available (unless you go "wired").

Extremely frustrating, if this turns out to be the case...

Steve

[rled2005]

2 hours ago, NAGANT said:

I bet 3/4 of WM 80's never seen more then 1 charge.  I'd use mine more if they made a screw in adaptor for 1/4 inch.

I used my ML-80 headphones once after I bought the Equinox 800. A 2 years later I decided to use them, but they were dead. I put them on a charger overnight and they didn't charge, and I tried 3 more times, but they wouldn't work. They worked when on the charger but not off the charger. I called Minelab USA and told them that I used them one time. Apparently, my warranty ran out, so they said they could sell me a new pair for $130. I told them, no thank you!

I opened the headphones up and found that the battery had burst. I ordered a battery of the same type and amp hours off of Ebay. I replaced the battery, and they work now.  So Phrunt, keep checking your extra ML-80's.

[PSPR]

Minelab seems to have gone out of their way to not say much about the wireless headphone tech nor about the discrimination tech other than iron discrimination.   And, a poster on another forum mentioned that he talked to a Minelab Engineer and was told that the Manticore is going to "change the way we detect."  Something revolutionary supposedly.  So, I think there is something awesome coming in the Manticore that the Reps and the videos have not divulged.  That could be why the manual has not been released yet.  They don't want to give away the big advantage of the Manticore until the last moment.   Again, we'll see.

[dsb]

I meant the 08 module not the headphones.  Haven't used mine since the only decent headphones I had that fit died. They were old but sounded great with the mn08, heard faint signal breaks better then the ML80's.  But the 80's are pretty good.