Minelab Yellow Headphones Review / Modifications

[cdv]

Since there seems to be a few questions about these waterproof Minelab phones and since I stepped up to get a pair so I can snorkel, I'd like to tell about my experiences with them and what I've had to do to make them workable in normal hunting conditions.

First off, I've used underwater detectors such as Aquasound, CZ-21, Sand Shark, ATX, Excal, CTX and now the Equinox. Out of that list, only the CTX and Equinox gave me problems underwater.....due to the inadequate headphones Minelab sells for underwater use. For the CTX I used yellows, 2 different GG Amphibians a set of OBN's audiosear headsets and a similar pair of HR Headphones. Hands down the audiosear phones work best on Minelabs but sadly will eventually die from water exposure over time..... The GG ampbians worked good but I had problems with the volume adjust knob corroding on one pair and a piezo assembly that leaked and corroded on the other.....both were reworked with Audiosear speakers.

The Minelab yellows don't use an adequately sized Piezo to give the needed volume and the plastic on the Koss earpieces is thin and allows to much ambient noise into the ear. On a windy day the surf and the wind will keep you from hearing your machine. 

I don't have the best hearing BUT I don't need hearing aids. The Aquasound, CZ-21, Sand Shark, ATX, Excal could blow your ears off with stock headphones (Garrett blues for the ATX). So, to help the inadequate yellow Minelabs, I took them apart and used flowable Silicon windshield sealant to coat the inside of the yellow earcups for ambient noise sound deadening, also I taped over the vent and drain holes (to be removed when snorkeling). In addition I then installed gel earpads on the phones. Doing all this has actually made the phones usable on a windy day and I'm sure will help underwater some too.

It is sad that Minelab has continued to use the same phones that were used on the Excal II. I am not an engineer but I'm willing to bet that the audio driver is more robust on the Excal II than on both the CTX and Equinox.....why not put out something that will work without using MAX volume on the machine?

Cliff

[Steve Herschbach]

Bummer. I just got mine but have not had a chance to use them yet. I will add my own thoughts on the volume when I have the chance but with my hearing my results are bound to be similar to yours. At least a couple other people are reporting the same thing you are.

Great report - thank you!

[Treasure_Adventure]

Appreciate the report, looks like I’ll steer away from these as I’m going to be mainly under water ? 

Someone mentioned the Hungarian ones are very loud and it looks like he’s selling them again.

[undersc0re]

My yellow minelabs for the equinox have the same poor sound issues. My hearing is good. They work ok, just might be hard to hear tones during slapping water and wind. Definetly a lot quieter than my atx blues!

[cjc]

that flowable silacone sealant is a great product ive recomended it a lot.  got a nice jumper to dodge the proprietary plug thing and was not thrilled by the volume of my CTX yellows on the EQ.  HR's are better but back when i got mine they had terrible structural issues.--wish something was available--audio is so critical with this machine.

cjc

[cdv]

For diving, the yellows probably will not work due to noise from the bubbles. Hopefully by next week, I'll be able to report on IF the modified ones will work for snorkeling.

Clive, I couldn't agree more, good audio with this machine is a must.

Cliff