I understand everything you say. I’ve owned and used them all including the Manticore and D2. My contention is that, in real world hunting, 32 years of technology has produced few additional finds. In fact in uncontaminated ground, I know that old Silver Eagle will find deeper targets than the D2, Legend, or Manticore. I know because I’ve hunted extensively with all 3 in uncontaminated ground.
Also, I didn’t tweak the settings on either machine. I know both can be improved with tweaks. Next, if you didn’t hear the minie ball sound off at 13 1/2, turn up your volume. I don’t stretch.
Please understand, if the Legend didn’t have advantages over the other two, I wouldn’t own it. I especially like that it’s waterproof.
My main point is that, when it comes to actual targets recovered, the technological advancement in metal detectors is unimpressive.
I’m not telling anybody what to use. That’s an issue of personal preference. I’ve chased the technology for over three decades only to discover that I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars for little actual performance advancement.
Use the machine you prefer. That’s what makes it fun.