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Have been looking bck. at past post on waterproof headphones for 800 NOX. Just wondering if there is a clear winner ?

Before buying the standard headphones offered by Fisher I’m looking a recommendation for any other options. Has anyone found something better than the standard offering? thanks, Morgan

Just curious since I have a pair of the Garretts that I haven't touched since I got my Equinox. I love the headphones and while I like the Minelab wireless phones for me the Garretts are superior. Any of you folks use them on your Equinox? Bill (S. CA)

Can someone please tell me how long the Minelab adapter cable is to go from 1/8 to 1/4 headphones? Thanks Dave

I have broken my head phones that came with my Minlab monster 1000. I have tried searching for another pair that will work without rewiring everything but I don't understand exactly what it is I need. Can anyone recommend a good pair of head phones for the Monster 1000?

Has anyone had the chance to compare the two of them? With the Kruzer I run the wireless phones at 6 but have to run the w/p phones at 9-10 and if it’s windy or lots of boat noise around it can seem a little quiet. If they have upped the wired headphone volume I may consider an upgrade.

I know you guys want to keep your trade secrets, but can you shed a little light on the effects of your "filters". I've read elsewhere that in retrospect your choice of the term filters was probably misplaced. We'll stick to the same terms so as not to confuse people. I've been running your enhancer for about 12 hrs total and have experimented with the settings some. My particular choice in running the Z machine has always been with absolute minimum threshold and low smoothing with as much Sensitivity as I can get away with. Rarely if ever do I use Difficult because it has proven time and again to miss small deep targets in the relatively mild ground of the Desert Southwest of Arizona. I started out with your enhancer on "filter" 2 which seemed to be a nice "bright" kind of tone, but the more I struggle with hot rocks and variable hot ground I've taken to "filter" 3. Filter 3 as first seems to have an overall dulling effect to the entire sound spectrum, but I'm starting to think it rounds off the high tones enough to extend my detecting time from hearing/sensory overload. Maybe I could have reached to same goal by playing with the Z tone control, I just haven't taken the time to experiment more. As always, individual hearing is all subjective, and perhaps this is just an unintended affect on my hearing and is meaningless to other people. Can you share a little more of your theory of how these enhancers were intended to work, whether or not you achieved that goal.

So now I've got a Gpx 4500 my phobia of headphones is really getting to me, I hate the things. I want to hook up an external speaker to it, I have tried an external speaker I had laying around and unfortunately the amp on the battery doesn't kick in using it so I assume its to do with it having a stereo plug on it. Kiwijw mentioned he thinks you need a mono plug for the amp to kick in, if this is the case I'll just cut the end off and add a mono plug but I wanted to be sure before doing this that's what kicks the amp in. I've also ordered what seems to be the popular speaker for the 4500 However it comes with a 3.5mm mono plug, so I'd need to change that to a 6.5mm plug (1/4") The problem I see is they're being advertised for GPX detectors looking like this So they've put a stereo plug on that one, and advertising it for GPX 4500's Would that not mean the amp won't kick in and you'd need a booster? Does anyone know for certain what makes the batteries amp kick in? Even JP sells his one with the stereo plug, I'm puzzled https://outbackprospector.com.au/jonathan-porter-gold-prospecting-external-speaker/ Thanks

Well I can say for sure the wireless headphones that come with the 800 model are the best I've found so far. I've been experimenting with different wireless brands of headphones and I've yet to find a single pair that comes close to the performance and minimal lag time compared to the stock phones. Amazing machine. Congrats Minelab. Minelab Bluetooth / Apt-X Low Latency Wireless Headphones for Equinox 3011-0370

Reviewing Tony Eisenhower's Headphones for the Equinox A buddy of mine—Drew in British Columbia Canada was kind enough to let me try a set of Tony Eisenhower Headphones for the Equinox for a couple of weeks. Out of the box I could see that these were a very well thought out high quality set of phones. The plug itself was really good quality and featured a “pigtail” type strain relief going up the cable—something I’ve never seen on this size / style of plug. There was also an added “Velcro” strain relief on the cord to attach to the detector wand. This prevents any accidental yanks from reaching the plug. With this in place the cable was the perfect length. Having just rewired one of these for the fifth time on a set of aftermarket phones and struggling to strip and solder the tiny leads—this bit of detail was a good sign. This hardware was rock solid. The phones feature an arch array that’s geared for right handers but they fit almost as well “backwards.” From looking at the assembly it would only take a minute to reverse them, to left handed. It was when I turned them on that the quality became apparent. They had a nice, clean “muted but loud” sound that was pleasant and as I began to run though the various types of Equinox audio—nice in all ranges. When I went to “50 Tones some of these really stood out—the mid gold range. I also found that the response range was so much better than the stock phones that they seemed to actually give the detector more depth in my tests. One of the first things I do with a new machine is to learn to hear the “faint ones” and with Tony’s phones seemed to really enhance the EQ’s faint range. I made a note to do some more testing before venturing onto the beach with them. In the water the signal was audible underwater although the low tones could have been louder this is more to do with the machine. In corresponding with Tony I asked him what kind of speakers he used and was told: “Mine are 800 ohm, 2” piezos mounted to custom phenolic boards and potted in self levelling silicone to make them fully waterproof.” I genuinely had the sense that these changed the audio characteristics of the Equinox dramatically—letting it reach deeper. Tony added his trademark line “…I like ‘em” So do I.

Bear in mind that hearing is highly subjective. My experiences will in no way be the same as anyone else's and I'm forced to use imprecise terms to describe my efforts. At 64 yrs old my hearing is relatively good and high frequency noise bothers me more than most. We all know that the Z7000 is a noisy machine but with time and experience our hearing adapts and we become more proficient with it's tendencies. So, after 3 or 4 months away from the machine it's like starting all over and wondering, wow this detector is really noisy. That's how it has been for me over the last couple days out here in Sunny Yuma. Add in some decent rain last month and certain rock types hold some moisture and became a major hot rock nuisance. I hit a deep gully yesterday that had a lot of decomposing course grained granite. The granite is ordinarily pretty mild, but the left over moisture was making fist sized chunks into high spiking hot rocks. They're really not the kind of hot rocks that sound like nuggets, the tone is a short high pitch that falls off very quickly. Going to the Difficult setting really calms them down, but then you're missing small faint nuggets. Raising the coil and going painfully slow is one solution, as well as keeping detecting sessions short. I decided to see if there was some kind of intermediate step with the SteelPHASE system of filters. After some trail and error I settled on Z7000 settings of High Yield, Normal, Sens 12, Low Smoothing, with just enough threshold to level off the spiking signals. Then I played with the SteelPHASE. I used the recommended Mode 1, then went through the various filter settings. Filter 1 and 2 give me a high "tinny" kind of tone over the hot rocks, not helpful. Filter 3 as best I can describe dulls all the tones, but was the best choice in this circumstance to dull the high tones of hot rocks. After a half hr I was cruising along pretty good partly because my hearing was adapting and the SteelPHASE was keeping the annoying hotrocks at a manageable level, or so I think. I finally got over a very faint signal well into the side bank of the gully. I went through everything I could think of to test the equipment. First I left everything in place and switched to Difficult. Not a peep. Then with everything in place I raised and lowered the sensitivity. Sens below 9, the tone was barely audible and mainly because I knew it was already there. I doubt it would have stopped me otherwise given all the noise in hotrock heaven. Raised Sens really made it stand out, but the noise would have been unmanageable for normal prospecting. Then I unplugged from the SteelPHASE and plugged my earbuds directly into the Z. The tone was audible over the target and probably enough to stop me in normal prospecting mode. Back into the SteelPHASE for a comparison. As best I can tell the SteelPHASE gave me some "separation" from background noise and a bit of "distinction" or "amplification" of the actual target. By that time I had pulled all the surface hot rocks away, so I was no longer bombarded with that kind of noise. I switched back and forth a few times and found the SteelPHASE gave me a more noticeable tone, (I think). I dug this tiny nugget out and was again amazed at what the Z7000 can do on small gold. This nugget was back into the side bank and down at least 6 inches. I think its round ball shape gives it a better density that favors detection at this depth. So, with a 6 hrs use on the SteelPHASE in some very limited circumstances, I would say that it is helpful but not a game changer. Anything that boosts my confidence and keeps me in the field a bit longer will no doubt increase my odds. Perhaps for the guys who use external speakers and need an amplifier anyway, this is a good investment. I just don't use speakers so we'll have to wait for one of them to chime in. Given its $200.00 pricetag, I give it a neutral thumbs up/down for now. I'll keep at it, it's early yet and will report more as it happens.

The weather is finally starting to break here in Sunny Yuma. Still hitting the high 80's but the mornings are decent. I got out for a few hrs this morning to try out the new SteelPhase signal enhancer. I picked one up from Rob at Rob's Detectors in Surprise, AZ. I'm a sucker for every new piece of equipment that might give me an edge on the other guys. I wired the SP01 directly to the Z7000 with my in-ear monitors (earbuds) plugged into the headphone jack of the unit, I didn't use the standard Minelab wireless module for this test. I can't say I wouldn't have found this nugget without the SteelPHASE but it didn't hurt. The signal was very faint in some pretty active ground. After I was fairly certain I had a faint signal I ran through the "filters" on the SP01. Position 3 really dulls all the tones, but the faint target signal was still pretty clear. Position 2 seemed to be the best. It was a long tedious dig getting through the interlocking rocks of a deep desert gully. At about 18 inches I was down to sensitivity level 1 on the detector and still having trouble with the tone overload. I got out my new and unused Minelab Pro-Find pinpointer (more toys) and bingo, pinpoint problems solved. The 2 nuggets were actually attached by a thin strand of gold but came apart when I tried to clean the dirt off. A good morning all in all. I have detected this gully at least half a dozen times, and I know that BeatUp has detected it at least as many times. I saw BeatUp's well covered and concealed dig holes so it has been a producer in the past. Next time out I'll try and check targets with and without the SP01 to see what kind of difference there might exist.

On one of the earlier posts someone mentioned that they were using The Sennheiser CX 6.00BT wireless APTX Low Latency in ear headset (Ear Buds) and he said that they were excellent with the Equinox. I followed his advice and bought a set and I am now waiting for delivery of them, does any one use this type of APTX Low Latency Ear Buds and if so how are you finding them. I am almost completely deaf and have to use my hearing aids under the cupped headphones and as a result my ears tend to become sweated up and I am not sure if all of this dampness will be detrimental to my hearing aids and it is now becoming really hot here in the UK so went with the idea of using the Sennheiser CX 6.00 BT wireless Low Latency ear bud phones, I have also bought the Avantree Audition Pro Aptx Low Latencey wireless headphones and I have used them several times over the past 4 weeks and I am finding them much lighter and with better ear scope to allow me to keep my hearing aids in and with plenty of free space to prevent my hearing aids squealing and whistling, my Minelab ML80 wireless headphones do not have the same loose cup freedom fitting and tend to squeeze on my hearing aids and set them off whistling which is most annoying. Any feedback will be appreciated. Good Hunting Randy Dee

If you want a good pair of headphones that works with almost anything with no problems then get the Sun Ray Pro Gold CTX version. They are wired to work with anything, including the various Minelab models. I use mine on the GPZ 7000, Gold Monster, and Equinox including WM08 plus many other brand detectors and have not found anything yet they would not work with. The only thing is they do not work underwater. https://www.sunraydetector.com/sun_ray_pro.html

I haven’t been able to get away and hunt very much this year due to various reasons and last week I finally found a little free time so I headed to the hills for a few days of hanging out with Zed. In anticipation of getting away for a hunt I called Rob and had him send me one of those new SteelPHASE enhancer/filter’s and wow fastest shipping I’ve ever experienced, Rob must have jumped on a plane and stuffed it in my mail box, or could have just been overnight shipping anyway it was really fast. Gold was very scarce nails, tiny bits of rust, tacks and bird shot were a plenty the tiny piece of gold weighing in at a whopping 1.95 grains I did find this trip gave a clear indication down under around 3” of forrest mulch and soil, this is the smallest bit of gold I’ve found with the 7000 to date. I’d attribute finding this piece to the sP01 it made the zed a little more stable and tightened up the target response it was easier to tell the difference between ground noise and targets and I was digging some deep small bits of rusty nail and other itsy bits of trash. The sP01 was comfortable to carry too, I was a little concerned about adding another gadget to the mix with more cables to get in the way and after getting my enhancer I was thinking the cable used for connecting to the wm12 might be a little long. Wrong, everything was perfect and if not for the fact my detector was running great I could forget anything was different in my setup. With the sP01 clipped to my zed harness on the head phone shoulder side and the wm12 on the other shoulder the cable ran perfectly over the wm12 shoulder around my back and under the arm on the sP01 side. Once plugged in the cable never hung up or got in my way was comfortable, really great product engineering. I also bought a SpotX satellite device, so many (most) of the remote areas we go into alone have no cell service and help is a long way off. In short it’s good, but not great an evolving technology. In a nutshell it works although on its own schedule at least with non-emergency texts, most of mine were sent, some did not and I think there are limitations on how soon one text can be sent after another I’m still figuring the little quirks out something with traffic limitations and the system needing to reset...but, don’t ask cause I don’t know. The service has nine different rates based on 3 different plans, a basic, advanced and an unlimited service ranging from around $14 a month to $40 a month for the unlimited flex plan. The basic plan monthly payments gets you 12 texts a month, the advanced plan get you 100 texts a month plus more frequent satalite access and unlimited is well... the three tiers are repeated except when you pay the year up front you get all your available text limit for the year and they all are good for the entire year plus it’s a couple bucks cheaper, the three levels are again repeated as flex, this has slightly higher rates and no one year commitment you can start/stop as it fits all the plans come with an $100 activation fee. I chose the advanced with 1200 texts for the year. I also added rescue insurance, roadside assistance and replacement insurance for an additional $85, the rescue insurance provides $100K/$50K per occurrence, roadside 50miles towing free, off road ok and winching service available at the push of a button that also sends the tow service your gps and a map with your location pinpointed, you can also send the gps data and map with a text. All in all The device, tax, fee and service for the year set me back roughly $750, cheap insurance I think. There are also other tracking and social networking features, it’s actually a great device and gave me some comfort knowing if I needed I could get help and also it was great being able to send my wife a note and let her know everything was good.

Just FYI.....On 8 Sep, I posted my review of the LS Pelso waterproof headphones for the Equinox...link below I waited to get my own however until the new version with the longer cable was delivered to Kellyco. They came in this past week and I immediately picked up a set and tried them in my test garden and backyard. I was honestly hearing more tones and more clearly than ever. The volume was much more than adequate. They fit over my hat better than others I've used and were very comfortable as I stated in that initial review. The extended cable made a world of difference as they have a 24" straight section that connects to the control box and can be routed and attached under the detector shaft all the way to the shaft's back end where the coiled section begins....a big improvement! My first impression of these headphones was not only confirmed but enhanced...so much so that I picked up a second set for use on my CTX 3030! Kellyco now can supply these headphones for multiple detectors: Equinox: https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/ls-pelso-underwater-headphones-with-long-cable CTX 3030: https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/underwater-headphones-compatible-with-ctx-3030 Kruzer: https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/underwater-headphones-kruzer Disclaimer: I am not an employee of Kellyco nor am I under any obligation to Kellyco for these reviews. My sole purpose is to share my experience with our metal detecting community.

For those of you who are intending to get wet with your Equinox, there are now several options. Of course there are the Minelab headphones, and Grey Ghost has a model they have brought out. I don't know anyone who is using them yet but both are pretty established outfits. Tony Eisenhower is making a custom set (see his YouTube video) and I have two friends who love them. And now you can add one more...under the brand name of Patriot. Some of you may know that brand and its maker, Joe Demarco, a very well known hunter. His Patriot land phones are very good - I have known several hunts who have liked them. I should imagine his waterproof headphones are equally good. Here's a link to his phones: http://demarcodetectorsales.com/en/patriot-equinox-water-weq No advocacy here of one over the other but I thought it might be helpful to put the current choices all up in one place if you are considering waterproof headphones for your Equinox. Bill

I just got this in a dealer email saying that Gray Ghost waterproof headphones for the Equinox are either in stock or shipping to dealers at this time. I will take the bit about unsurpassed volume performance with a grain of salt but hope it's true. Available now - Gray Ghost Amphibian Waterproof Headphones for Minelab Equinox The design is 100% waterproof and totally submersible to a maximum of 30 feet! No compromise in sound quality or functionality. Improved speaker design. Unsurpassed volume performance. The Minelab Equinox connector has a IP68 rated connector. Our quality, fully waterproof connectors protect the integrity and functionality of your detector. Technical Specifications: Heavy-duty Coil Cable with IP68 Waterproof Plug Heavy-duty IP68 Waterproof Volume Control allows you to adjust your volume to suit your detecting conditions on land or in the water. Solid-state Speakers Designed for Maximum Sensitivity, efficiency, durability in dry or wet conditions, regardless of depth. Special Sound-blocking Muff Design eliminates ambient noise up to 24 decibels Heavy-duty Thick, Plush, Soft Polymer Cushions with full-ear surround. Heavy-duty Muff-to-Muff Connection Cable Adjustable Fully Padded Headband… No screws… No wire frame… No rust! Compact Carry and Storage fold-able design. Prior thread on subject Gray Ghost Amphibian Headphones For Minelab Equinox

I'm a former XP Deus user and have been searching around for aptX LL headphones similar to my old Deus WS4 wireless backphones so that I can wear sunhats. I purchased the 66 AUDIO BTS Pro's last week and was pretty disappointed after syncing them up to the Equinox 800 and no aptX LL!!! I contacted their tech support and didn't hear anything for a couple of days. I boxed them up to return to Amazon and just as I was heading out the door to the UPS Store I received an email from them saying "We will send over a manual firmware update in 1-2 days to resolve the aptX-LL issue." Two days later (today) I got the firmware update. The update went smoothly on my PC, I synced up to the Equinox 800 and aptX LL now works GREAT!!! I tested them out around my garden and they're awesome. If anyone needs the firmware update file without having to wait four days send me a PM. These headphones sound great, loud, are comfortable and have some pretty impressive specs with a 40 hour battery and 100 foot range. https://www.66audio.com/bts-pro https://www.amazon.com/66-AUDIO-Wireless-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B01M8M4R7K

Hi All I was just wondering if there’s a way to use other Wireless Bluetooth headphones/ Earbuds instead of the one’s that came with the detector?. Just asking as my ears can get quite sweaty with the over ear headphones on during summer months and it’d be great if I could use another option. As I’m sure many others I’m guessing would be in the same vote as myself. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

If you have some waterproof headphones you want to work on your Equinox you just need one of these https://goo.gl/ZsKWpx I always like to fill this sort of thing with epoxy after testing it to ensure there is no chance ever of water getting in or any pressure on the solder from pulling on the cord.

LS.PELSO Waterproof Headphones for the Minelab Equinox Colonel Dan 5 September 2018 I had an opportunity to test these new waterproof headphones for the Equinox and wanted to share my thoughts with those on this forum. Rest assured, I have no financial interest in these headphones and am under no obligation in any way to Kellyco, the retailer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upfront Disclaimer: I'm neither an engineer nor an employee of Kellyco, I'm just a guy who uses his detecting equipment like many of you. The internal technical details of how the equipment is manufactured and functions I leave to the experts. This independent review is strictly from the average Equinox user stand point and focuses on what detectorists like me look for in a good set of headphones. First Impression: Solid. My initial impression of the LS.PELSO headphones was how solidly constructed they were; no flimsy materials anywhere. The cable was especially impressive; first class quality all the way and long enough to ensure ease of use without placing any strain on the cable. Fit and Comfort: Very good. Sufficiently tight without unduly squeezing your head as some headphones I've tried. They're easily adjusted for proper fit and stay in place very well even under sweaty conditions. The ear pads are soft, comfortable and well fitting. Ambient noise reduction: Excellent. The LS.PELSO headphone base unit was originally designed for hearing protection/noise reduction and modified to include underwater speakers. Consequently, they reduce outside noise extremely well. The true test; I could easily hear faint signals of small deep targets with negligible distracting sounds from the environment. Tone Quality: Exceptional. The speakers provide outstanding tonal quality under all test conditions. Clear, crisp and distinct. These headphones don't use piezo technology but high quality underwater speakers...a big difference in my view! Faint Signals: Excellent. The combination of effective noise reduction and high quality tones produced by real speakers work hand in hand in producing those faint whispers where many good targets try to hide. With these headphones, I could pick up those small targets at depth well enough to certainly prompt me to dig them. Durability: Looking good. I obviously can't report on long term durability since I only had these a few days for testing and review purposes. Having said that, based solely on the observed quality of the materials and construction, I'm going to bet these will be more durable than many I've used. Waterproof: Absolutely. I think the best testimonial I could provide comes from a hunting buddy who had his set completely submerged for 30 minutes and they worked perfectly throughout. Speakers vs Piezo: I can't testify as to any detailed engineering specifications but I can and will say this; these are the first headphones I've ever had on my head where I had to turn the volume down on my detector. Although these headphones aren't equipped with an independent volume control, I never missed that feature. The volume control of my Equinox was more than sufficient for adjusting it to a comfortable level. When I first turned on my detector with these headphones attached, I was indoors and the Equinox volume was set at 25--they nearly blew my ears off. Outdoors, I was certainly able to adjust the volume sufficiently to insure those whispers were heard. On other headphones I've used with an independent volume control, I had to keep them at max level. As noted, these headphones utilize true underwater speakers and are thus far beyond any I've used which employ piezo technology. Conclusion: I'm sorry I had to give them back after testing but I will have a set of these. They're truly superior water proof headphones in my estimation and will become my “go to” set for the Equinox in and out of the water! Now you may ask, “Why would I need a set of waterproof headphones? I don't hunt in the water.” Have you ever been caught in a downpour? Ours is an outdoor sport and when it rains, I certainly don't want to risk my non-waterproof wireless Equinox headphones. These LS.PELSOs are just the ticket for both excellent performance and peace of mind but again, that's just the view from my foxhole... https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/ls-pelso-underwater-headphones

Hi all. I noticed that a reputable detecting retailer here in Australia has pre-orders on offer for Grey Ghost headphones for the Equinox. I rang and spoke to him and he is hoping to have them in stock in 3-4 weeks. Nothing on the DetectorPro website as yet. Wondering if anyone else has heard anything. Cheers.

Just thought I would share my wireless setup for anyone thinking of trying this. I have used Avantree Saturn Pro (Low Latency) bluetooth Transmitter/receiver and some Camcorder batteries. I have also got a couple of Lipo batteries from my RC which run the 5000 really well as they keep their voltage for longer. The leads I made myself with genuine power plugs and a deans RC battery plug and a 1/8 audio jack so as to go straight into bluetooth wireless module. These little module are very good and are lasting well over the 8 hour mark on a charge, and their size and weight make them very versatile. The 7200mah pack and wireless module come in at 325 grams with leads included this lasts about 5-6hours I have made up a couple of 3400mah packs with 18650 cells and these weight 180 grams with module and leads and lasts about 3 hours. I have a 5000mah Lipo hardcase which weight 200 grams with both wires and module, this goes for 7 hours before the low voltage alarm comes. Lipo batteries aren't for everyone as they can be a little volatile, but I am yet to have one explode and treat them with care when charging with a good lipo charger.