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I recently posted this to another forum and thought it might help benefit others and maybe generate some interesting discussion here. A booster can only amplify whatever the detector audio delivers no matter what anyone try’s to tell you. The inbuilt booster speaker system in the Minelab GPX 4500, GPX 5000 is too coarse for effective use via the Target Volume control, this same control is also used on the GPZ 7000 in conjunction with the WM12 and is also too coarse! I originally popularised the booster speaker concept when developing a series of instructional videos, looking for a way to obtain good audio that allowed ambient noise of a goldfields environment to also come through so viewers could experience as close as possible the way a detector sounds when in use. In conjunction with this I also discovered the benefits of removing the immediate audio from your ears and placing it further away allowing faint signals to come through (similar to a Television sounding loud in the kitchen compared to being right in front of it). Our ears are designed to collect sound, especially sound that is further away, our ears are also more sensitive to variation in pitch similar to our eyes are to movement so being able to hear the threshold at all times as a reference point is very important, but not at the expense of those around you and small target signals. The aim with a booster speaker is to lift up the overall volume of faint deep targets without drowning everything else out, as such in less trashy sites a higher volume can be used in conjunction with the correct threshold level. You need to set the volume to compliment the threshold, which needs to be smooth and stable, if someone can hear your threshold miles away you’re doing it all wrong and negating any advantage as well as driving other operators around you nuts. Best way to go is to set the detectors settings to be smooth and stable, I tend to use conservative Sensitivity/Gain settings along with Volume and Threshold. The Target Volume needs to be kept low to allow the booster to drive the audio without causing distortion, this is especially important on the GPZ 7000. If your detector Target Volume is set to aggressively the booster is then going to amplify that aggressive distorted audio. The threshold needs to be smooth to the ear to start with, if it stutters the amplifier will exacerbate that, if it is too loud it will drown the audio as you boost it. The B&Z booster is best used for single or twin speakers, it has a very good range of amplification with hardly any distortion. This is especially important because you need to use the booster to adjust the overall audio to suit the ambient noise conditions, in quiet conditions you lower the booster volume so the threshold is not dominating, if its windy then you increase the volume so the threshold can be clearly heard. The B&Z booster runs on 2 x AAA alkaline batteries which should last up to 3 weeks at 6 to 8 hours per day, it is in a plastic housing to cut down on any excess metal on your body. The B&Z can be used with headphones, to do so the volume of the detector needs to be lowered so the booster volume can be lifted above 2 1/2 to 3 to avoid noise and hiss from the potentiometer, with the GPX and GPZ machines this can be as low as 6 or even lower if required depending on the sensitivity of the headphones being used. Higher tones tend to require less volume, lower tones more, lower tones (30 and down on Minelab PIs and ZVT) are generally better heard through headphones rather than speakers, this is due to all the natural low frequency noises heard in natural ambient environments, Noise cancelling headphones really compliment low frequency Tones. The audio of the Minelab GPX and GPZ machines is converted to analogue via the speakers, boosted speakers tend to iron out the steppy digital nature of the Minelab audio, this helps a lot with running less noise floor filtering through the Stabilizer or Audio Smoothing controls, which is were all the edge of detection depth performance lays. The B&Z only ever magnifies the pure audio of the detector with no colouring of the audio through filtering, you only ever hear the “pure” audio intended by the designer of the metal detector. Call me a purist but that’s the way I prefer to hear my detector. Hope this helps JP

I think it would be a good idea to have a thread just for after maket Bluetooth headphones for the Equinox as there must be many many different ones out there if people could give their views on what they have bought and what improvement they have over the ML80's. I have bought these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A0EAYDI/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1 advantage over ML80's much better low tones (no boom sound) better overall tones (tighter) they are super comfortable and have much larger ear muffs the head band fit is great if you have a larger head they are slightly lower in volume but not by much than the ML80's.

As we all know there are several tools that we use to successfully use our metal detector, one of those being our hearing. Through out our life our hearing skills diminish whether by accident, life style or by aging. I have been wearing hearing aids for a period of time now and they are greatly appreciated, without them there are many things that I would miss, some more than others. Using a detector has shown me that hearing and understanding what a detector has has to say is extremely important to be successful. With the aid of hearing enhancers and being able to distinguish between the tones of normal threshold and that slight difference of a target is the difference between success and failure. Trying to use every advantage that I can I came up with the idea of using my blue-tooth capable hearing aids and an audio transmitter from the detector to accomplish this. I have the Phonak in the ear canal hearing aids and purchased a ComPilot II receiver which only works with Phonak aids. My hearing specialist initially gave me a Demo receiver and was excited to hear the outcome of my experiment. Since I have the Equinox 600 which is all ready blue-tooth enabled all I had to do was pare the two and give it and shot. The results were fantastic, being able to hear the 'outside' noises and having the detector talking to me at the same time was unbelievable! Since the hearing aids and receiver are medical devices there is no perceived lag time like there is with some ear buds and blue-tooth head phones, perfect. I only have 11 hours using this setup in several locations such as curb strips, parks etc. I know that if I can hear in these areas that in the field gold hunting should be exceptional. I would really like to get some more time in but as I write this the temperature is 13*. Since the experience with the 600 was so positive I purchased a blue-tooth transmitter from Amazon for $30 and a 3.5mm-1/4” adapter for my other detectors. I can use the adapter on the Whites 24K and with the 1/4” adapter on the SDC2300 I now have total wireless detecting capability. Both the transmitter and receiver charge in only 2 hours and will run for about 10 hours of use time. I do want to try this in different locations but I see absolutely no downside other than having to charge the batteries, no big deal. Anyway, another winter project successfully accomplished.

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

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

Just thought id share the wireless system I've been using successfully for a while now on my gpx4500. My previous wireless system suffered from broken wires and finally one of the units gave up the ghost. I didn't want the Garrett Z-Lynk or the Pro Sonic so did research into other units. I wasn't sure they would work but fortunately, they did. Was looking for something robust and small that could handle the beating my equipment gets from detecting hilly thick scrub. Did a lot of research and found the "Xvive U2 Guitar Wireless System" They are robust and the connectors swivel which is really handy when fitting the receiver to the steelphase booster as it hugs the unit nicely. The lag time is not noticeable at only 6 ms. I seem to get a good day of detecting out of them and recharge time is pretty quick, although I rarely let them go flat. I'm using a light lipo battery as the power source for the detector which I tuck under the detectors cover. So much easier being wireless than getting snagged on bushes and branches. Also easier to dig targets not being attached to the detector. Xvive U2 Guitar Wireless System Comprising of two simple and small 1/4 jack connectors that act as transmitter and receiver, the U2 is ideal for stage, home and studio use and can also connect via Bluetooth to your favourite devices, using 24 bit resolution to capture every detail in real time - uncompressed, natural, clean tone with no delay at a range of up to 100ft/30m. It uses 2.4 GHz frequency and uses WI-FI spectrum. It is digital and the sound would be as though you are using a cable. You can use up to 4 units at a time. To eliminate any possibility of interference from other devices using the 2.4 GHz frequency, we recommend the Xvive U2 wireless system not be placed within 1m of another U2 Wireless system, and more than 3m away from any WI-FI devices such as Internet Routers, Portable Hot Spots etc. Featuring a rechargeable lithium battery with approximately 5 hour life at full charge. Includes a transmitter and a receiver. Charging cable is included. The Tech Specs Brand: Xvive Model: U2 Suitable For: Electric guitar, Bass guitar and Electric Acoustic instruments with an EQ with Pickup. Range: Up to 100ft/30 metre line-of-sight transmission range Delay time: 6 ms Frequency Response: 10Hz-20kHz Channels: 6 compatible (Legal for use in Australia and New Zealand) Resolution: 24-bit Delta Sigma, 2.4GHz broadcast A/D conversion: 24-bit low-noise system Dynamic Range: 105dB Play Time: Approximately 5 hours with rechargeable lithium battery Recharge Time: Approximately 2 hours when flat Input/Output: Side-mounted 1/4-inch Jack connector ins and outs on receiver/transmitter

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

Still can't seem to get my @%^&&&() Black Widows to work wireless but OK now wired. Has anyone had issues with putting the module close to the phones? Also mine seems to be falling on it's face in moving salt water, but that is another thread. Dave

I am using a sdc-2300. I am pretty hard of hearing and would like to no more about which audio Enhancer is best. I am using Sun Ray Pro Gold CTX head phones but I am still having some trouble hearing those faint signals. I have read a little on Steel Phase, BZ booster, Doc's screamer. Is one better than another?

I am happy with my Gold Pro Headphones except too hot in summer . Can't handle ear buds so I thought I'd try Earclip style . Any advice on Koss KSC75 model or others . Also any Earclip style in wireless to suit Equinox . Thanks in advance . Cheers goldrat

I had talked with Detector Pro on the issue of headphones for the Gold Monster 1000 and I said they would do well on sales if someone would come out with a good after market headphones. Well they thought about it and called me back informing me that they are answering the call to produce a high quality headphones for the Monster that will eliminate the external speaker sound from coming thru. These headphones are the same as the Gray Ghost headphones but were made specifically for the Gold Monster. They are the Gold Series and there will be a special headphones coming out for the Exuinox as well. The cord is a pigtail style with an 1/8" jack that shuts off the external speaker. The sound is sharp and crisp with no distortion. The pigtail cord is 6" longer than the Gray Ghost headphones and I assure you there will be no more kneeling on the cord as we all have had to deal with until we just use the Monster without headphones. I feel these headphones are very comfortable and block out external noises very well and they have a volume control on the side as well. I have the proto type as I have been asked to field test these wonderful headphones by DetectorPro.I will let everyone know when they will be available for purchase.

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

https://md-hunter.com/wireless-mdlink-from-marsmd-new-2019-video/#more-14754

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.

What type of charger should i use with the ML80? There are charging recommendation for the detector but not the headphones. Thanks

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?

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.