GPZ 7000- Need Help On How To Hear Those Gold Whispers Missed By Others

[Lunk]

3 hours ago, cobill said:

Lunk, 

So when using your setup, you don't use the GPZ WM-12 module and your volume control is on the GPZ? I just happen to have a new Avantree Torus (unopened)....another thing that needs to be charged!

Bill

 Correct, Bill, except the Torus has it's own amplifier and adjustable volume, so It's just like using a booster/speaker combo; the advantage is that the detector volume can be set conservatively, which keeps threshold instability that increases by cranking up the detector volume when using the WM-12 to a minimum, which also negates the need to use the audio smoothing filter to combat the added instability, thus allowing you to hear the faintest targets that would otherwise be filtered out, or lost in the instability when audio smoothing is set to off. 
Also, I can get a full three days of detecting with the Torus before it needs to be charged.

[cobill]

27 minutes ago, Lunk said:

 Correct, Bill, except the Torus has it's own amplifier and adjustable volume, so It's just like using a booster/speaker combo; the advantage is that the detector volume can be set conservatively, which keeps threshold instability that increases by cranking up the detector volume when using the WM-12 to a minimum, which also negates the need to use the audio smoothing filter to combat the added instability, thus allowing you to hear the faintest targets that would otherwise be filtered out, or lost in the instability if audio smoothing is set to off. 
Also, I can get a full three days of detecting with the Torus before it needs to be charged.

WOW, that's alot of great pro tips! 

Bill

[klunker]

 I've always compared operating a metal detector for nugget hunting to learning a musical instrument. To do it well takes endless hours of practice with intense concentration. If you are thinking about anything besides the nugget underneath the next swing of the coil you are going to miss gold. I have spent my entire working career around heavy equipment and  chainsaws and I cannot pass the hearing test for my commercial drivers license but i am still rather successful at nugget hunting. 

  Technology is fantastic but it will never replace the need for hard physical effort and training yourself to not only hear but to also listen.    

[phrunt]

You forgot to throw a joke in, are you feeling OK Klunker? need a coffee or something?  Good post though, my mind often drifts when I'm detecting and it's not a good thing especially when it drifts to what I'm going to have for lunch or dinner, my detecting pace picks up like somehow swinging faster will make my next meal come quicker 🙂

I just like to turn the volume on the GPZ down, turn the sp01 right up to max and let my speakers do the talking.  The lower that GPZ volume the easier the little guys are to hear for me.

I like the idea of the Avantree but I've not overly liked the audio quality/stability of mine, perhaps it's some background EMI where I am causing it but they crackle too much with signal drop for my liking which throws my concentration out.   Hopefully we soon see Bluetooth LE transmitters and Avantree or some other decent company makes a similar product to the Torus with LE support, far superior than aptX LL, rather than dropping signal and crackling it will drop bitrate to compensate, the lower bitrate won't affect the detecting experience.

[cobill]

11 minutes ago, phrunt said:

I just like to turn the volume on the GPZ down, turn the sp01 right up to max and let my speakers do the talking.  The lower that GPZ volume the easier the little guys are to hear for me.

Phrunt, so what do you use for windy days...the Koss 30 headphones are pretty poor audio quality.

Bill

[Gold Ryder]

Also with the Torus you dont lose the ear buds.  And Ive dug in 100 degree heat with the neck collar and its very comfortable. 

[phrunt]

20 minutes ago, cobill said:

Phrunt, so what do you use for windy days...the Koss 30 headphones are pretty poor audio quality.

Bill

I have two GME SPK-07's right up on my shoulders, wind doesn't bother me much at all with that setup using the SP01.  Perhaps some get worse wind though so that would make a difference I guess.

[Norvic]

As we know volume changes on detectors especially the Z, the 6K and now the Axiom affect the sensitivity of the detector, you turn the volume down on these detectors you turn their sensitivity down as well, adding a headband like the Torus that has its own volume control can allow you to turn your detectors volume down and still hear the threshold but you are killing the detectors sensitivity if you go to the extreme.

The Axiom demonstrates this to a tea, turn its volume down to 1, turn the Torus volume up until you have a nice steady threshold, you can maintain this nice steady threshold with the sensitivity on 7 on very hot ground but you`ve compromised sensitivity for a stable threshold, great powerful feature but like always there`s a compromise between noise and signal sensitivity. I recall JP touching on this subject in the early days of the GPZ, increase its volume, you increase sensitivity you also increase instability, I found 8 to be my happy median with the Z in most situations what each of us is comfortable with and can work on their ground is the go.

Cobill, I`ve gone with Lunks initial recommendation of Avantree`s Torus and use them exclusively now on the Z, 6K and now the Axiom, way to go. 

[cobill]

I found Condor's 2016 post and thought I would share it as most of the replies on this thread don't have an earbud or headphone solution:

Disclaimer:  My testing is not rigorous nor scientific in any way.  Individual hearing is highly subjective and what works for me may not work for you.  As always your mileage may vary.

Detector: Minelab 7000 - HY, Normal, Sens 20, Volume max

Earphones:  Etymotic 4s  100 ohm impedance

Adapter: APureSound 75 ohm impedance 1/4 inch headphone jack conversion to 1/8 earphone jack.

Amplifier:  FiiO A3

I have always used the Ety earphones in all my previous GPX detectors.  Headphones are just too hot and cumbersome for me.  The Ety's are top of the line In Ear Monitors with balanced armatures.  Ety was primarily a hearing aid manufacturer and got into the earphone market for high end earphones.  The 4s cost in the neighborhood of $300.00.  Their 3 flange silicone ear piece is super noise isolating, but not particularly comfortable.  If you are worried about hearing snakes, cougars, bears and such, you won't like this much noise isolation. 

Until I went out with Lucky Lundy I was very happy with using the WM12 external speaker for all my detecting.  But after seeing his results with really good headphones, I was convinced I was missing some of the super faint targets.  I switched to another brand of earphone while I was out there at Rye Patch and was getting decent results but the audio was harsh giving me more of an audio fatigue.  

So, for the past couple days I've been playing around with different audio setups trying to find a good balance.  After locating a few undug faint targets, I switched back and forth between audio setups over these targets.  My results were interesting but not particularly life changing. 

Adding 75 ohms of impedance bringing my total impedance to 175 lowered the available volume sufficiently for my 62 yr old impaired hearing that I added the mini music amplifier to give me more volume.  My unscientific impression of adding more impedance felt like adding audio "smoothing".  The audio seemed a little more stable and less jittery.  Again, I switched back and forth over the same targets adding impedance and then without it.   I even switched between the wireless WM12 and a direct connection to the detector, which did not seem to make any difference in the quality of the tone.  I also ran Beats sports earphones with 27 ohms impedance.  The audio sounded really harsh with too much uncomfortable scratchy highs.  Adding the impedance made them tolerable, but not great.   Results: Running 175 ohms impedance produced a smoother, more stable background but lowered audio volume. 

The most significant thing I found in my testing was playing around with the Threshold.  I had been running Threshold at low 30's with the external speaker, but with the earphones that's just too much "noise" too close to the earbones.   With these In Ear setups I found that I could run the Threshold at 0 and get perfectly identifiable target tones over these tiny, tiny targets.  The best I can describe it is the detector has a rhythm of background beeps and bleeps, but over a tiny target the beeps stretch into a faint hum.   A good target will come through loud and clear without any confusion.

My target results are impressive.  The smallest nugget is .09 gram.  I found all these over the past 2 mornings in ground that I've been over dozens of times.  I am certain that the earphones with their noise isolation improved my results, but adding the impedance probably just made the audio a little more comfortable.  Bottom line, good aftermarket headphones already have between 100 and 200 ohms of impedance.  Frankly, I don't think adding more than that will produce much benefit.  Adding the mini amp helped me, especially running with 0 Threshold. 

 

[klunker]

7 hours ago, phrunt said:

You forgot to throw a joke in,

 Sorry but I didn't have much time. I had to repair my wrist mounted web slinger because my spider senses told me there was evil lurking about and I needed to be prepared.

  Mr. Cobill: I eagerly await hearing about whatever you find that works well for you.