Wired Headphones On Manticore (equinox-basically Minelab Related)...

[cuniagau]

I know that there is another thread on headphones on the Manticore and it is basically about proprietary ML 105s and the chip sets to make it work.  I need some wired headphone advice.  First I have a huge military related hearing loss.  Mid frequencies are the main problem but with some higher and some lower loss also.  That being said I have been using Black Widow headphone from my CZ 6a days to the Explorer SE Pro to the CTX 3030 to the Equinox 800 and wanted to use them with the Manticore.  The CZ and the EXplorer were no problem with plugging them in and detecting.  With the 3030 I plugged them into the WM 10 to be untethered and if memory serves me, they would not turn off the internal speaker on the 3030 due to the type of plug that was used.  But as I used the WM 10 that was not an issue.  When I got to the Equinox I bought the  Headphone Adaptor Cable (1/8") to 6.35mm (1/4") and plugged it into the WM 08 and go untethered as I could get no connection by plugging it straight into the Equinox control unit.  I assumed it was because of the same issue as the 3030 with the plug.  But I had the WM 08, so it was not that much of an issue as I didn't venture to far into the surf.  Now with the Manticore I have tried to attach the same headphone adaptor cable and still no love.  But now it is an issue as there is no WM module to use.  I do have underwater headphones that I can plug in BUT and it is a big BUT as all the underwater headphone lack the volume and the ability to suppress the ambient noise of the surf.  I have tried the Yellow Koss, which area really crappy.  I have a pair of Amphibians which are to low on volume and a pair of Tony Eisenhauer which will work but still do not have the volume of the Black Widows and do not fit my head as they are a tad bit small.  So far,I do like the ML 105 but they are not wet weather headphones. (the Black Widows are not either but for the desired volume I need, I will use them if I can)

So to my main question-why does the factory Headphone Adaptor Cable not work when plugged directly into the the Equinox or the Manticore?  Is it a plug issue or a detector issue.  If a plug issue on the Black Widows, what headphone will work with it?   I did try a pair of Rattlers but they didn't work either.  

Help!  (or at least help me understand the non-connectible issue)

I know if there are guys that understand the Bluetooth Chipsets and why and how they work, so this should be a simple explanation.  

thanks,

Joe

[GB_Amateur]

13 minutes ago, cuniagau said:

I know that there is another thread on headphones on the Manticore and it is basically about proprietary ML 105s and the chip sets to make it work.  I need some wired headphone advice.

I think you may have missed the thread below.  I'm pretty sure posts#1 and #3 (both mine) cover the issue you are having.  If that doesn't answer your question, re-ask.

 

[midalake]

10 hours ago, cuniagau said:

I have a pair of Amphibians which are to low on volume and a pair of Tony Eisenhauer which will work but still do not have the volume of the Black Widows and do not fit my head as they are a tad bit small.

I have horrible luck with all of these jumpers, and I love my Black Widows too. I had Tony Eisenhower cut my 1/4 jacks off my Black Widows and install 1/8 jacks and make me custom jumpers, so they are waterproof at the machine.  It is a PIA when you cannot use quality headphones you already own. 

[UKD2User]

Could part of the problem simply be a mechanical one? Aplogies if I'm stating the obvious but:

I know that the EQX800 (and I assume the MC) have a 1/8" stereo jack socket for external wired phones.  One possible gotcha is that the jack socket is surrounded by a threaded ring/bezel which can get in the way of 'fat' jack plugs, preventing them going all the way into the socket.  Even a mm or two is enough to stop the connection working as it should. On more than one occasion, I've had to get a sharp blade and carve plastic off the moulded plug to get it to seat fully in the socket.

[cuniagau]

On 6/22/2023 at 9:33 AM, GB_Amateur said:

I think you may have missed the thread below.  I'm pretty sure posts#1 and #3 (both mine) cover the issue you are having.  If that doesn't answer your question, re-ask.

 

GB_Amateur,

Ok, if I am reading this first post of that thread correctly, all I need to do is get a straight 1/4 inch mono to stereo adaptor and my Black Widows or any other headphones with a 45 degree 1/4 inch plug will work with the 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch (Equinox/Manticore) Minelab headphone adapter cable, to the Equinox or Manticore control unit?   And will also work on my 3030 control unit as this is all that is needed to turn off the built-in speaker and sense the headphones?

Joe

[cuniagau]

14 hours ago, UKD2User said:

Could part of the problem simply be a mechanical one? Aplogies if I'm stating the obvious but:

I know that the EQX800 (and I assume the MC) have a 1/8" stereo jack socket for external wired phones.  One possible gotcha is that the jack socket is surrounded by a threaded ring/bezel which can get in the way of 'fat' jack plugs, preventing them going all the way into the socket.  Even a mm or two is enough to stop the connection working as it should. On more than one occasion, I've had to get a sharp blade and carve plastic off the moulded plug to get it to seat fully in the socket.

UKD2User,

I am using the headphone adapter on page 69 of the Manticore manual.  This is the same adapter used on the Equinox 800.  It is a Minelab Equinox/Manticore 1/8 waterproof male plug to a 1/4 standard headphone female plug.  Again, made by Minelab to be used on a Minelab to use 3dr party headphones.  But it appears to work ONLY with 3rd party headphones with a straight male plug as the issue seems to be with the 45 degree plug, if I am reading GB_Amateur's post correctly.

Joe

[cuniagau]

20 hours ago, midalake said:

I have horrible luck with all of these jumpers, and I love my Black Widows too. I had Tony Eisenhower cut my 1/4 jacks off my Black Widows and install 1/8 jacks and make me custom jumpers, so they are waterproof at the machine.  It is a PIA when you cannot use quality headphones you already own. 

I may need to email Tony about this issue.  But I don't want to bite myself on the butt by causing incompatibility with the 3030 and the WM 08 on the Equinox by changing to a 1/8 inch plug that I know will not work on the WM 10.  Minelab's proprietary everything (WM 10, WM 08, Bluetooth, waterproof plugs) is sure not doing us any favors.  The work arounds are just par for the course I guess!!!

[UKD2User]

7 hours ago, cuniagau said:

........But it appears to work ONLY with 3rd party headphones with a straight male plug as the issue seems to be with the 45 degree plug, if I am reading GB_Amateur's post correctly.....

 

That does sound like one of these mechanical 'plug not sitting properly in socket' kind of things. Hope you find a solution!

[GB_Amateur]

19 hours ago, cuniagau said:

...All I need to do is get a straight 1/4 inch mono to stereo adaptor and my Black Widows or any other headphones with a 45 degree 1/4 inch plug will work with the 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch (Equinox/Manticore) Minelab headphone adapter cable, to the Equinox or Manticore control unit?

Maybe....  What you say makes sense but I'm not skilled/knowedgeable enough to answer for sure.  My typical action is to try things until I find a solution.

Regarding the CTX3030, since the Knowledge Base article I linked was specifically for that detector I think the solution that works on the Manticore will work on the 3030 and vice-versa.  But I don't have a 3030 so I can't answer for sure.

12 hours ago, UKD2User said:

That does sound like one of these mechanical 'plug not sitting properly in socket' kind of things. Hope you find a solution!

I've run into this issue multiple times myself.  It's even more annoying than the CTX3030 (and friends) special case jumping through hoops since 3.5 mm and 1/4 inch plugs and sockets should all conform to a tight mechanical standard when it comes to dimenions (lengths, diameters, etc.)  But unfortunately sometimes they don't and other hurdles need to be traversed.