Popular Post Jeff McClendon Posted January 2 Popular Post Share Posted January 2 This is reality at the moment in the USA on January 2nd, 2025. A person can buy a Garrett Vortex VX9 on Amazon and many other areas online or at your brick and mortar dealer for $599 US. No headphones or extra coils included. For $595 on Amazon and other places, you can buy a Nokta Legend with no headphones or extra coils BUT with a very good pinpointer. I am not in the market for a new, mid level under $800 VLF detector right now. If I was, I know which one of these two I would buy. Just look closely at the photos and forget about performance and features. Look closely at the shaft systems, locking mechanisms, plastics quality, etc. Okay. Right now, the Nokta Legend is Nokta's flagship VLF SMF detector and for what one gets for the price, a buyer is getting an incredible deal on a very fine detector with the bugs ironed out and a completed feature set with its final V1.17 software. It's basically an Equinox 800 but with more features, very similar performance, no leaking, no coil ear problems, a great carbon fiber shaft system, every possible feature that a person could ever want and some that they will never use and it comes with a pinpointer that has ferrous/non ferrous audio discrimination. Speaking of the Equinox 800, there are still a few online vendors that have 800s for sale at the pre 01/25 $699 US price. If you want one get it now before the price goes back up to $899 or more. The only things on the VX9 that are debatably nicer than the Legend are the display, user interface and the robust coil construction. Otherwise, the Vortex VX9 does not look or detect like a flagship quality detector. Its build quality in my opinion is not as nice as the Apex or the AT Series. Its performance at the moment is not decidedly better than the Apex or AT Series either from my experience. I have heard from trusted sources that the VX9 is better than the Apex and AT series on saltwater beaches using its Multi Salt mode and it does have a nice set of selectable single frequencies. As far as actual performance between the Legend and VX9, I own two Legends and spent a week with a borrowed VX9. There is simply no way to even have a conversation about it. They are that far apart. This is actually good news and really may mean that something even better (at least as far as build quality) is in store from Garrett as far as a flagship SMF VLF detector. Hopefully if that happens, it will have performance to match. 13 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/27390-garrett-vx9-nokta-legend-pricing-january-2nd-2025/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
D&P-OR Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 1 hour ago, Jeff McClendon said: This is reality at the moment in the USA on January 2nd, 2025. A person can buy a Garrett Vortex VX9 on Amazon and many other areas online or at your brick and mortar dealer for $599 US. No headphones or extra coils included. For $595 on Amazon and other places, you can buy a Nokta Legend with no headphones or extra coils BUT with a very good pinpointer. I am not in the market for a new detector right now. If I was, I know which one I would buy. Just look closely at the photos and forget about performance and features. Look closely at the shaft systems, locking mechanisms, plastics quality, etc. Okay. Right now, the Nokta Legend is Nokta's flagship VLF SMF detector and for what one gets for the price, a buyer is getting an incredible deal on a very fine detector with the bugs iron out. It's basically an Equinox 800 but with no leaking, no coil ear problems, a great carbon fiber shaft system, every possible feature that a person could ever want and some that they will never use and it comes with a pinpointer that has ferrous/non ferrous audio discrimination. The only things on the VX9 that are debatably nicer than the Legend are the display, user interface and the robust coil construction. Otherwise, the Vortex VX9 is not a flagship quality detector. Its build quality in my opinion is not as nice as the Apex or the AT Series. As far as actual performance between the two and I own two Legends and spent a week with a borrowed VX9, there is simply no way to even have a conversation about it. They are that far apart. This is actually good news and really may mean that something even better (at least as far as build quality) is in store from Garrett as far as a flagship SMF VLF detector. Hopefully if that happens, it will have performance to match. Didn't they say about those same words about the Apex & Vortex before it came out? Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/27390-garrett-vx9-nokta-legend-pricing-january-2nd-2025/#findComment-287737 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill (S. CA) Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 A very fair and accurate assessment of the the VX9, Jeff. I don't think it was ever intended to be a flagship model but rather a replacement for the AT Pro. You comment about the Legend being equal to an 800 is quite a compliment to Nokta since their goal from the start was to compete with that detector. Having reached that goal I wonder what their next target will be after their upcoming PI. Nokta certainly has come out with some very nice inexpensive detectors but I have to wonder what they could come up with to go against the Manticore or Deus II. Always fun to speculate. Thanks for this post. Bill 5 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/27390-garrett-vx9-nokta-legend-pricing-january-2nd-2025/#findComment-287745 Share on other sites More sharing options...
abenson Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 For the features available on the VX9, I think the Nokta Triple Score is a better comparison. Legend is a step up offering gold mode and a few other things the Triple Score and VX9 doesn't. A person can get a Triple Score with headphones and an extra coil for $499 and it's light years ahead of the Vortex in performance. I have them both and it's sad to say but Garrett has really screwed up with the VX series. Build quality, performance, and overall ergonomics on the Triple Score are superior to the Vortex in almost every way. The only thing the Vortex has going for it IMO is the easy to navigate menu. 6 1 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/27390-garrett-vx9-nokta-legend-pricing-january-2nd-2025/#findComment-287748 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Steve Herschbach Posted January 2 Popular Post Share Posted January 2 48 minutes ago, Bill (S. CA) said: A very fair and accurate assessment of the the VX9, Jeff. I don't think it was ever intended to be a flagship model but rather a replacement for the AT Pro. You comment about the Legend being equal to an 800 is quite a compliment to Nokta since their goal from the start was to compete with that detector. Having reached that goal I wonder what their next target will be after their upcoming PI. Nokta certainly has come out with some very nice inexpensive detectors but I have to wonder what they could come up with to go against the Manticore or Deus II. Always fun to speculate. Thanks for this post. Bill Nokta has already pretty much bypassed both Fisher and Garrett, a position that will be cemented with a good PI that replaces anything built by those companies. At that point the only company that will be ahead of Nokta will be Minelab, and they are already nibbling on Minelabs heels. Given the price the Legend is a very viable alternative to the Deus 2 and Manticore, 90% of the bang for half the buck. Garrett may continue to do well in the mass market, but for people shopping for top end machines it really is already down to just three companies, Minelab, Nokta, and XP. I’ll give Garrett a nod for the Axiom, but if Nokta comes out with something just as good but waterproof, then it’s pretty much game over. Amazing for a company that was on nobody’s radar back when I wrote the review below. Worth a read just to see how far Nokta (Makro) has come in the ten years since I posted it in 2014. The signs were obvious to me even then that they were a company destined for great things. The big shocker for me then was what they are still known for now - listening and responding to customers directly better than any other company in the business. 15 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/27390-garrett-vx9-nokta-legend-pricing-january-2nd-2025/#findComment-287751 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff McClendon Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 3 hours ago, abenson said: For the features available on the VX9, I think the Nokta Triple Score is a better comparison. Legend is a step up offering gold mode and a few other things the Triple Score and VX9 doesn't. A person can get a Triple Score with headphones and an extra coil for $499 and it's light years ahead of the Vortex in performance. I have them both and it's sad to say but Garrett has really screwed up with the VX series. Build quality, performance, and overall ergonomics on the Triple Score are superior to the Vortex in almost every way. The only thing the Vortex has going for it IMO is the easy to navigate menu. In my opinion after using a VX9, the only detectors that are remotely apples to apples as far as a direct performance and features comparison with the VX9 are the Garrett Apex and Nokta Score. I would pick the Score over the VX9 or Apex at this point. 4 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/27390-garrett-vx9-nokta-legend-pricing-january-2nd-2025/#findComment-287759 Share on other sites More sharing options...
abenson Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 20 minutes ago, Jeff McClendon said: In my opinion after using a VX9, the only detectors that are remotely apples to apples as far as a direct performance and features comparison with the VX9 are the Garrett Apex and Nokta Score. I would pick the Score over the VX9 or Apex at this point. Yes that's the sad truth Jeff. I actually had my Vanquish 340 (with 7 x 10 coil) out the other day comparing targets with the Vortex and a 8" nickel that's easily detectable with the Vanquish with a 12-13 ID the Vortex can't even touch. Nor can it hit my 9" quarter the Vanquish actually chirps on with a 30-39 up averaging ID. So imagine if I put a bigger coil on the Vanquish what it would do against the Vortex. 2 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/27390-garrett-vx9-nokta-legend-pricing-january-2nd-2025/#findComment-287760 Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBMe Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Easy win Vortex. Even beats those wimps, Manticore and Deus 2. When the Vortex goes over a tab, steel cap, aluminum cap or foil, the tone is wider than the object. (has to do with Laws of Physics) Zero mode, no notch and no filter. You immediately know that it can’t be a coin or ring. Which other detector instantly eliminates tabs, steel caps, aluminum caps and foil? Don’t be too quick to hand out the blue ribbon just yet. 1 1 2 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/27390-garrett-vx9-nokta-legend-pricing-january-2nd-2025/#findComment-287761 Share on other sites More sharing options...
D&P-OR Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 25 minutes ago, IBMe said: Easy win Vortex. Even beats those wimps, Manticore and Deus 2. When the Vortex goes over a tab, steel cap, aluminum cap or foil, the tone is wider than the object. (has to do with Laws of Physics) Zero mode, no notch and no filter. You immediately know that it can’t be a coin or ring. Which other detector instantly eliminates tabs, steel caps, aluminum caps and foil? Don’t be too quick to hand out the blue ribbon just yet. ME OH MY!!!----This high tech stuff is givin me a headache! 🙂 2 1 Link to comment https://www.detectorprospector.com/topic/27390-garrett-vx9-nokta-legend-pricing-january-2nd-2025/#findComment-287762 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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