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41 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said:

This is surprising.  I thought Killer B's have a good reputation.  (Pretty sure they are the only brand of headphones Gerry sells.)

Does @Chase Goldman have a set of general use Killer B's that you can try mated with his WM09?  I've been pleased with the performance of my WM09+Sunray-Pro-Golds.  I don't notice any degradation compared to the ML105's, but my ears aren't as discriminating as yours.

Thanks GB,

I do have a WM09, I'm going to explore various options with that as well. 🙂

I was introduced to high end audio in the 70's by a friend in one of my bands who was a serious audiophile. He ended up working as an engineer for one of the most prestigious and exclusive audio companies in the world which happened to have a manufacturing facility near my home at the time, Mark Levinson audio systems.

I've never really got into that particular hobby, but do know what sounds good and what doesn't. 😅 I hate like heck to have to present a low opinion of the headphones. The quality of construction is fabulous. 👍

When turning the headphones on and off, they have exactly the same tones as the ML105s, I'm guessing they use the same comm board as Minelab. 

I can also see where the momentary switches might be a problem. 🫤

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I use a pair of Quest phones that mate with the Deus 2 puck.  They also have line in jack that I use to mate with the WM09 for my Manticore/Nox 900 or the remote Zlynk wireless receiver that I use with my Axiom/Vortex/Wireless Carrot or an APTX-LL BT receiver if using a Nokta detector and pinpointer.  That way, regardless of which detector I am using I have the same set of passive drivers and frequency response.  This is the setup that has worked best for me for the past 2 or 3 years and keeps the audio equipment count to a minimum.  Pretty happy with that setup.  The only issue is that since the Quest is over the ear, they get a little hot in the summer so I have lightweight alternative setups for beach and hot field work.  I tested a prototype of the Manticore (Nox 700/900/Xterra) Killer B's and liked the noise isolation, but frankly, was not interested in laying out that much money when I already had the Quest solution.

BTW - Bob - great review and audio comparison between these Manticore headphone options.  I too have a pair of submersible waterproof headphones that I got for my Equinox 800 back in the day.  They have pretty good volume, I will bring them down next time we get together so you can bounce them off the Threshers.  My hearing is going downhill on the high frequencies so I am sure I am missing some audio nuances that may affect my ability to hear targets at the edge of detection.  Also, re the Killer B's,  I know the new owner of the KB IP and company and know that they are willing to listen to user feedback and may even be willing to consider future mods, so keep trying to get hold of them and if you are unable, maybe I can reach out.  GL

  • Like 2
2 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

BTW - Bob - great review and audio comparison between these Manticore headphone options.  I too have a pair of submersible waterproof headphones that I got for my Equinox 800 back in the day.  They have pretty good volume, I will bring them down next time we get together so you can bounce them off the Threshers.  My hearing is going downhill on the high frequencies so I am sure I am missing some audio nuances that may affect my ability to hear targets at the edge of detection.  Also, re the Killer B's,  I know the new owner of the KB IP and company and know that they are willing to listen to user feedback and may even be willing to consider future mods, so keep trying to get hold of them and if you are unable, maybe I can reach out.  GL

Thanks Chase! 

I have an email into them, and will report positive info here.

  • Like 2

And there is the waterproof headphones from Clive. I'm certain they are far superior to the Threshers (which are okay).

https://www.clivesgoldpage.com/new-high-performance-headphones-for-the-minelab-manticore/

Some time ago, I plugged in a set of Sennheiser Momentum into the Manticore.......jaw dropping audio but not really built for outdoor use.

  • Like 3

Hello F350Platinium, 

The Thresher line does not use a speaker but instead uses piezos.... they have to be pizeos due to the need to submerse the headphones fully underwater.   Piezos will never sound as good as regular speakers and as such there are limitations to the underwater options.

As for the Killer Bs, they do use speakers and I suspect there possibly may be an issue with your specific pair of headphones.   When compared with a sound meter, the Bs are very close in volume to the ML105s - but with the sound isolation in the Bs generally are regarded as plenty loud for most users.   Most of the testers and the users who have been surveyed showed they set their volume in the 20-21 range.  Clarity has also been praised by reviewers....    again making me think there is possibly an issue with your headphones.   As discussed via email, we will verify this for you.

Thanks for contacting us with your concern and feedback, we appreciate it.

  • Like 8
15 minutes ago, Keith Leppert said:

Thanks for contacting us with your concern and feedback, we appreciate it.

Thanks much Mr Leppert, they will be on the way tomorrow or Wednesday. 🙂

I read the instructions beforehand, and was really surprised to find that I could turn the headphones up to 25 and not be uncomfortable at all, I run the ML105 headphones at about 23. They were no louder than the Thresher headphones before turning on Underwater Boost, and sounded similar. 🫤 With U/W boost I find I have to turn the Thresher set down too! 

I completely understand the difference between the two, and really hated to put forth any negative review, maybe I should have contacted y'all first 😳, but one assumes when one buys a product that they are receiving what they ordered. 🤷‍♂️

Thanks for going over the top to support me, should this turn out to be what I now suspect, I'll be one of your biggest fans!

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

Glad the mfg is responding , even cheap headphones are sounding good these days , the high end ones better be better.😏

I never was a fan of peizo's for audio reproduction .I've heard styrofoam speakers that sounded better.LOL  They made good triggers for rack mount drum boxes though. 

The name Mark Levinson sounds very familiar 350 . Don't think I met him though. Maybe , it's hard to tell . At some of the shows lots of techs doing their individual things  .  Maybe read of him in a trade mag , did he publish articles ?   It would have to be one or the other , that's all I did except sleep. 

 

  • Like 1
1 hour ago, rvpopeye said:

The name Mark Levinson sounds very familiar 350 . Don't think I met him though. Maybe , it's hard to tell . At some of the shows lots of techs doing their individual things  .  Maybe read of him in a trade mag , did he publish articles ?   It would have to be one or the other , that's all I did except sleep. 

His audio equipment was really big in the 70s,  the company is still around: 

https://us.marklevinson.com/

A typical amp can be bought for over $10k. His shop was in the town I lived in, my buddy gave me a tour of it and demonstrated some of his stuff. 🤯 I don't think his shop is there anymore, and last I heard my engineer buddy was an insurance salesman, we always thought he would do studio work in NYC. Nope.

Serious audiophile components.

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  • Thanks 1

 Everyone’s hearing is different to some degree, kind of like their sense of taste. I have spent a good bit of time trying different quality HPs on each of my detectors to see what gave the best quality of sound.  Some detectors sound better with very little Bass. The Tarsacci & Vista X are like this and give better clarity/nuance with my Killer Bs Wasp and Hornets.  My Noktas, Garrett’s and other units sound better with more Bass sound.  Getting the right quality of sound is critical for me.

  • Like 4

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