Vance Muffs, am I missing something?

sheep.dog

Jr. Member
May 30, 2017
96
490
Vermont
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari
XP Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I just bought a pair of used Vance Muffs. Everything I have read says the Vance have much better sound quality than the Grey Ghost, but thats not what I am experiencing. I feel like the Gray Ghost have nicer , flutier tones than the Vance, The vance sound like a 90's dial up modem. Am I missing something?


** Edit: I take it all back. Tried the Vances with full tones and Gary's hot and sifter programs and totally change my mind!
 

Last edited:

Buggaman7

Tenderfoot
Oct 15, 2010
5
1
alabama gulf coast
Detector(s) used
whites 6000dipro blue box, XLT-DFX-VX3- PI pro- DF, minelab Sovereign GT---Etrac --Excalibur - Fisher CZ20/21-- Tesoro sandshark --- XP DEUS,
I agree with you sheep dog , I have the WS4s & the WS5s ,I have the GG for my puck and the Vance muffs & the chefphones .To me for the WS4s puck the GG are my choice very robust sound , you don't have to strain to hear the tones . I do prefer the WS5s over them all . Just my 2cents
"Tommy"
 

vferrari

Silver Member
Jul 19, 2015
4,910
8,377
Near Ground Zero for Insanity
Detector(s) used
XP Deus with HF/x35 Coils and Mi6 Pinpointer/ML Equinox 600/800/ML Tarsacci MDT 8000 GPX 4800/Garrett ATX/Fisher F75 DST/Tek G2+/Delta/Whites MXT/Nokta Simplex/Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sheep.dog, You know I'm biased ;) but I felt the Vance Phones better replicated what I was hearing in the WS4's than the Gray Ghosts which were completely muffled IMO and had low tonal quality. The key is if you were a fan of the WS4 sound or not in the first place or preferred the GG sound. I got the GG's first because I wanted the over the ear capability for cold hunts but the sound quality was totally disappointing because by that time I had several months on the WS4's. So I got the Vance Phones in place of the GG's and felt I had WS4 quality sound. Turns out I preferred the WS4's comfort over both of the over-the-ear options. I did eventually pick up a pair of Deteknix phones which I think sound similar to the Vance Phones and WS4's and liked that I could also plug them into other detectors, but my GO TO are still the WS4's which I use 90% of the time while the other "over the ear" options continued to collect dust. Looking over several previous posts here, the general consensus is the Vance sound better than the GG's but there may be variation in the GG sound quality unit to unit, and once you train your ear and brain on a set of phones, you tend to have trouble transitioning to new phones if the sound different (good or bad).

For reference:

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/d...view-vance-metal-detecting-s-vance-muffs.html

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/d...adphones-vance-muff-headphones-must-read.html

My experience is consistent with these reviews - but your own ears don't lie regardless of whatever these reviews say. PM me if you want to discuss further, Sheep.dog.
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
sheep.dog

sheep.dog

Jr. Member
May 30, 2017
96
490
Vermont
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari
XP Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sheep.dog,...... and once you train your ear and brain on a set of phones, you tend to have trouble transitioning to new phones if the sound different (good or bad).......
.

That's it right there. I borrowed a Deus with GGs from Oxbowbarefoot for a few weeks and got use to those. I've only had the Vances for 2 short hunts and my brain/ears are really struggling.
 

vferrari

Silver Member
Jul 19, 2015
4,910
8,377
Near Ground Zero for Insanity
Detector(s) used
XP Deus with HF/x35 Coils and Mi6 Pinpointer/ML Equinox 600/800/ML Tarsacci MDT 8000 GPX 4800/Garrett ATX/Fisher F75 DST/Tek G2+/Delta/Whites MXT/Nokta Simplex/Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's it right there. I borrowed a Deus with GGs from Oxbowbarefoot for a few weeks and got use to those. I've only had the Vances for 2 short hunts and my brain/ears are really struggling.

Yeah, and in my case i really got used to the way the WS4's sounded and the GG's were very different and in my subjective view, worse sounding. But if you were starting out with the GG's from the get go, transitioning back to WS4 back phones or the Vances might be viewed as "harsher" sounding because you are hearing a greater range of tones, I suppose, which might be jarring or sound too "electronic". I get that.
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
sheep.dog

sheep.dog

Jr. Member
May 30, 2017
96
490
Vermont
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari
XP Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I take it all back!
 

Petrie502

Bronze Member
Sep 2, 2012
1,114
428
Louisville Kentucky
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS (Combat Marine retired)
SEMPER FIDELIS
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
It’s vance

I take it all back!

Hey fellas be careful when buying our headphones used there are lots of fellas who have altered them with different speakers, I’ve had several pair come in for warranty work like this in the past few months. We are gonna start making our headphones again we just secured a better shell and pad.. have a good one fellas
 

shanegalang

Bronze Member
Oct 31, 2007
1,379
641
Island of Mozambique
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS, X 35 coil, 11" LF coil, Deteknix headphones with WS4 puck, Fiskars steel D-Handle Transplanting Spade
Primary Interest:
Other
Hey fellas be careful when buying our headphones used there are lots of fellas who have altered them with different speakers, I’ve had several pair come in for warranty work like this in the past few months. We are gonna start making our headphones again we just secured a better shell and pad.. have a good one fellas
How much will they be? any available yet? Im in the market for new Deus phones to use with my puck.
 

Bharpring

Bronze Member
Dec 29, 2016
1,451
5,895
Savannah, GA
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus HF coils, Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey fellas be careful when buying our headphones used there are lots of fellas who have altered them with different speakers, I’ve had several pair come in for warranty work like this in the past few months. We are gonna start making our headphones again we just secured a better shell and pad.. have a good one fellas

Hi Jeremy,

we have talked on the phone in the past about the muffs and I want to be put on the list for the new ones, if you have a list? or will you be selling through dealers/distribution?

IMO, the Vance Muffs are the only aftermarket headphones that replicate the WS4 and I have purchased and used about 9 different ones (even the Treasure Phones by Detectingdoodads.com that your buddy uses in the lowcountry).
 

sleepyjim

Sr. Member
Jun 8, 2013
319
152
Reno Ish Nevada
Detector(s) used
SDC2300, GM1000, XP Deus, GB Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I got and love a set of the original Vance HS, would not consider using anything else!

Jim
 

Bharpring

Bronze Member
Dec 29, 2016
1,451
5,895
Savannah, GA
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus HF coils, Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I got and love a set of the original Vance HS, would not consider using anything else!

Jim

I had a pair that wore out a couple of years ago. One of the ear speakers broke. I am hard on gear though. I wasn’t aware of any warranty. They were better than the ws4 in every way IMO.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top