Equinox 600 Now to Be Referred to Exclusively as *

[George (MN)]

Equinox 800 $899, X-Terra 705 $499. Of course they'd want to offer a detector between those prices like all the major mfrs. In my case I don't want to pay for detection of very tiny gold as tiny amounts of gold have only been found in a very few places in my state. I think the Equinox 600 will be the best under $700 deep coin detector with accurate IDs ever, as well as detecting coins very close to trash. It seems they are saying it will even go deep for those who don't want to sweep slow. This caught my interest as standing still detecting is harder on my back than slow walking. Best wishes.

 

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[HighVDI]

Equinox 800 $899, X-Terra 705 $499. Of course they'd want to offer a detector between those prices like all the major mfrs. In my case I don't want to pay for detection of very tiny gold as tiny amounts of gold have only been found in a very few places in my state. I think the Equinox 600 will be the best under $700 deep coin detector with accurate IDs ever, as well as detecting coins very close to trash. It seems they are saying it will even go deep for those who don't want to sweep slow. This caught my interest as standing still detecting is harder on my back than slow walking. Best wishes.

Same here. The 600 seems like a great bargain.

 

[vferrari]

Equinox 800 $899, X-Terra 705 $499. Of course they'd want to offer a detector between those prices like all the major mfrs. In my case I don't want to pay for detection of very tiny gold as tiny amounts of gold have only been found in a very few places in my state. I think the Equinox 600 will be the best under $700 deep coin detector with accurate IDs ever, as well as detecting coins very close to trash. It seems they are saying it will even go deep for those who don't want to sweep slow. This caught my interest as standing still detecting is harder on my back than slow walking. Best wishes.

Agreed. It is a great price point for what you get with the 600.

I am glad that Minelab included a lower price point Equinox that helps deliver MOST of the goods for those detectorists on a limited budget. But for those just shopping for a bargain, I cannot help but think that it may leave many a detectorist wanting for more once they realize that you may be leaving behind more than just a Gold Prospecting mode if you choose to invest in the economy machine and there is really no upgrade path even with the capability of software updates, other than ultimately purchasing the 800.Be careful about just focusing in on the high frequency capability difference, and dismissing the difference as an unneeded capability just because you may not be a gold nugget prospector. There is more to the differences between the two than meets the eye. Part of the confusion lies in the fact that there is not hard and fast comparison between the two that I can find online, at least in relation to the capability (not just feature) differences between the two detectors. Also, even if you are not a gold prospector, high frequency capability is not something that should be of interest to the gold prospector, it enables capabilities that are also of interest to the relic hunter and even the coin shooter (more on that below).

The following comparative information is what I can ascertain from reviewing the Minelab 600/800 quick start guide and other online sources. [Note: corrected the MultiIQ discussion below to properly reflect that both the 600 and 800 will utilize 5-frequency MultiIQ including 20 and 40 kHz].

Waterproof: Both will be waterproof and submersible to 3 meters.

Multi IQ: Both will incorporate the Multi IQ technology - Both the 600 and 800 will have the ability to simultaneously utilize all 5 frequencies including 20 and 40 khz as part of the Multi IQ scan signal. The 600 cannot, however, operate in single frequency mode at 20 and 40 kHz. This is important not just for gold nugget prospectors but for those who are also relic hunters that detect small and mid-conductive targets like buttons and brass artifacts that will be more detectable when using the higher frequencies of the 800 in either discrete or Multi IQ Gold mode. This is of less importance to coin shooters who focus primarily on high conductive silver coins (unless of course you are also into hammered coins or US nickels, both of which are considered mid-conductive targets). Furthermore, there is evidence based on recent experience with the new Deus HF coils, that doing general searching in the higher frequencies in areas with high iron concentrations and especially deep iron actually enhances the ability to unmask shallower mid AND high conductive targets such as buttons and silver coins. So, besides gold nugget prospecting, the HF frequencies also have a role in helping to unmask not-so-deep silver from iron, and that DOES matter to the coin shooter.. Furthermore, from an EMI perspective there may be circumstances where the ability to be able to choose from 5 vs. 3 discrete frequencies may be a game changer when broadband noise renders 5, 10, and 15 kHz as unusable, whereas 20 and/or 40 kHz are significantly less impacted.

Reactivity/Recovery: It is not clear that there will be a difference in the ultimate high-end or low-end recovery speed of the 600 vs. 800 but from what I can tell, you will have less adjustability with the 600 with only 3 levels vs. 8 levels of adjustability with the 800. Coming from the Deus, having a finer control over reactivity/recovery which enables you to balance separation vs. depth is a distinct advantage. XP added another level of adjustability on reactivity/recovery in its latest software update to the Deus based on customer demand.

Preset Detect Modes and User Profiles: Obviously the "Gold" Detect Mode is absent from the 600, but as I said before, the high frequency capability does not just enhance gold mode detecting. There is an instant user profile settings save button on the faceplate of the 800, this button does not exist on the 600. Both detectors are capable of saving up to 2 different custom search mode profiles for each search mode setting (Park, Field, Beach, Gold (800 only)).

Non-Ferrous and Threshold Tone Selection: Only the 800 will provide the capability to customize Threshold Tone settings and Non-Ferrous Tone Volume, Pitch, and Tone breaks vs. the 600 which will only have a single default setting for these parameters. This is important to me because I have partial hearing loss and ability to adjust tone pitch and volume is critical. Adjustable tone breaks also enable me to better set up tones consistent with enabling my desired targets of interest to punch through the noise better.

Wireless Audio: Both detectors support wireless audio including the connection of up to FOUR wireless modules (which means that you can have 4 sets of ears listening to a single detector - not sure how this could be used outside of a learning environment, but it may open up some interesting possibilities. First one to actually dig the target wins...lol). The 800 will include a wireless headset and WM08 module. The 600 will come with a set of non-waterproof wired headphones.

Are the differences worth the $250 price differential? That is for each of us individually to decide (I know my answer) and of course for many, even if they wanted those capabilities, affordability is the key when resources are limited. I just wanted to point out that the differences between the two detectors is more than just a Gold Prospecting search mode. The way I think about those additional 800 capabilities is that it is like paying for an included additional accessory coil that is incompatible with the 600 (even if you were willing pay the extra $250 down the road after investing in the 600) because they consist of fundamental hardware and software differences and capabilities (extra faceplate buttons, additional transmit frequencies) between the two detectors that cannot be simply added on later with future software updates to the 600. So you are, in essence, kind of stuck with what you get and, for me, having that constraint is not worth the savings.

HTH

 

[toasted]

Agreed. It is a great price point for what you get with the 600.

I am glad that Minelab included a lower price point Equinox that helps deliver MOST of the goods for those detectorists on a limited budget. But for those just shopping for a bargain, I cannot help but think that it may leave many a detectorist wanting for more once they realize that you may be leaving behind more than just a Gold Prospecting mode if you choose to invest in the economy machine and there is really no upgrade path even with the capability of software updates, other than ultimately purchasing the 800.Be careful about just focusing in on the high frequency capability difference, and dismissing the difference as an unneeded capability just because you may not be a gold nugget prospector. There is more to the differences between the two than meets the eye. Part of the confusion lies in the fact that there is not hard and fast comparison between the two that I can find online, at least in relation to the capability (not just feature) differences between the two detectors. Also, even if you are not a gold prospector, high frequency capability is not something that should be of interest to the gold prospector, it enables capabilities that are also of interest to the relic hunter and even the coin shooter (more on that below).

The following comparative information is what I can ascertain from reviewing the Minelab 600/800 quick start guide and other online sources. [Note: corrected the MultiIQ discussion below to properly reflect that both the 600 and 800 will utilize 5-frequency MultiIQ including 20 and 40 kHz].

Waterproof: Both will be waterproof and submersible to 3 meters.

Multi IQ: Both will incorporate the Multi IQ technology - Both the 600 and 800 will have the ability to simultaneously utilize all 5 frequencies including 20 and 40 khz as part of the Multi IQ scan signal. The 600 cannot, however, operate in single frequency mode at 20 and 40 kHz. This is important not just for gold nugget prospectors but for those who are also relic hunters that detect small and mid-conductive targets like buttons and brass artifacts that will be more detectable when using the higher frequencies of the 800 in either discrete or Multi IQ Gold mode. This is of less importance to coin shooters who focus primarily on high conductive silver coins (unless of course you are also into hammered coins or US nickels, both of which are considered mid-conductive targets). Furthermore, there is evidence based on recent experience with the new Deus HF coils, that doing general searching in the higher frequencies in areas with high iron concentrations and especially deep iron actually enhances the ability to unmask shallower mid AND high conductive targets such as buttons and silver coins. So, besides gold nugget prospecting, the HF frequencies also have a role in helping to unmask not-so-deep silver from iron, and that DOES matter to the coin shooter.. Furthermore, from an EMI perspective there may be circumstances where the ability to be able to choose from 5 vs. 3 discrete frequencies may be a game changer when broadband noise renders 5, 10, and 15 kHz as unusable, whereas 20 and/or 40 kHz are significantly less impacted.

Reactivity/Recovery: It is not clear that there will be a difference in the ultimate high-end or low-end recovery speed of the 600 vs. 800 but from what I can tell, you will have less adjustability with the 600 with only 3 levels vs. 8 levels of adjustability with the 800. Coming from the Deus, having a finer control over reactivity/recovery which enables you to balance separation vs. depth is a distinct advantage. XP added another level of adjustability on reactivity/recovery in its latest software update to the Deus based on customer demand.

Preset Detect Modes and User Profiles: Obviously the "Gold" Detect Mode is absent from the 600, but as I said before, the high frequency capability does not just enhance gold mode detecting. There is an instant user profile settings save button on the faceplate of the 800, this button does not exist on the 600. Both detectors are capable of saving up to 2 different custom search mode profiles for each search mode setting (Park, Field, Beach, Gold (800 only)).

Non-Ferrous and Threshold Tone Selection: Only the 800 will provide the capability to customize Threshold Tone settings and Non-Ferrous Tone Volume, Pitch, and Tone breaks vs. the 600 which will only have a single default setting for these parameters. This is important to me because I have partial hearing loss and ability to adjust tone pitch and volume is critical. Adjustable tone breaks also enable me to better set up tones consistent with enabling my desired targets of interest to punch through the noise better.

Wireless Audio: Both detectors support wireless audio including the connection of up to FOUR wireless modules (which means that you can have 4 sets of ears listening to a single detector - not sure how this could be used outside of a learning environment, but it may open up some interesting possibilities. First one to actually dig the target wins...lol). The 800 will include a wireless headset and WM08 module. The 600 will come with a set of non-waterproof wired headphones.

Are the differences worth the $250 price differential? That is for each of us individually to decide (I know my answer) and of course for many, even if they wanted those capabilities, affordability is the key when resources are limited. I just wanted to point out that the differences between the two detectors is more than just a Gold Prospecting search mode. The way I think about those additional 800 capabilities is that it is like paying for an included additional accessory coil that is incompatible with the 600 (even if you were willing pay the extra $250 down the road after investing in the 600) because they consist of fundamental hardware and software differences and capabilities (extra faceplate buttons, additional transmit frequencies) between the two detectors that cannot be simply added on later with future software updates to the 600. So you are, in essence, kind of stuck with what you get and, for me, having that constraint is not worth the savings.

HTH

If you only plan to use it in the saltwater and as a backup to the Deus, then 600 is all you need

 

[vferrari]

If you only plan to use it in the saltwater and as a backup to the Deus, then 600 is all you need

Been reading more from Steve H on Multi IQ’s capabilities and I may change my tune on which detector (Equinox or Deus) will ultimately get more swing time after the Equinox is released. Time and results will tell. Regardless, if I am going to spend ANY money on Equinox it certainly is not going to be on the model for which I will regret not having spent the extra $250 to have fine reactivity control, adjustable tone breaks, tone pitch control, and 2 additional frequencies to use to counter site specific broadband EMI issues - regardless of how I ultimately plan to use it. When someone who reviews and uses multiple detector flavors of the month like Steve does and then he decides to sell all his VLF detectors (including the Deus) save for the Equinox, I sit up and take notice. Dealer reports are that Equinox preorders for the 800 are outstripping the 600 by more than 10 to 1. I am in good company.

 

[marjam]

Yes if I do get one, it will be the 800. If there was a huge price difference, i would opt for the 600, but only 250 or so separates them, I would opt for the 800.

They should make the 600 even cheaper, then I bet you would see them sell better. Maybe 100 bucks cheaper or so.

 

[toasted]

Been reading more from Steve H on Multi IQ’s capabilities and I may change my tune on which detector (Equinox or Deus) will ultimately get more swing time after the Equinox is released. Time and results will tell. Regardless, if I am going to spend ANY money on Equinox it certainly is not going to be on the model for which I will regret not having spent the extra $250 to have fine reactivity control, adjustable tone breaks, tone pitch control, and 2 additional frequencies to use to counter site specific broadband EMI issues - regardless of how I ultimately plan to use it. When someone who reviews and uses multiple detector flavors of the month like Steve does and then he decides to sell all his VLF detectors (including the Deus) save for the Equinox, I sit up and take notice. Dealer reports are that Equinox preorders for the 800 are outstripping the 600 by more than 10 to 1. I am in good company.

There is still the added weight issue compared to the Deus and if the 800 is as good as everyone seems to think then I would likely lose too much money trying to sell a now “obsolete” detector. Hopefully if most everyone wants the 800 then maybe Ill get my 600 sooner

 

[HighVDI]

There is still the added weight issue compared to the Deus and if the 800 is as good as everyone seems to think then I would likely lose too much money trying to sell a now “obsolete” detector. Hopefully if most everyone wants the 800 then maybe Ill get my 600 sooner

I also wondered if the 600 would be on doorsteps a little earlier than the 800 due to this.

 

[vferrari]

Good point. 600 users are probably more likely to get their machines sooner.

 

[marjam]

Good point. 600 users are probably more likely to get their machines sooner.

600 or 800, I look forward to some video reviews of both as only one frequency separates the technology anyway. It is the same detector and I bet we see comparison videos between the two, to see how each hits on different targets in multi frequency. I know I would like to see it. It might just change my mind if the 600 hits just as good on the stuff I dig, and in the process save me a couple hundred and some change.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

600 or 800, I look forward to some video reviews of both as only one frequency separates the technology anyway. It is the same detector and I bet we see comparison videos between the two, to see how each hits on different targets in multi frequency. I know I would like to see it. It might just change my mind if the 600 hits just as good on the stuff I dig, and in the process save me a couple hundred and some change.

600 has 3 freqs (5,10,15) plus multi freq,

800 has 5 freqs (5, 10, 15, 20, 40) plus multi freq. The 40 finds thin gold chains, I buried a thin gold chain in dirt and 40 kHz hit it hard on the proto model.

 

[smokeythecat]

Boy, you'd think Christmas was right around the corner. I still haven't figured out to swing two machines at the same time. arrgghh

 

[Phishfindr]

I'll take the "How much is the Equinox 600?" for $649 Alex....

 

[Phishfindr]

I just wrapped up year 1 of my detecting career. It was a blast! By all accounts, I should keep on learning my F44. But after watching way too many youtube videos, and having way too much fun on this site, I'm grabbing the 600 before spring thaw in New England. I'm betting that it will hold me over for at least a few years. And I'm just getting warmed up! Happy New Year!

 

[smokeythecat]

Phishfindr, demo any machine before you buy one if at all possible. A demo was what sold me both on the Tesoros and the Deus. Nothing beats hands on experience. A lot of dealers will let you take one out on their grass. If they have grass, that is.

 

[HighVDI]

600 or 800, I look forward to some video reviews of both as only one frequency separates the technology anyway. It is the same detector and I bet we see comparison videos between the two, to see how each hits on different targets in multi frequency. I know I would like to see it. It might just change my mind if the 600 hits just as good on the stuff I dig, and in the process save me a couple hundred and some change.

VFerrari makes a good point. Just the wireless upgrade alone is almost worth the extra cost. The tone break and more tone options would easily make up the rest. Plus the fact you know you have the mac daddy of the model.

Kind of puts a person like myself in a difficult situation since I'd like one for old farm fields where foot deep+ coins are found. I too suffer from slight hearing loss due to my occupation and the adjustable tone feature is great. I absolutely use it on my F75 and I'm certain deep faint targets would have been passed by if not tuned to my hearing.

I guess it's like anything else. It's all what the individual can afford. Now days, $250.00 is a drop in the bucket. That's my cable bill for a month.

 

[cudamark]

If you only plan to use it in the saltwater and as a backup to the Deus, then 600 is all you need

Not in my book. I like finding small gold at the beach.

 

[vferrari]

Not in my book. I like finding small gold at the beach.

To be clear, beach mode which utilizes Multi IQ exclusively (ie you cannot use single frequency in that mode, unlike Park, Field and Gold (800 only)), uses all 5 frequencies (5,10,15,20,40 kHz) for BOTH the 600/800, so you do get some small beach gold capability even with the 600. But if you want to zero in on small beach gold utilizing 20 or 40 kHz exclusively (eg Gold Mode), the 800 is your only choice.

 

[hbru123]

Does anyone know if the 600 is software updatable like the 800

 

[vferrari]

They are both SW upgradeable, but some user interface/physical hardware differences between the two means the 600 will NEVER become an 800 solely through a SW upgrade, paid or otherwise. I think ML should have provided a path where all 800 features could be unlocked/uploaded through a simple (i.e., user installed) paid SW upgrade down the road.