Detectors with the best audio?

[Deft Tones]

Past or present, which detectors have the best audio characteristics for presenting maximum information?

In other words...

Imagine I'm blind, what would be the most informative audio any machine as ever offered?

Thank you for your opinions.

 

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[cudamark]

Just about any name brand detector with multitone capability will give you the info you need once you get used to the sounds. I'm partial to the E-series Minelabs and the White's myself.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

as cuda-mark says, the explorer series are known for a wealth of info. coming from their toot-fluty tunes. But they will drive you bonkers at first, till you learn their language

But probably exceeding the explorer, was the mid 1980's Teknetics Mark 1 was probably the most loved tone-machine of all time. It's a little bit dated depth-wise (when compared to some of today's power-house depth-demons). But for strictly tone ID, users loved them. The sound difference between zinc, to copper penny, to silver dime, to quarters, was astounding.

 

[Deft Tones]

Tom, thank you.

I'm asking on behalf of someone that's legally blind with a desire to try detecting (chemical accident), so they'll appreciate the best audio first priority. Depth probably last. Dude needs to get out more, enjoy himself again. Longtime desire, no time. I want to set him up right.

Teknetics Mark 1 may be perfect, I'll look into it. I respect your experienced opinion, so I'm glad you chimed in.

Cheers.

 

[kcm]

Don't forget Tesoro's. Most have only 1 tone, but it's the "way" that tone gets delivered that provides the information.

Either way, I'm sure your blind friend will have many advantages in Metal Detecting over us "eyed" persons!

Cheers for your friend!!!!!!!!

 

[Tom Slick]

Tone ID and having a detector that transmits audio information is two different things. The White's V3i is probably the best at tone ID with over one hundred different tones available with each and every one user adjusted and saved. But most modern digital detectors have pre-programed tones that sound off based on the target you swing over. Lets say you swing over a dime and the detector registers a VDI number of 84, it will give the factory programed beep for a VDI 84 target. Some of the latest detectors such as the Makro Racer and Racer 2 give a more actual sound based on what's under the coil. The Racer works more like a movie cameras verses a still camera. The V3i is more of a snap shot of the target where the Racer is more like a movie camera. The Racer doesn't give a pre-programed response, it gives an actual image sound. A bottle cap with a VDI or 84 will sound different than a dime with the same VDI. The Racer will actually pass along to the user, the jagged edge of the bottle cap. I've been using both the White's V3i and the Racers for years. The V3i has the best tone ID, the Racer gives much more information in it's response. PS. The Racer also has adjustable Vibration for both the Vision and audio impaired.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Tom Slick, I think I understand what you're saying. Some machines have WWAAYY less increments in their TID audio. So that when the detector's computer senses various object's conductive TID scale, it just assigns them a corresponding tone. And other machines have waayyy more increments, thus ability to gather more info (subtle-as-it-may-be).

But how is the Racer any better than the Explorers in this regard ? It too has ooodles of "tooty-fluty" tones that user's gather info. from. Such that, yes, a flattened can giving a quarter TID will sound different than a quarter, and so forth.

At some point, there is going to be "factory programmed" responses in ANY machine that gives TID's. Because ultimately, the machine has to "decide" what it's feeding into the headphones.

 

[Tom Slick]

Tom, not so much the number of increments. Lets say you're sitting in a car at a stop sign, you're facing the passenger side window with your eyes closed. You open your eyes for one second and close them again. What you saw when you opened your eyes for that one second is the snapshot picture. This is what most (not all) digital detectors give you when the coil passes a target. Now that the same situation. You're in a moving car, facing the passenger window and you open your eyes for one second again. Now what you see is not a snapshot or single picture. What you see is everything that passes by during that one second, it's a moving picture. This is what the Racer does so well. Which view offers the most information? The snapshot or the movie?
" how is the Racer any better than the Explorers in this regard" I didn't mention the Explorer but for one thing you get the audio information for half the cost. For the situation mentioned above, I would recommend a Racer with Vibration over an Explorer.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I tried the Etrac first and then went to the CTX for the sounds. I'd say that a visually impaired person should not go whole hog with a Minelab Beast due to the expense. But I'm a sound guy, and I really appreciate the sounds produced by 28 different frequencies giving me an essentially 3D audio description of the item in the ground beneath me.

 

[Doodle Bug]

My first metal detecting lesson was swing the coil just above the ground, when you here it beep DIG!
That being said maybe there is a local metal detecting club close by that would be willing to help by letting him or her try out a variety of machines.

 

[Ammoman]

Yep multi tone would be to a blind persons advantage for sure. As far as digging holes. Lots of dangers. Razer blades, needles, snakes, broken glass and everything between.