Ear Buds and Equinox 800

[LawrencetheMDer]

I’ve been hunting in 90+ degree weather with 110% humidity and I sweat A LOT. Recently my wireless Equinox 800 headphones have been filling-up with sweat that I have to drain periodically. To avoid this problem, I recently bought some Bluetooth wireless ear buds by Soundpeats; Force Q38 neckband ear buds with a full 16 hrs of play time. This is about twice the playtime of most ear buds. The main concern I had was whether the ear buds would pair with the Equinox 800 — no problem (remember to hold down Bluetooth button on 800 until it beeps to pair w ear buds).

The Soundpeats have volume control and work well in the sound range of the detector. They also are reasonable at blocking out extraneous sounds. They have a hook/probe that fits to the inner top ear; not around the back of the ear. Overall, if you hunt when it is hot and humid and you’re a sweat-er — consider a pair of Soundpeat ear buds as described above for summer hunting with the 800. From one sweat-er to another, this bud is for you!

I have no financial interests or otherwise in Soundpeats or Equinox.

 

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[LawrencetheMDer]

As noted above, I recently bought a pair of Bluetooth earbuds for summer metal detecting with my Equinox 800 and they work very well (SoundPEATS Bluetooth , Force Wireless Neckband Magnetic Earbuds, CVC 6.0). No more pooling of sweat in my headphones. They’re also waterproof (IPX 7 waterproof level – drop in water up to 3 ft deep). Almost as an afterthought, I discovered that the earbuds (aptX) were not low latency earbuds but it didn’t seem to make a difference, at least not for me. The headphones that come with the Equinox 800 are aptX low latency to minimize latency differences between the coil detecting a target and you hearing it
I’ve been researching earbuds to use with the Equinox 800 and here is what I’ve found. [This is my usual MO – buy something than research it afterwards.] The Equinox (as of May 2018) is based on Bluetooth version 4.1 with aptX LL (low latency) headphones and will work with any version 4 Bluetooth headphones or earbuds (e.g., 4.2). Bluetooth version 4.2 is 2.6x faster than version 4.0 or 4.1 (Throughput; 0.8 vs 0.3 Mb/s). Bluetooth version 5 is 1.4x faster than version 4.2 (1.4 vs 0.8 Mb/s). Bluetooth version 5 is backward compatible but numerous version 5 capabilities would not be available (e.g., increased distance).
When it comes to latency between target location and coil location/detection, it makes perfect sense to choose the earbuds with the shortest latency and in this regards the newest version of Bluetooth. The ideal fit would be earbuds with the latest version of Bluetooth, 5.0, coupled with aptX low latency. In addition, I do a lot of water hunting as well as sweating and earbuds that are waterproof would get my vote.

A quick search revealed Bluetooth earbuds (version 4.1 or newer) for about $20 - $80, depending on features. They provide a great back-up for your regular Bluetooth headphones and are an ideal way to travel with your detector and avoid lost or stolen headphones. And if you’re a summer hunter like me, waterproof earbuds are the way to go.

Happy Hunting

 

[Stilllookin Dave]

Thank You for researching and posting that Lawrence. I also have an Equinox 800 and have been wondering about using earbuds also. I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks, Dave

 

[ROIGuy]

I also have a pair of soundpeats q12 wireless earbud headphones. They work great. Only about a 6 hour charge but all in all, I love them. No noticable latency. I got them with my 2nd hand Equinox 600.

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

Additional Info:
If you decide to go for some Bluetooth earbuds for the Equinox, I strongly suggest aptX low latency earbuds (but aptX earbuds seem to work just fine) and that have a water resistance/proof rating of IPX 6 or better depending on your needs. For example, IPX7 waterproof rating means your buds are safe if you drop them in 3 ft of water (great for shallow surf hunting). The Equinox works on Bluetooth version 4.1, so any version 4 or newer (4.2, 5.0) Bluetooth earbuds should work.

I have posted threads on several MD related sites about the Equinox and Bluetooth earbuds and have heard numerous replies, public and private. It appears that it is common for the 800 takes a long time to pair with Bluetooth earbuds; my SoundPeats take a full minute for example. Others have reported that it might take several minutes or repeated attempts or that once connected 800 disconnects depending on the specific buds and their features. The 600 doesn’t seem to have the Bluetooth connection problem with earbuds; this might be related to the WM08 module and the desire of the 800 to connect to it first. The 600 doesn’t have a WM08 module and it has been reported that certain earbuds might work fine on the 600 but have serious issues pairing and keeping the connection with the 800. But I wouldn't give up my Bluetooth earbuds for any thing! FYI

Update of Update:
I just got the SoundPEATS Bluetooth (Q12 Plus) Magnetic Wireless Earbuds IPX6 (9 Hours Playtime, APTX-LL, CVC 8.0, 10mm Drivers).

They work excellent with the Equinox 800; they pair in 10 seconds, are Bluetooth 5.0 and are aptX low latency and waterproof (IPX6). Best of all, they’re $25.

Important: I also bought the “Amazon upgraded” SoundPeats Bluetooth, Force Wireless Neckband Headset Stereo Bass in-Ear Magnetic Earbuds (16 Hours Playtime, Built-in Mic, CVC 6.0, IPX7) for about $34.

The Force ones work OK but they take one minute to connect to the Equinox 800. Also, the Force SoundPeats have aptX but not aptX low latency. On the upside, the Force SoundPeats have a little bit better waterproof rating (IPX7 vs IPX6) and have longer play time (16 hrs vs 9).

Overall, I would recommend the SoundPEATS Bluetooth Q12 Plus for $25. They pair quickly, are the least expensive and work well with the Equinox 800.

Now back to hunting.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

I switched to my Sound Peats when the weather got hot and have used them for 6-7 weeks now and really like them. Sometimes takes up to 15 seconds to link up, but I actually like the sounds better than the Miccus over ear OEM headphones.

 

[Harisser]

Hey, Everyone! Lawrence, Thanks for the information above - I ordered the SoundPEATS Bluetooth Headphones IPX6 in-Ear Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Earphones Magnetic Wireless Earbuds Upgraded Q12 HD (14 Hours Playtime, APTX-HD, CVC 8.0, 10mm Drivers) and they link up easily - but there is no sounds being transmitted. I can hear the "Power On" and "Power Off" voice, but nothing transmits. I've been using the Minelab headphones without any problems, but need to wear a wide brim hat to block sun exposure.

Does anyone have any ideas how to correct this? Thanks !!

 

[Oconimo]

Hey, Everyone! Lawrence, Thanks for the information above - I ordered the SoundPEATS Bluetooth Headphones IPX6 in-Ear Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Earphones Magnetic Wireless Earbuds Upgraded Q12 HD (14 Hours Playtime, APTX-HD, CVC 8.0, 10mm Drivers) and they link up easily - but there is no sounds being transmitted. I can hear the "Power On" and "Power Off" voice, but nothing transmits. I've been using the Minelab headphones without any problems, but need to wear a wide brim hat to block sun exposure.

Does anyone have any ideas how to correct this? Thanks !!

Hello Harisser,
I have the same problem with the soundpeats q12hd and my nox 800.
Did you solved the problem or bought a different type of earbuds?

Kind regards

Marcel

 

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