Best headphones for an SE Pro?

[Iron Patch]

I was told you should always be adjusting your sensitivity and threshold level based on your site, and even different parts of the site. And I completely agree with this because I've always notices the variations in soil conditions and power line effects. High trash vs. Low trash, etc.

If you always go back to the same site you might know what settings work well for that site though. But if the ground there is dry or moist depending on the day, you still mght wanna adjust the sensitivity.

That's one I can't really answer anymore because the 5 explorers I used before this year I could leave alone, but the one I have now seems to need adjustments in some conditions. I'm not convinced this is the way it should be and might be some other problem. I hit some of my deepest targets with this unit so I was content to deal with it as is.


The ground doesn't really change here within a site and I don't think that would be a problem for a detector with a good automatic ground balance. A m. bround balance is where you have to play more with the controls in ground that changes.


Grey Ghost originals for a few years, GG NDTs for the rest.

 

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[hollowpointred]

I think we are getting carried away with the debate though. All TreasureFiend wanted to know about was headphones.

What headphones have you been using for the last 10 years IronPatch?

i wouldn't call this debate, i would call it a technical discussion. i love these kinds of interactions between experienced explorer users because i can learn so much from them. perhaps we should start a new thread to continue it though.

 

[Iron Patch]

I think we are getting carried away with the debate though. All TreasureFiend wanted to know about was headphones.

What headphones have you been using for the last 10 years IronPatch?

i wouldn't call this debate, i would call it a technical discussion. i love these kinds of interactions between experienced explorer users because i can learn so much from them. perhaps we should start a new thread to continue it though.

I'm glad you see it that way too. I always hesitate to tell someone I think they're wrong because too many people think it's an attack and not just for the purpose of debate. There's not really anything that bothers me because I'm quite happy with how I do things and if everyone else is too, then no one should ever take comments on here as being personal. Besides, it's the better site that will find you more than a few detecting tips.

 

[hollowpointred]

I think we are getting carried away with the debate though. All TreasureFiend wanted to know about was headphones.

What headphones have you been using for the last 10 years IronPatch?

i wouldn't call this debate, i would call it a technical discussion. i love these kinds of interactions between experienced explorer users because i can learn so much from them. perhaps we should start a new thread to continue it though.

Besides, it's the better site that will find you more than a few detecting tips.

i couldn't agree more. maybe we ought to be trading research tips instead!

 

[Iron Patch]

I think we are getting carried away with the debate though. All TreasureFiend wanted to know about was headphones.

What headphones have you been using for the last 10 years IronPatch?

i wouldn't call this debate, i would call it a technical discussion. i love these kinds of interactions between experienced explorer users because i can learn so much from them. perhaps we should start a new thread to continue it though.

Besides, it's the better site that will find you more than a few detecting tips.

i couldn't agree more. maybe we ought to be trading research tips instead!

It no doubt would be more useful if finds are what matters.

 

[Brett]

I think we are getting carried away with the debate though. All TreasureFiend wanted to know about was headphones.

What headphones have you been using for the last 10 years IronPatch?

i wouldn't call this debate, i would call it a technical discussion. i love these kinds of interactions between experienced explorer users because i can learn so much from them. perhaps we should start a new thread to continue it though.

I disagree http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=debate

I find this information valuable to a point, then I have to go try things for myself and create my own experience. Otherwise I could spout off knowledge from all of the top hunters on Treasurenet and silver would just start to fly into my pocket.

Since we are going to be off topic, might as well learn something in the process. So I was doing some experimenting tonight and found that a low gain of like 4 or 5 will allow you to hear a deep target in a trashy area that won't let your detector depth gauge update. You know how not returning to a threshold will cause the numbers and crosshairs to stick? Well it seems to also effect the depth meter. 4 or 5 is a little low though, because even having the coil next to a surface coin will sound like a deepie, but the true deepie next to the surface coin has a little different of a tone though. If you run the gain at 10 or 9, the deepie sounds loud, but a little broken... not much to really know it's deep by sound for me. 7 or 8 seems to work good, and still let you hear the signal loud enough. You are listening for a little bit of a warble on the outside edges of the coin. I came to the realization though that I should be digging all surface clad in an area thought to have deepies, because it's just too hard to hear the deepie if it's within a half-coil distance from the surface coin. The same could be said for surface trash... dig it because there might be something under it or just next to and under it.

So back to headphones... I'm wondering what the real difference is between the volume limiting circuitry in the Ratphones Max and the Gray Ghost Ultimates. Because I tried to adjust the Max Limit setting to see if it could be used as a surface target discriminator, and it does not clip the sound, it just lowers the level of what's considered max... effectively compressing the range, bound by the low end of your gain setting and your hearing. If the limiting circuitry clips the sound, and even if it does it smoothly but noticeably, it might be a good way to listen for deepies. Crank the Max Limit and lower the headphone volume... set gain to like 5-7. Anyhoo, even with all of the experts we have here at TNET, this sort of thing probably needs to be experimented on by each individual.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

What I would really like to know is.......

Is the sound quality better in GG, rat phones, sunrays etc compared to the Koss. I have used the Koss on all my minelabs and seem to like them. I'm not concerned about the fit just the audio. I seem to think the audio on the koss is just fine. Anyone that has tried both really "hear" a difference

 

[Brett]

I need to do some comparative testing, but I have used the Ratphones Max now on a couple hunts. I had used the Koss UR-30's that came with my SE Pro all summer before now.

I can run the Max Limit (volume) on the detector all of the way up, and run the Ratphones Max volume controls all the way up and it's perfect! I have no desire to run it any louder or any quieter. The earcups fit perfectly over my ears and are not tight at all. The headband does not press on the sides of my head too hard either. I tried the Black Widows and those ARE tight. You have to have a small head to run Black Widows comfortably, but the Ratphones are perfect. As far as I can tell, the sound is brilliant. Honestly I don't believe the detector produces the sound quality of a CD but the tones that come out of an Explorer or E-trac in the Koss UR-30's seem "sharp". There is an edge to things. With the Ratphones it sounds more like you are listening to a "controlled" response. I bet LONG and SMOOTH mode on these detectors would sound EVEN better. I've yet to experiment with those little secrets.

Bottom line, if you don't have the money... you'll be fine with the Koss UR-30's until you dig up enough surface quarters to purchase some Ratphone Max's... then you'll have more patience to listen for those deep signals. I do need to do some serious testing of an 8" dime vs. a neighboring surface dime with the Koss vs. Rats, but I can already tell it's doing something to the overall high volume surface hits. I'll report back when I have more info.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

Thanks Brett! Love to hear what you find out.

 

[steve from ohio]

I broke my Koss ones that came with my SE and I want to get a very good set so I can hear the very faint deep signals. What brand and model do you recommend?

Each person is different when it comes to headphones.

Some headphones design is better for people with larger heads and ears, some are better for smaller heads and ears. Ergonomics is different for each design and what is comfortable for one person is pure pain for others.

Each person has hearing differences and so not one design or brand is right for everyone. Blind people have far better hearing than sighted people because they had to adapt to bring the senses they have to the forefront to compensate for not being able to see. I would think that a blind person would really excel at metal detecting due to that advantage. Anyone ever hear of a blind MD'er?

Some people have been at war and have poorer hearing due to sound trauma. Others have poor hearing due to overexposure to loud rock and roll music. What good would having a full range audio response headphone when you can't hear the sounds because of poor hearing? Others have incredible hearing and any headphone would suffice.

So to say this headphone is the best for you would be a dis service. You will have to hear the differences in each and make your decision on what you hear and not what other people recommend.

 

[Slipperyjack47]

I really enjoyed reading all these very interesting and veried opinons on SE settings as I am pretty new with my SE and it really helps to listen to seasoned detectorists giving good advice. I am not at all an expert with my SE yet but one thing I will add to this thread about the headphones that I do consider myself very knowledgable about is the plug! The little quarter inch plug used by every manufacturer of headphones that we all are able to purchase in this country are all made in China! They are of very low quality, and poorly made at best. I know this as I build plugs like these for a living and can tell you that even a poor pair of headphones can be made much much better by merely replacing the junk plug the manufactuer puts on the headphones with a high quality plug and you would not believe the difference! Just an idea for those who can not afford to spend hundreds on a new headset.

HH
Slipperyjack47

 

[Brett]

I really enjoyed reading all these very interesting and veried opinons on SE settings as I am pretty new with my SE and it really helps to listen to seasoned detectorists giving good advice. I am not at all an expert with my SE yet but one thing I will add to this thread about the headphones that I do consider myself very knowledgable about is the plug! The little quarter inch plug used by every manufacturer of headphones that we all are able to purchase in this country are all made in China! They are of very low quality, and poorly made at best. I know this as I build plugs like these for a living and can tell you that even a poor pair of headphones can be made much much better by merely replacing the junk plug the manufactuer puts on the headphones with a high quality plug and you would not believe the difference! Just an idea for those who can not afford to spend hundreds on a new headset.

HH
Slipperyjack47

Yo Slipperyjack47,

Thank you for chiming in. So when do we get our high quality plug discount??

I have a pair of Koss UR-30's that I wouldn't mind cutting off the plug and replacing it with a right angled one that's not going to break after a few months of serious use. I don't have the equipment to measure the difference in audio quality, but I could do a subjective test on my coin garden.