Equinox 800 Audio Quality compared to Deus

[Skiron]

Hi gents,

Well, some days ago I pulled the trigger for the Equinox 800 (sold my Deus) in order to be able to detect salt beaches and shalow underwater along with my normal inland hunting...

I haven't use my brand new Equinox for hunting yet, but in my first air testing, it seems to me that Equinox' audio quality is "flatter" without "depth" and without all that usefull naunses and details that Deus audio had.
I don't know how to describe it, but I think that equinox' tones lack some "tone fulness" and tone details...are not so "full" if you understand me...no echo...no that quality round and bell like "ding-ding" that Deus had in coin like targets...I would describe it like Deus is High Definition Audio, and Equinox a lower quality audio with less details and tone depth...

Furthermore, the total volume of Equinox is quite low (vs Deus volume) even if I have the volume maxed out @25....

Is this normal? maybe I just have to get use to it but what are your thoughts?

Let me say that so far I have tested the audio only by using the WM08 module, with either wiring in the original ML80 headphones, also testing a good quality earbuds, and some other headphones that I had around.
With all three I had the same results regarding audio quality and tone depth.
Regarding volume, only my earbuds had some noticable increase in volume but not much...

I'd like some input regarding the above from those who have/had both machines...and I really hope that is just my imagination and nothing wrong, so I just have to get used to it

Thanks

 

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[Bayoutalker]

I use mine with the wireless headphones that came with it. With the volume on both the Nox and the headphones at full I have more than I normally need.

 

[Skiron]

Yes, by using the bluetooth ML80 headphones alone (without wired in the WM08 module) the volume is indeed higher, since the headphones have their own volume adjustment to max out.....but wearing headphones in hot summerdays is a no-no for me....so I'm seeking for an "earbud style" solution to connect with WM08 and have high enough volume....

But what about the audio tones quality? Are you happy in general ?
Is there a proven and tested choice regarding earbuds (high volume and best audio quality) that equinox users could suggest?

 

[Bayoutalker]

I don't have any experience with the Deus so I can't compare them but I'm fine with the Nox. I've tried a set of cheap BT earbuds with mine and the volume was fine but they were not LL so I didn't use them to hunt.

 

[jmc24]

I have both Equinox models, the XP ORX and used to have the full Deus setup. For my ears, I am just the opposite from you. I had a really hard time with the Deus audio. No matter how much I adjusted my Deus, it sounded like multi pitched VCO audio to me. I have no problem with single tone VCO audio but adding different tones and "nuances" to them drove me crazy. The ORX having just 3 tones and a little bit less modulation is just about right for me. Have you listened to the Equinox Gold modes single tone VCO. It is closer to the Deus in my weird opinion. I really like clear tones when I am coin and jewelry hunting without the scratchy static that surrounded the Deus tones. But, when the Deus and ORX hit a really good quality target it is super obvious! The rest of the time I just wanted to cover my ears which is hard to do with headphones on. The Equinox tones just fit my ears better somehow......... I have not noticed any issues with the volume levels on my Equinox. Crazy how different people react to different sound qualities.


Jeff

 

[67GTA]

You have to use 50 tones on the Nox to get any sound nuance. When you hit a coin 99% of the time you can tell the same way the Deus likes round things. With most trash or irregularly shaped targets, the tones will change as you are swinging. I like to call it "warbling". The Nox doesn't have the same depth of sound like the Deus. There isn't any forced vs soft tones. The good thing about Multi IQ is the more stable VDI numbers at depth.

 

[Skiron]

Yeah....so true...different people, different ears....

I guess I just have to get used to Equinox' sounds and gain some field experience with it in order to master it....afterall it was just an initial airtesting and some really quick conclussions..not always true.

However, your phrase "But, when the Deus and ORX hit a really good quality target it is super obvious!" somehow represents what I was trying to say here....e.g with my Deus, even if I use 2 tones only, the difference in audio between a round coin vs an iron tool was very obvious......in this first airtesting with my new Equinox I had really hard time to distinguish between the two....luck of experience with equinox? less conclusive audio naunces in equinox sound quality? I guess time will show......

 

[Skiron]

You have to use 50 tones on the Nox to get any sound nuance. When you hit a coin 99% of the time you can tell the same way the Deus likes round things. With most trash or irregularly shaped targets, the tones will change as you are swinging. I like to call it "warbling". The Nox doesn't have the same depth of sound like the Deus. There isn't any forced vs soft tones. The good thing about Multi IQ is the more stable VDI numbers at depth.

Since now, i never had to use full tones with Deus and neither I'm willing to do with Equinox but sure full tones will have a lot more audio info.....However, with the Deus and with only 2 tones, i could definetelly distinguish a round coin between an odd shaped item.....I hope that I'll be able to do the same with 2 tones in equinox, since 50 tones/full tones were never good for my head health! (and I dig all non-ferous after all)

And as you mentioned, equinox lucks the depth-sound modulation that deus had, but if equinox vdi is more reliable i can live with that

thanks for your input everyone

 

[67GTA]

The Nox 2 and 5 tones are flat and have no depth of sound. 50 tones are still flat but uses all of the 50 tones to create a flat modulation if that makes any sense. If you can handle 50 tones you will know when you hit a coin.

 

[Skiron]

Thanks 67GTA, I 'll give 50 tones a try to see if I can handle it.

One more question since it seams that you owned both Deus and Equinox 800......with my Deus, I mostly used Reactivity of 2 and was a good speed/depth compromise for my soils and trash density, and i also liked the tone length with Re@2.
Do you know what Deus' reactivity #2 coresponds to equinox 800 reactivity? eg....deus @2 = equinox @4 or 6? equinox @6 seams to give quite a short signal compared to Deus @2..

 

[smokeythecat]

I concur with 67GTA. To me everything sounded much the same on my Equinox. Now that I've had the Deus quite a while I can "hear" the difference between aluminum and good targets almost all the time. The aluminum just "sounds" different. I couldn't do that with the Nox.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I do agree! To me, it is all about the sound of the target. That's why I gave my Ace250 to my brother and jumped up to the CTX. I used the EQ800 for the too few times I hunted last year. It's middle May now and I've not been out yet this year....

However, here pretty soon the water will be calling, and my Excal will be my go to for the warm months....

I really enjoy relaxing these days, my evenings are on Youtube watching old movies

And of course, hiding from that bear who is stalking me

 

[jmc24]

After too many hours to count on the Equinox, I actually can hear a difference between most aluminum targets and say a US nickel, lead bullet, shell casing, gold ring or my favorite=gold nuggets. Like I said, it has taken some time but I can usually call it based on VDI stability, depth and the actual sound quality of the target. When you get used to using all of the audio adjustments on the Equinox, you can tweak the length of sound via recovery speed, the quality of the sound via the iron bias settings along with changing the pitches, tone breaks and volume levels for each tone if you want to stay with 5 tones or 2 tones. You can also set up your Nox for 3 or 4 tones by adjusting the tone breaks too. Using the depth meter and the quality (faint or loud) of the sound both in detect mode and in pinpoint mode I can get a lot of information about the target too. With the Deus, most of the information was contained in the target sound itself, which is really amazing. I could make all of those audio adjustments with the Deus too, along with tell most aluminum from good targets, I just couldn't handle all of the extra scratchy noise.

Jeff

 

[Skiron]

I concur with 67GTA. To me everything sounded much the same on my Equinox. Now that I've had the Deus quite a while I can "hear" the difference between aluminum and good targets almost all the time. The aluminum just "sounds" different. I couldn't do that with the Nox.

Thanks Smokey,

So, as you and 67GTA mentioned, my first airtesting clues that Equinox' audio quality is "flatter" without "depth" and without all that "usefull nuanses and details" that Deus audio had, seams to be confirmed...at least when using 2 tones... I really couldn't distinguish a coin vs a misshaped item with the Nox as I was able to do with the Deus audio running in just 2 tones setup. No gradual "smooth round edges" in tone, no bell type "echo" in coin vs the sudden tone stop in an iron tool...just the same flat beep in all of them without any further clues :/

Anyway, I'm a "dig all non ferrous" type of guy especially at the beach so it shouldn't matter, and saltwater beaches was the main reason to buy the Nox and sell my Deus, but for inland hunting I think I should start using Nox at full tones as 67GTA suggests, and maybe start using the vdis too in order to compomise some...

Thank you all for your help guys

 

[67GTA]

Recovery speed 2 on the Deus would be around 4 or 5 on the Nox. In heavy iron I run the Deus at 3 or 4, which would be 6 or 7 on the Nox.

 

[smokeythecat]

I hate to admit it, but I run "Deus Fast" exclusively on mine with tracking balance, four tones, 74khz and everything else is factory preset. That Deus fast program kills it in iron infested sites. I went to a park awhile back with it and pulled out innumerable Indians, buffalos, wheaties and modern coins I got tired and bored and went home (I dig relics). A whole bunch of people his this small place all the time to detect. Love that hf coil.

 

[Skiron]

After too many hours to count on the Equinox, I actually can hear a difference between most aluminum targets and say a US nickel, lead bullet, shell casing, gold ring or my favorite=gold nuggets. Like I said, it has taken some time but I can usually call it based on VDI stability, depth and the actual sound quality of the target. When you get used to using all of the audio adjustments on the Equinox, you can tweak the length of sound via recovery speed, the quality of the sound via the iron bias settings along with changing the pitches, tone breaks and volume levels for each tone if you want to stay with 5 tones or 2 tones. You can also set up your Nox for 3 or 4 tones by adjusting the tone breaks too. Using the depth meter and the quality (faint or loud) of the sound both in detect mode and in pinpoint mode I can get a lot of information about the target too. With the Deus, most of the information was contained in the target sound itself, which is really amazing. I could make all of those audio adjustments with the Deus too, along with tell most aluminum from good targets, I just couldn't handle all of the extra scratchy noise.

Jeff

jmc24, thanks for the info!

I listen carefully to what you say, but could you give me a more specific example to help me some?
eg....using Nox800 with only 2 tones (ferrous / non ferrous), park 2 (higher weighted multi freq.), running all metal, tone break @0, recovery 6, iron bias 0 .... how could you tell the difference between an irregular aluminum melted piece (can slaw) vs a round gold ring or a coin? What would you do to help distinguish some between the two by using audio/depth meter/sound/pinpoint ?
With the Deus, I was trying to hear the signal edges...coins and rings signals were very progressive and smooth at the edges when sweeping 360 degrees...a "round echo tone" progressivelly faint at the edges through all directions....how about the Nox?

 

[jmc24]

jmc24, thanks for the info!

I listen carefully to what you say, but could you give me a more specific example to help me some?
eg....using Nox800 with only 2 tones (ferrous / non ferrous), park 2 (higher weighted multi freq.), running all metal, tone break @0, recovery 6, iron bias 0 .... how could you tell the difference between an irregular aluminum melted piece (can slaw) vs a round gold ring or a coin? What would you do to help distinguish some between the two by using audio/depth meter/sound/pinpoint ?
With the Deus, I was trying to hear the signal edges...coins and rings signals were very progressive and smooth at the edges when sweeping 360 degrees...a "round echo tone" progressivelly faint at the edges through all directions....how about the Nox?

PM sent.

Jeff

 

[RustyGold]

Thanks Smokey,

So, as you and 67GTA mentioned, my first airtesting clues that Equinox' audio quality is "flatter" without "depth" and without all that "usefull nuanses and details" that Deus audio had, seams to be confirmed...at least when using 2 tones... I really couldn't distinguish a coin vs a misshaped item with the Nox as I was able to do with the Deus audio running in just 2 tones setup. No gradual "smooth round edges" in tone, no bell type "echo" in coin vs the sudden tone stop in an iron tool...just the same flat beep in all of them without any further clues :/

Anyway, I'm a "dig all non ferrous" type of guy especially at the beach so it shouldn't matter, and saltwater beaches was the main reason to buy the Nox and sell my Deus, but for inland hunting I think I should start using Nox at full tones as 67GTA suggests, and maybe start using the vdis too in order to compomise some...

Thank you all for your help guys

I wouldn’t sell the Deus. For me, I just do better on the beach with it than the Nox. Good luck!

 

[67GTA]

I hate to admit it, but I run "Deus Fast" exclusively on mine with tracking balance, four tones, 74khz and everything else is factory preset. That Deus fast program kills it in iron infested sites. I went to a park awhile back with it and pulled out innumerable Indians, buffalos, wheaties and modern coins I got tired and bored and went home (I dig relics). A whole bunch of people his this small place all the time to detect. Love that hf coil.

Hard to beat Deus Fast. I either use it or Hot 90% of the time.