I have both. I like using both. I can use the Equinox in 1, 2, 5 or 50 (full) tones. I can only stomach the Deus audio in full tones, single VCO tone or in a 2 tone ferrous/non-ferrous setup. I don't like the Deus or ORX audio in 3, 4 or 5 etc. tones unless I do some major tweaking but I would rather just hunt instead of trying to fix something that my ears will never accept.
I generally use the Deus for relic hunting in areas with lots of surface and deep iron, I use it occasionally for gold prospecting which it does very well and will also use it some for shallower coin/jewelry hunting especially in areas that likely have quality jewelry drops like the edges of athletic fields and under trees in parks where people do some crazy things....... Not complaining about Deus depth, I just have very mineralized dirt where I hunt and no single frequency detector does well here for depth and that includes the Deus.
To me, the Deus audio is ridiculously unpleasant EXCEPT on quality targets like gold jewelry!!!!! For some reason, the Deus really seems to like me and I find some astounding jewelry, coins and relics with it. Otherwise, I hold my nose when I use it basically and cringe a lot when it detects trash and iron. But, I still love it anyway.
For relic hunting in a mixed target environment where there aren't 5 to 10 or so iron targets under the coil all the time, I will use the Equinox 800. It has extremely accurate numerical and tone target ID all the way out to the limit of its detection depth even in highly mineralized dirt and will not up average target IDs very much at all on low to mid conductors like most single frequency detectors will. So a modern US nickel will read between 12 and 13 near or on the surface and it will read 11 to 14 or so at 10" or more depth with the correct audio tones too. Your F22 and my F19/G2+ for instance will turn a US nickel or pull tab into a clad dime or quarter around 5" deep or more as far as numerical target ID and tones. I did not find the Equinox to be particularly heavy or uncomfortable to swing. It is not as gentle on the arm as the Deus/Orx but it is a lot more comfortable than most detectors. It really can hunt very well on shallow targets, medium depth targets and deep targets in just about any kind of soil situation you could think of including, SW USA desert volcanic high mineralization, Rocky Mountain highly magnetic mineralization, any weather conditions, wet saltwater sand and submerged to 10 feet. To me its only weakness is hunting shallow to medium non-ferrous targets in thick bed of nails where the Deus/ORX is definitely the undisputed champion.
you’ll do well whatever you choose because you enjoy the hunt
