Is a Pi machine deeper than a Multi frequency detector on a mild to moderate beach in 2026?

[Calabash Digger]

Today I’m putting modern simultaneous multi-frequency detectors head-to-head against pulse induction units, including the White's TDI BeachHunter and the Fisher AQ Impulse.

There’s been a long-standing belief that pulse induction machines have the edge in depth on gold rings at the beach. This test is designed to take a serious look at that claim under real-world conditions.

We’re working on a mild to moderately mineralized saltwater beach along the Carolina coast. Every machine in this test has been set up for stable, practical use—no unrealistic “maxed out” settings that wouldn’t actually work in the field. The pulse induction units are running stable, usable configurations, and I’ve already documented in other videos which extreme settings are not viable on this type of beach.

For the simultaneous multi-frequency machines, I’ve pushed them as far as possible while maintaining stability—running the lowest recovery speeds and highest sensitivities that the conditions will allow.

This is a true apples-to-apples comparison focused on real performance, not theoretical limits.

I’m interested to hear your thoughts:
Do you still believe pulse induction machines hold the depth advantage on a mild to moderate beach in 2026, or has modern simultaneous multi-frequency technology closed that gap?

This is a true shootout—results may surprise you. Stay tuned.
MINELABMANTICORE SETTINGS.....
GENERAL , LOW CONDUCTOR,BEACH / SURF / SEAWATER SETTINGS
Ground Balance: Pumping Ground Balance
Recovery Speed: 4–6
Sensitivity:
9" Coil: 20–24
11" Coil: 18–24
15" Coil: 18–24
Audio Theme: Depth (Medium Profile) or Prospecting (your choice)
Volume: Set to a comfortable level (23 recommended)
Iron Settings:
Horseshoe (All Metal): ON
Iron Volume: 6–112
Upper Ferrous: 8
Lower Ferrous: 4–5 (helps with bottle caps)
Noise Cancel: Long press

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Yes PI is deeper than multi-freq, particularly in heavily mineralized soil and saltwater, just like Excalibur is deeper in all metal mode than in discrimination.

 

[Calabash Digger]

Yes PI is deeper than multi-freq, particularly in heavily mineralized soil and saltwater, just like Excalibur is deeper in all metal mode than in discrimination.

A PI isn't even close to being deeper on my Beach...I cant speak

Yes PI is deeper than multi-freq, particularly in heavily mineralized soil and saltwater, just like Excalibur is deeper in all metal mode than in discrimination.

For years, the standard belief in this hobby has been that pulse induction (PI) machines are inherently deeper than VLF or simultaneous multi-frequency (SMF) detectors on saltwater beaches. That’s been accepted as fact for a long time.

However, with modern machines like the Minelab Manticore and the XP Deus II now well-established, I decided to put that long-standing belief to a real-world test.

I’ve spent hours conducting controlled, side-by-side comparisons between PI units and modern SMF detectors on mild to moderately mineralized saltwater beaches. These weren’t quick or biased demonstrations—every machine was run in stable, usable settings, both in and out of the water, across different sections of the beach. Settings were shown, stability was demonstrated, and performance was documented on video.

And the results?

You’ll have to watch the video to see exactly what happens—but I will say this: the long-standing assumption doesn’t hold up the way many people think it does.

What’s interesting is the lack of comprehensive, real-world comparison videos out there. Most claims about PI depth come from theory, air tests, or unstable “maxed-out” settings that aren’t practical in actual hunting conditions.

There are, however, a few notable exceptions:

• A creator known as Relics and Rings tested multiple Minelab PI units against the Manticore and Deus II on the Great Salt Lake—and the PI machines did not come out on top.
• Another detectorist, Magnus Detection (France), conducted tests on mild to moderate beaches using a White's TDI platform (modified to 16 volts) against the Manticore and Deus II—with similar results.

Now, to be clear—this is specific to mild to moderately mineralized saltwater beaches. I’m not making claims about highly mineralized or volcanic environments, where PI units may still offer advantages. But even there, updated, real-world comparisons using modern detectors are limited—and needed.

Based on extensive testing and documented results, it’s becoming increasingly clear that on typical saltwater beaches, modern SMF machines like the Manticore and Deus II are not only competitive—but in many cases outperform PI units in real-world, stable conditions.

I have hours of footage showing these comparisons, and I welcome anyone to run their own controlled tests—using stable, realistic settings—and share their results.

At this point, the conversation isn’t about theory anymore. It’s about documented performance.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

As stated it is deeper...

 

[geowizard]

Yes PI is deeper than multi-freq, particularly in heavily mineralized soil and saltwater, just like Excalibur is deeper in all metal mode than in discrimination.

With all due respect, that's a broad net to cast. Comparing apples to oranges. PI and FDEM have too much variety. Heavily mineralized soil and saltwater vary infinitely. Generalities without a specific reference are difficult to support. Calabash Digger is doing something significant here in giving readers specifics. I look forward to seeing the results!

- Geowizard

 

[Calabash Digger]

It’s natural human instinct—when someone challenges a long-held belief, the initial reaction is often negative. I understand that. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m speaking on specific, controlled results.

These detectors are being tested on a mild to moderate saltwater beach using stable, usable settings, not maxed-out or unrealistic configurations. They are then tested on the same targets at depth, side by side.

The results are clear and repeatable.

I have multiple videos showing the same conclusion: modern simultaneous multi-frequency detectors, such as the Minelab Manticore and XP Deus II, are matching—and in some cases exceeding—pulse induction units in depth on gold rings under these conditions.

You can see it demonstrated. This isn’t theory—it’s real-world performance.

Now, does this hold true on highly mineralized beaches or volcanic soils? That’s still an open question. There simply aren’t enough comprehensive, controlled tests out there to definitively answer it one way or the other.

So I’ll concede that PI machines may still have an advantage in those extreme conditions.

But that leads to the real question: how mineralized does the ground actually have to be for that advantage to take over?

Because on mild to moderate, typical saltwater beaches, the evidence is clear—modern simultaneous multi-frequency detectors have closed the gap and, in many cases, surpassed older PI technology in depth on gold rings.

And that’s not even factoring in their ability to detect smaller gold and certain chains that many PI machines won’t respond to at all.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

With all due respect, that's a broad net to cast. Comparing apples to oranges. PI and FDEM have too much variety. Heavily mineralized soil and saltwater vary infinitely. Generalities without a specific reference are difficult to support. Calabash Digger is doing something significant here in giving readers specifics. I look forward to seeing the results!

- Geowizard

Geo, I have worked for both Minelab and Kellyco before it was sold, and field tested a lot of PIs, singles freqs, and multi-freq detectors in established test gardens we had, with buried targets at different depths, as well as tests at our beaches.

Florida beaches is highly mineralized too.

My net is also no broader than CD is too.

 

[Calabash Digger]

Geo, I have worked for both Minelab and Kellyco before it was sold, and field tested a lot of PIs, singles freqs, and multi-freq detectors in established test gardens we had, with buried targets at different depths, as well as tests at our beaches.

Florida beaches is highly mineralized too.

My net is also no broader than CD is too.

We aint talking about 2019 ...we are talking about 2026......I have a wide net of people I talk with around the world....Lots are beach hunters...

 

[Calabash Digger]

I think this is exactly the issue I’ve been pointing out. Instead of taking a look at the actual evidence, it’s being dismissed outright based on past experience.

What Treasure Hunter is referencing comes from testing older PI machines against older technology. That’s not what we’re discussing here. We’re talking about modern, top-tier simultaneous multi-frequency detectors like the Minelab Manticore and the XP Deus II—machines that represent a significant leap forward in performance.

Rather than writing it off, I’d strongly encourage anyone interested to actually watch the videos. I’ve put in hours of controlled, side-by-side testing on North Carolina beaches—from the Morehead City area down to Ocean Isle Beach—using stable, real-world settings on all machines involved.

The results are consistent.

On mild to moderately mineralized saltwater beaches, modern simultaneous multi-frequency detectors are matching or exceeding PI machines on gold rings and smaller gold at depth. That long-standing belief that PI machines are always deeper in these conditions simply doesn’t hold up under current, real-world testing.

Now, to be fair, highly mineralized and volcanic beaches are still a question mark, and I’m open to seeing more data there. But for typical East Coast beach conditions, the evidence I’ve gathered points clearly in one direction.

At the end of the day, this isn’t about opinions—it’s about results. And those results are being demonstrated, repeatedly, on video.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I left Kellyco in 2019, not 2010....

Florida has the highest mineralized beaches in continental America.

 

[Calabash Digger]

I hear ya talking...The difference is I am showing....

 

[Calabash Digger]

Here's what AI had to say about that matter...
Short answer: No—Florida is not the most highly mineralized beach system in the U.S. Not even close compared to parts of the West Coast.

Funny thing is you quit before the two Detectors I am talking about came out. Very simple question have you tested the Manticore and Deus II against PI units? Send me the video and I will post your results.​

 

[geowizard]

A note on AI;

AI is Cyberspace! AI searches more info faster than is otherwise possible. It provides its sources of the facts. With the higher cost of metal detectors, serious buyers want reliable, verifiable, repeatable data. Jennifer-007's thread on the GPZ 8000 sheds light on the subject.

GPZ 7000 Successor, March 9th boys…. Apply for those second mortgages…

Reviews; Product reviews are super important! Here's why... Readers can be and often are guided by opinions of their peers. Let us say hypothetically, 90 percent of NEW users give the GPZ 8000 a thumbs down! We naturally "assume" there's a problem or problems and that reflex action results in...

www.treasurenet.com

- Geowizard

 

[tnsharpshooter]

Let’s see.
Here’s AI overview of Great Salt Lake in USA.

6% to over 30%, which is up to five times saltier than the ocean. It is a terminal (endorheic) basin that accumulates salts and minerals from rivers, which concentrate as water evaporates, leaving behind materials like sodium chloride, magnesium, and sulfate.

And here is a guy who knows how to run both vlf and pulse machines.
Comparing them guess where. The Great Salt Lake.
Enjoy.
This video done few years ago.
Imagine if this video were done before Xp Deus 2 and Manticore releases
Would have been a different t outcome. Say using the Excalibur, right.
And this is where folks are mistaken in their thinking, goal posts moved with EQx800/EQx 900, Manticore and Xp Deus 2 releases.

And just where is the video where a PI user is busting a signal ( which turns out to be gold ring) in the wild and the manticore user walks up and says I don’t hear squat on the coast of the State of Florida. Anyone saw that video. And you would think there would be numerous instances caught on a cell phone, go pro, etc right? Question is have they?
Matter a fact seems few videos existed comparing Deus 2 and Manticore to any pi unit on a salt beach in USA. You want to hear a funny. A person using a pulse could get alert on a fish hook. Around 2-3” deep. And little does the pulse user know there is a small gold ring down deeper. And with the fish hook there the Manticore is blinded to the gold ring. The next day Manticore user sweeps over where her fish hook was and low and hears the deeper gold ring. The ring was not heard by the pi user after filling in hole and sweeping over the ring. Has this happened? Possibly. Those Pi machines with them digging all thst crap, bottle caps, steel leader, fish hooks and Bobby pins are opening up the beach for detectors like the Deus 2 and Manticore.

 

[tnsharpshooter]

So, maybe we should compared pi to Deus 2 and Manticore on beach of the Dead Sea. And see what happens.

 

[geowizard]

Apples and Oranges;

Which is better? Add some salt? Himalayan pink salt? In beer?

There are different conductivities!

Both technologies measure conductivity. Coincidentally, I was searching conductivity calibration standards this morning! Conductivity solutions use salt water of different calibrated parts per million. Conductivity in salt water is based on ions which are molecules. Conductivity in gold is based on electrons 10,000 times smaller than molecules. We need calibrated conductivity references. I make them.

- Geowizard

 

[Calabash Digger]

We’re going to have a real debate here about what’s actually true versus what people have believed for years.

First off, we all know Florida does not have the most mineralized beaches in the United States. That’s not even up for debate. The West Coast, with its black sand and volcanic mineralization, is in a completely different category.

Now, with that out of the way, here’s the real question:

I have shown clear, repeatable video evidence—hours of it—testing on beaches from Morehead City down to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. These are mild to moderately mineralized saltwater beaches. In controlled, side-by-side testing, using stable and usable settings on all machines, the pulse induction units are consistently behind the simultaneous multi-frequency detectors by inches on gold rings and nickels in stick tests.

We’re talking about real-world, huntable setups—not overdriven machines, not unstable settings, and not standing over targets trying to force a result. Every detector in those tests was set up to actually hunt.

So here’s the simple question that hasn’t been answered:

If pulse induction machines are supposedly deeper—and if someone wants to argue they perform even better on more mineralized beaches like Florida—then why are they not deeper on my milder beaches?

You can’t dismiss the results by pointing to mineralization, because that argument works against you here. These are easier conditions. If PI units have a depth advantage, they should absolutely show it in mild to moderate environments.

But they don’t.

And this isn’t based on one video or one test. This is consistent across multiple machines, multiple locations, and hours of documented testing.

The long-standing belief has been that PI machines are inherently deeper by design. That may have been true years ago, and it still applies in highly mineralized ground like goldfields or black sand beaches.

But we are not talking about those environments.

We are talking about modern simultaneous multi-frequency detectors—like the Minelab Manticore and the XP Deus II—being used on mild to moderate saltwater beaches in 2026.

And in those conditions, the results are clear.

So instead of falling back on old assumptions or outdated information, the question remains:

Why are pulse induction machines not deeper here?

That’s the one question that needs a real answer.

 

[Calabash Digger]

Let’s see.
Here’s AI overview of Great Salt Lake in USA.

6% to over 30%, which is up to five times saltier than the ocean. It is a terminal (endorheic) basin that accumulates salts and minerals from rivers, which concentrate as water evaporates, leaving behind materials like sodium chloride, magnesium, and sulfate.

And here is a guy who knows how to run both vlf and pulse machines.
Comparing them guess where. The Great Salt Lake.
Enjoy.
This video done few years ago.
Imagine if this video were done before Xp Deus 2 and Manticore releases
Would have been a different t outcome. Say using the Excalibur, right.
And this is where folks are mistaken in their thinking, goal posts moved with EQx800/EQx 900, Manticore and Xp Deus 2 releases.

And just where is the video where a PI user is busting a signal ( which turns out to be gold ring) in the wild and the manticore user walks up and says I don’t hear squat on the coast of the State of Florida. Anyone saw that video. And you would think there would be numerous instances caught on a cell phone, go pro, etc right? Question is have they?
Matter a fact seems few videos existed comparing Deus 2 and Manticore to any pi unit on a salt beach in USA. You want to hear a funny. A person using a pulse could get alert on a fish hook. Around 2-3” deep. And little does the pulse user know there is a small gold ring down deeper. And with the fish hook there the Manticore is blinded to the gold ring. The next day Manticore user sweeps over where her fish hook was and low and hears the deeper gold ring. The ring was not heard by the pi user after filling in hole and sweeping over the ring. Has this happened? Possibly. Those Pi machines with them digging all thst crap, bottle caps, steel leader, fish hooks and Bobby pins are opening up the beach for detectors like the Deus 2 and Manticore.

funny ain't it...Dont forget this Ole Boy from France...This is a video he did because of what I showed....Use the translate feature..

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I appreciate you took the time to show stability swinging between targets.

I wish the people testing nugget detectors would do the same.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]