whats with the headphones?

[highnam]

It seems every serious md'er is sporting a set...what are the advantages? I hunt deep in the woods were the beeps won't bother anyone, I certainly don't want to give up my ear to the woods if I don't gain some advantage.

 

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[matt092079]

Headphones save on battery life.

 

[highnam]

I could use a little savings on batteries, however buying headphones would cut into the same budget. I guess i'm still on the fence.

 

[matt092079]

Well mine came with headphones...so.

If you're not hunting heavily populated areas, then you don't have to worry about the tones of the metal detector bothering people. Saving on battery life is about the only thing that would benefit you.

 

[bluehunter1973]

saves in the long run so it pays for themselves.

 

[testing123]

Headphones allow you to hear soft tones and the subtle changes in the threshold (threshhold?) which could indicate deep targets. With a gentle breeze, they could be lost without headphones. Plus they help keep the ears warm on cold days and keep the bugs away during summer.

 

[49r Relics]

For me (and most others), headphones are essential for critical listening. I use a Minelab Explorer and GPX 4500, I need to hear every single little detail of the audio coming in. Not having headphones for me would result in several missed, deep coins (gold nuggets) and lack of ID based on audio.

That and they keep your ears warm. They deter people from making comments or talking to you, eating up your precious detecting time (although I love to talk).

Those are the pros, the cons are, can't hear someone (or a dog) coming up from behind you, can't hear rattlesnakes (detector-pro does make a headphone specifically for this and it only has one earpiece).

That and it's noise pollution to be in a public park where people go to get away from the city noise and have to hear a metal detector (or a pinpointer) beeping.

Cheers, Mark

 

[crankyolman22]

I got mine at a thrift store for $5. I think they help me hear the tones better but I also hunt parks and don't want everybody staring at me or complaining about the noise or asking me questions at every beep. Oh and my external seeker quit and I don't want to be without it long enough to send it in and have it fixed. I don't like the external speaker anyway.

 

[highnam]

Thank you all, excellent feedback...I realize that I have much more to learn about the beeps coming from my detector, It makes sense what you all are saying in regards to hearing soft tones, sharp tones, length of tone, pitch, etc.
I'm curious enough now to try a set, and one of those pinpointers!

 

[wwwtimmcp]

try detecting of a beach with wind and waves crashing ashore without headphones or near a noisy factory or a park with a ballgame going on. I wear mine around my neck if it is quiet enough so I can hear what is going on around me. besides they act like a tether.

 

[lost hunter]

try it you'll love it

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

You also hear deeper faint signals you want hear on your speaker, you have noise that will block it, wind blowing and so on.....

 

[BigPete]

It is like the difference of listening to music with/and with out headphones. More clarity, more depth, etc..with the headphones.

 

[joeyfresh]

I don't think I would have found half the things I've found without headphones. If you hunt in iron (where all the good stuff is), you'll miss a lot of the good tones. Get headphones and learn your detector......and you'll know when you start to learn it. It's kind of like a eureka moment when your brain catches on to the tones

 

[highnam]

All right, I'm convinced. Really appreciate the help. Been detecting in the same area since I started detecting over a year ago with no headphones. Really curious to go over my hotspots again with headphones and listen carefully for the tones that i might have missed. Probably slow my swing speed down a bit, until im reading my detectors tones a little better.Any recommendations on a good set of headphones? Anybody have theirs last a long time?

 

[spud]

hopefully your hearing will never be as bad as mine ,headphones are a godsend

 

[jake123]

If your detector does not have volume control buy headphones that do.

 

[worldtalker]

All right, I'm convinced. Really appreciate the help. Been detecting in the same area since I started detecting over a year ago with no headphones. Really curious to go over my hotspots again with headphones and listen carefully for the tones that i might have missed. Probably slow my swing speed down a bit, until im reading my detectors tones a little better.Any recommendations on a good set of headphones? Anybody have theirs last a long time?

BlackWidows!

 

[crankyolman22]

I recommend headphones with with independent volume control for each ear. I'm almost deaf in my left ear but have less severe loss in my right (20+ years of working on aircraft will do that) so the independent volume lets me hear like a normal person when I detect. I'm too cheap to buy anything expensive, some headphones out there cost more than my detector, so I was lucky to get the pair I got. you just never know what you'll find at a thrift store.

 

[Giant056]

The first metal detector I got came with a set of headphones on an old TR discriminator, they're pretty much a must on a detector like that, I have used them since cause I go a lot by the sound of all the targets plus now days I have the benefit of the meter.