Headphones or Speaker

[Bullwinkle]

G'day Muzz,
My hearing's not 100%, but I use the the Minelab Pro-sonic speaker system and plug the headphones into that. It seems to enable me to pick up faint signals that I wasn't picking up before. Plus you can adjust the volume directly on the speaker,
Seems to work for me.

 

[300]

Hi, I use wireless better in the heat,no getting caught up in the scrub,yes you might miss very very very small gold but that is ok by me.

 

[Satman]

I use noise cancelling headphones. I think they are great as they knock out most background noise ie footsteps on leaves.
But ear buds are good as well.

Cheers

Matt

 

[Ironman]

..... would only use a speaker now if I had someone with me so they could hear to or if very hot in an isolated area. .

I don't use headphones and have a booster/speaker combo. I have only ever swung my detector in very remote locations and it is generally very hot/humid. I chose not to use headphones purely so that I was also aware of the noises around me. Things like snakes, pigs, buffalo, etc are very common. Heck, there's probably even a few sasquatch wandering about out here......Using the speaker allows me to also be aware of what is going on around me - for my safety.

As most have said already, there are pro's and con's for each and it all comes down to user/personal preference, plus the confidence you have in the gear that you are using. I'm definitely not an expert on locating or extracting the right stuff from under my feet but I am confident with the setup that I have and I know I'll eventually find what I'm looking for.

 

[old hand]

I truly do not mind other people using speakers on more than one occasion the speaker response has lead me to finding other patches and being able to work them after they had finished, funny enough there was a another detector operator doing the same thing thanks to the speakers :Y: regards john

 

[madtuna]

if you can hear my speaker...F off! you're too bloody close ( not to mention on my lease without permission!)

 

[Mackka]

Love ya work Tuna!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[HarryHoudini]

I think it is called the seagull event. I too have followed the sounds and worked with luck areas being detected.
And I am not too close I think these guys have their speakers on Max and can hear them from a long way off.

 

[user 7268]

I think it is called the seagull event. I too have followed the sounds and worked with luck areas being detected.
And I am not too close I think these guys have their speakers on Max and can hear them from a long way off.

Nah not seagulls Probably why I love FNQ as no one for miles and miles and miles anyone that gets that close can F R Off The only precaution needed is that it's not unsettling the stock :Y:

 

[Shep]

I prefer headphones but after a couple of close calls with angry buffalo I use a speaker when there is a chance of critters. At least then they can hear me and hopefully move away.

 

[Ironman]

I prefer headphones but after a couple of close calls with angry buffalo I use a speaker when there is a chance of critters. At least then they can hear me and hopefully move away.

Yep.....They tend to turn up when you least expect them, and usually in places where you also wouldn't expect them to be. I've often thought about carrying the 45/70 across my shoulder but with the pick, etc I figure I am carrying enough as it is.

 

[Lesgold]

If theres people detecting within a k of you, change to a speaker, crank it up and move into a high trash area. Work this area for about 15 minutes and then stop. You can then change locations and put your headphones back on and you wont see or hear anyone for the rest of the day.

 

[Syndyne]

I always enjoy these threads and all input on the topic. Some good info to be garnered.

When it's purely audio that you're relying on to hear anything that the detector tells you, then you definitely wan't it to be the best volume and clarity it can be.

There will always be a few pro's and con's on both sides, but personally I'll always lean towards the headphones given the option, particularly with a machine like the SDC where you want as much volume as you can squeeze from it -without causing lasting hearing damage of course- while still maintaining clarity inside the threshold frequencies. The Sennheisers do that very well for me at my hearing range. I only tried these purely out of interest from many discussions with Heatho prior (there are old threads on the topic from that time) and they did the job nicely. The HD280's just brighten the threshold frequency enough for me while detecting, not to mention you forget you're wearing them due to the lightweight, comfortable fit. The Sennheisers have been my go-to studio drumming headphones for many years now.

The old Koss headphones simply don't cut the mustard in terms of audio quality and isolation compared to many of these aftermarket models.

Back in the day I just ran the little supplied speaker on the 5000 as even then I knew the supplied Koss headphones weren't great. Had I have known then what I know now I would have instantly gone to better headphones or even a good aftermarket booster/speaker combo. Ah well, live and learn as they say.

The biggest pro to headphone use is that they pretty much eliminate those outside noise variables like wind and scraping the coil through leaves and sticks etc. Though it's nice to have the option of a speaker if needed, particularly on those mid to high 30 degree days. It's those times that I enjoy taking off the headphones and just running the speaker module on the Zed when I'm recovering a target. Definitely a nice bit of relief

Later in the year, and purely as another experiment for the Zed and SDC, I will be trying out a set of Shure SE846 in-ear monitors that I use for live stage music. These retail around the $1000 mark and are definitely not for everyday use around the goldfields. (Just found myself having a good chuckle at that sentence!) But, what they do allow and where they will shine is in their capability to adjust fully to all frequencies in 100% complete isolation. Being able to set quickly to high, mid and low ends of the spectrum will be a real treat, albeit a purely scientific one. FOR SCIENCE! :lol:

At the end of the day, we will miss gold with speakers, we will miss gold with headphones and we will miss gold with even the best coils/detectors, but if anything gives you even the slightest advantage over those that have gone before or simply makes the user experience easier or more enjoyable/tolerable (particularly in those nasty, high EMI areas) then it's surely got to be worth a try? :Y:

Kindest regards,
Shauno.

Just to clarify- I have no affiliation or sponsorship with Sennheiser. Not sure that needed pointing out, but worth a mention. I will definitely backup a good product when needed. :Y: