Minelab Headphones - to use or not to use them?

[stevewilko]

Minelab Headphones - to use or not to use them?

Quite frankly I don't like wearing these in the field.

I find them bulky to handle, to wear and adapt them between tasks.

I have read advice here that the use of headphones is the best practice.

They are a safety issue because I cannot properly hear what is going on around me.
I might have someone try to give me a shout and I won't hear them; I could have a bovine come after me and I wouldn't know until too late.
I had a tree fall on a non windy day and all I recorded of the event was a vibration through the ground that had me turn my head.

I don't like not having my wits about me.

I will definitely find them to be hot and sweaty to wear in the coming warmth.....

BUT

I am reading I will sacrifice 'acute monitoring of threshold and other elements' against using a lapel or shoulder mounted external speaker.

Currently I view this is a fair trade off for me as I feel I will have greater quality of life and prospecting experience without them.

Interested in reading the opinions of both the 'headphones in favour' and the 'speaker in favour' parties.

Thnx in advance,
Steve

 

[user 4485]

IMO it comes down to personal preference. There are a lot of people that use speakers that are very successful but I reckon the headphones do have an edge. I have mostly used a booster/speaker with a variety of machines but now prefer headphones with the GPZ.
I just got a set of Audio Technica earphones to try for summer & have set them up for wireless. These should be better for the heat & initial testing has been good. Will be giving them a good workout later this week.

 

[user 7268]

Steve I use both conditions pending. If wind picks up I use headphones ................. aftermarket Gold Pro that have left and right separate volume control. If I am amongst trees in high wind I c o c k the headphones so only one ear is covered which allows me to both hear signals and also the dreaded "crack" from the gum that precedes a branch under the laws of gravity
It works for me but I am used to listening with two ears one being radio communication thru a headset and the other being surrounding noise so in saying that I think each person needs to devise their own set up that suits and they are comfortable with.

 

[Dignit]

Hi Steve
I'm an avid minelab headphone user. I just like the way they do block out the crunch of walking and the wind. They don't block out your surrounding 100%, so I find you still hear what is going on around you, though muffled. A mate of mine I detect with regularly, who has the same machine and coil, uses a speaker. He finds more gold than me, though I feel I can hear more faint signals. So I agree it comes down to personal preference. Try both and see which you prefer. Good luck.

 

[GaryO]

Or try under under chin headphones if the heat is an issue and if you want to wear a hat.

 

[BigWave]

I mostly use a speaker, but turn the gain and stabilizer settings up a few notches so that it is rather jumpy. Requires more concentration to separate signals from ground and EMI noise though. With headphones, I run it much smoother, so that every break in threshold gets your attention. Not sure which works better, but I often detect with my daughter who also likes to listen in, so the speaker is then the go.

 

[Minelab Gold]

Hi Steve,

It comes down to personal preference, I personally use the minelab koss headphones and have and always will until they release a noise cancelling if at all. As you mentioned some people may see a safety aspect to not being able to hear some noise from our surroundings - I would test both and make your decision or use both when a certain one is needed for the conditions.

If a tree or branch happened to fall on me the exact moment I was standing in that particular spot on the earth then that to me is fate headphones or not I dont think I would have seen it coming by the time it hit me - personally I want to hear only what the machine and ground is telling me. With kids speaker option is great to let them join in on the fun - as for the bovine maybe train the people with you not to shout at you but take care of the bovine - 2 birds with one stone

After a lot of research and testing various headphones - the quality of the Minelab Koss 30's is by far the best I have used. And this also depends on age and hearing of the user - some hear lower tones better while others hear higher tones much easier.

These were another lot of alternatives with the same or capable frequency range and OHM's - which is critical for choice because minelab detectors run on this range - anything with the range or below 20Hz and up to 20kHz or above is ok and must be 100ohm or more. Back in the 70's-80's the headphones used on the machines were 600+ohms

1. Stanton Pro 1000 mkii
Type: Closed
Frequency: 20Hz - 20kHz
Sensitivity: 100dB @ 0.2mW. 1kHz per channel
Impedance: 100ohm
THD: Less than 1/4% @ 100 dBSPL @ 1kHz
Power: 500mW max.
Net Weight: 200g

2. Autotecnica ATH-ANC7b - (The are active noise cancelling but I have yet to test them out)
Frequency Response 10 - 25,000 Hz
Quietpoint Active Noise Reduction Up to 20 dB
Maximum Input Power 500 mW
Sensitivity 109 dB
Impedance 300 ohms

3. Creative Labs Aurvana X-Fi (Again another pair of active noise cancelling but yet to test)
Impedance 450 ohms (on), 72 ohms (off) (I wouldnt go anything less than 100ohms - so using these in the off at 72ohms would change response tone)
Frequency Response (Hz) 20Hz-20kHz
Earpiece Type Over the Head
Sensitivity (dB/mW) 105dB/mW (on), 95dB/mW (off)

Hope this helps - and all the best - stay safe happy hunting.

 

[Northeast]

Hi Steve,

I initially tried just the speaker but wind, etc is a pain. I then tried the Minelab headset - hot, bulky, can't wear a hat, etc.

Then went to a set of earphones/ear buds and very happy with these although the safety factor was a bit of an issue and also the ear buds worked there way out when digging.

Have now settled on a set of Phillips ear buds that have good sound quality. They also sit just at the edge of your ear canal rather than being poked right in like a normal ear bud. I feel I can hear all the tones, because the tones are right at your ear the wind or the sounds of a river are not an issue, they are designed so you can still hear the environment around you - birds, dog barking, tree branch cracking .

They are in the sports "ActionFit" category of ear buds as they have a little loop thing that goes over your ear so they never fall off. So far I have been very happy with mine. Phillips also make a Bluetooth version of the same thing if you have Bluetooth capability on your detector.

The Phillips link to the page is below. The ones I have are at the bottom of the page. Hopefully I've done the link thing properly

Good luck settling on something you are happy with.

http://www.philips.com.au/c-m-so/he...rs=&support=&price=&priceBoxes=&page=&layout=

 

[LC76]

Im trying to hunt down something like these but in the 100 Ohm range.
Neckband Headphones.
Harder to find than i thought.
I think these ones are only 32 Ohm

 

[user 4485]

I wouldn't get too hung up on headphone ohms.

What Are The Recommended Impedance Values Of Headphones For Each Detector?
Headphone specifications are not really critical in a metal detector as their audio circuitry does not produce Hi-Fi quality sound. e.g. Our detectors frequency output range is only circa 75 -1200Hz

Our audio circuits will drive most headphones from 16 - 100 + ohms.

Audio optimisation is also very subjective as everybody hears differently.

We endeavour not to confuse our customers with unnecessary technical specs because in reality there is no honest way to determine what headphones are best for you other than to try them.

If you have a detector with adjustable audio tones, such as a CTX 3030, we would also recommend you spend some time to ensure the detection tones are optimised for your hearing needs.

If you find that the higher ohm headphones suit you better sound wise but like the fit of a lower impedance pair you could try an impedance adapter http://apuresound.com/ra.html
I did see a set of lightweight, high ohm headphones just lately while searching for some earphones.
These were the ones:
Wear over or behind head. 60ohms. $49.95 (I thought they were dearer but was thinking of some other noise cancelling earbuds)
https://www.pacifichifi.com.au/products/koss-ear-headphones-sportapro-0

 

[stevewilko]

Thank you all for your help.

Must say I am also impressed with your expertise gained from your detecting journey to date.

From your assistance, I will adapt to use an external (wireless?) speaker when conditions are perfect, then the option of the use of headphones as necessary.

Thank you,
Steven.

Going to Blackwood Albion area today til Sunday.

Cheers.