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Earphones, mixing and matching?

Scavenger

Full Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2006
Messages
176
Anyone tell me what must be considered when matching generic earphones with a detector (in this case a DFX)? I'm guessing there is more to it than the plug fitting the jack.
 
no expert here,but the plug is the most important part, then I would have to say is the OHM of the phones. your manual should say what OHM headphone to use...for minelabs it is 32 ohms or less. I have tried 3 diffrent style of headphones an for each I get a diffrent tone sound.. also having a volume control on the phones comes in handy.
 
As I remember Whites wants at least 60 ohms. Most of the second party phones run 150 ohms. (Gray ghosts, Sun Ray, etc.) I use Rat Phones on my MXT and they are 300 ohm.

I think phones should have volume control. I my case the MXT doesn"t have a volume control on the detector and it is loud. I run a limiter circuit on my phones. This allows me to turn up the phones to hear the quiet signals but limit the signal to a safe level on the shallow signals or large signals.

Some phones have a switch that allows them to work with most detectors. There are two ways manufactures wire the jack at the end of the cord. My rat phones have a cord that does this instead of a switch. Phones are rated as to how much outside noise they block. The more noise they block the easier it is to hear a signal.

Fit, comfort, and audio quality are a personal taste thing. Rob
 
In order of importance ....jack size, mono or stereo machine, mixed mode type like Nautilus that needs motion feed to one ear, none motion to the other then match the ohms.
Then decide if you want click/indent type controls that stay put where you have set them which is good except some machines require a mid position between the settings. If you get a set with a free running volume control you can always wrap a small rubber band round which allows adjustment but won't move by accident.
Consider if you want larger/heavier cups that offer the most sound blocking or lighter slimline that allow you to talk to a detecting partner without removing the headphones and allows you to hear a herd of cows charging at you. If in a heavy snake infested area then go for a one cup design.
Check for comfort and then the length of cord and then consider the shape of the jack. With the DFX and a standard control box cover then a straight jack fits perfectly while a right angle one is held from seating by the material of the cover.

There's supposed to be a U.S. brand that automatically matches the ohms rating of each machine. Anyone know the name ?
 
W were just contacted by a guy that makes and sells wireless headphones.

Anybody else heard of this? We told him he should send us a set to try them out.
 
Regarding headphones, my Cibola manual says, "Most metal detectorists prefer to use headphones instead of the detector's built-in speaker. Headphones help block out background noise (such as wind) and make it easier to hear faint signals. Headphones with a built-in volume control will allow you to adjust the sound volume to your preference." That's it. Nothing about type of headphones or ohms.
Daddy-O
 
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