Is the Manticore’s performance worth ~$400 more than the Nokta Legend?
Well, that's the age old question, isn't it? And the answer will always depend on individual preference. For some, the answer was "yes" even when the difference was over $1000! Others will laugh and say $400 is still too big of a difference for minimal gains in performance - especially if someone lives in an area with mild soil mineralization (as I do).
I'll make the case that the answer involves more than just raw performance (depth of detection, iron handling, target separation, etc). I sold my Garrett AT Max half a decade ago after only one season of use in large part because I absolutely hated the tone quality - clearly a personal choice.
For me choosing between the Legend and the Manticore boiled down to a different question since I already own, and have been very happy with, my EQ800. What machine is worth upgrading to from the 800? I had hoped that I could save some money and get roughly equal performance with the Legend - and that turned out to be roughly true. The Legend performed quite well for me - in fact, it performs slightly better for me in some respects. But unfortunately, I find it lacking in several areas that are too important to me to be ignored compared to the 800. At that point, the Legend became much less appealing as a "upgrade" despite the low cost.
It remains to be seen if the Manticore checks those missing boxes that are important to me. But in my opinion, the machine has now reached the price point where it's worth it to me to find out. For others, it still won't for various legit reasons, and that's certain fine. Sure, I'll lose out a little on the resale of the Legend, if it comes to that, but I'm ok with that - I had fun with the machine, and in the end, I can be confident that I tried all of the viable options and ended up with the right machine for me, even if it turns out to be the EQ800 that I finally elect to stay with once the dust settles.
