There are good metal detectors, and then there are high-end metal detectors. They are not just good; they are way better at discriminating trash from treasure. With few options to pick from, one thing is for sure here: it’s going to cost you a bit more to own one of these.
To help you pick better, we have managed a High-end Metal detectors comparison. The comparison will be between XP Deus II, Minelab CTX 3030, Minelab Equinox 800, and Garrett AT Max.
Why these five? Well, their brand, users, and community discussions have classified them as the best in their business. So here we are, comparing all five metal detectors on features and qualities that are crucial for metal detection.
High-End Metal Detectors Comparison
True Wireless Technology
Each of the four metal detectors has several technologies for different features. However, the XP Deus II seems to be the most advanced and only completely wireless metal detector. Its coil, display meter, pointer, and headphones are all connected via its patented radio frequency technology.
Garrett AT Max, Minelab CTX 3030, and Minelab Equinox 800 all use wires to connect the coil and digital meter, but each one uses different tech for wireless headphones. The Garrett AT Max has its own Z-Lynk wireless technology that claims to give six times faster response than Bluetooth devices.
The Minelab CTX 3030 has its own WiStream technology for wireless headphone connection. They claim to deliver sound with zero delays, with an audio time lag of less than 10 ms. The Minelab Equinox 800 uses a simple yet efficient Bluetooth feature for connecting headphones. This allows the user to have any headset that connects via Bluetooth.
Frequency Range and Multi-Frequency Operation
Frequency range and multi-frequency operation are two of the most critical features for high-end metal detectors. The XP Deus II offers a 4 to 45 KHz frequency range, divided into 49 different frequencies and multi-frequency options.
CTX 3030 and Equinox 800 by Minelab offer 1 to 100 KHz and 4 to 40 KHz of frequency range, divided into 28 and 6 different frequencies, respectively. Both also offer multi-frequency options.
In contrast, the Garrett AT Max offers a single frequency of 13.6 KHz, which they claim is in the range of very low frequency for their all-terrain metal detector.
With a multi-frequency option and 49 different frequencies to select from 4 to 45 KHz, the XP Deus II steps ahead of the other three metal detectors.
Search Mode
When it comes to detecting in different environments and hunting for different metals, the XP Deus II offers 12 different search modes. The Minelab CTX 3030 offers 5 pre-programmed and 5 user-created search modes, whereas the Minelab Equinox 800 only offers 8 total pre-programmed search modes. The Garrett AT Max offers only 4 different search modes, standing at the last spot.
ID Number
In each search mode, you can differentiate metals based on ID numbers. The XP Deus II and Garrett AT Max offer 99 different numbers, from 1 to 99, whereas the Minelab Equinox 800 offers 50 different numbers, and the CTX 3030 offers its complex chart. The Minelab CTX 3030 chart is usually used to create the 5 user-created search modes.
Discrimination Capabilities
In a given search mode, the discrimination setting allows you to ignore a given set of ID numbers and only sound a beep on certain ID numbers.
The Garrett AT Max only considers its four search modes as discrimination capabilities. Its custom mode allows you to include or exclude any range of ID numbers you want.
The XP Deus II offers a separate discrimination option where you can set a number between -6.4 to 99, above which you want your metal detector to detect ID numbers. They have their notch and multi-notch special features for you to master. These are used in high-trash sites for better scanning.
The Minelab CTX 3030 is a little complex here, with their Smartfind 2 technology that displays metals of a specific area in different colors on the screen. They offer two different options for each of the 10 search modes. They also have their own state-of-the-art target trace and two-target ID detection, which might take some time to master.
The Minelab Equinox 800 is quite simple in its discrimination setting. You simply go to the discrimination setting and select a number or range of numbers from -9 to 30 to remove or consider during scanning.
For a more in depth comparison between the Minelab Equinox 800 and the XP Deus II, click here.
Sensitivity Options
With all the above settings made, sensitivity will decide how your metal detector will respond to a signal. The higher the sensitivity, the better the response of the detector, even to a weak signal.
The XP Deus II offers any sensitivity setting between 1 to 99, whereas the Minelab Equinox 800 offers only between 1 to 25. The Minelab CTX 3030 offers two options: auto and manual. The auto sensitivity ranges from -3 to 3, whereas the manual level ranges from 1 to 30. The Garrett AT Max offers only 8 different sensitivity options to choose from for its available 4 different search modes.
Ground Balancing
Ground balancing is a crucial feature that helps cancel unwanted signals and stabilize the scanning performance. All four metal detectors offer ground-balancing features with the ability to do ground balancing manually or automatically.
In most cases, you only need to access this setting and press and hold the main button while sweeping the coil left and right. The detector will automatically do the ground balancing for you.
Weight and Handling
All four metal detectors are designed with comfort in handling in mind. The difference in handling here is mainly due to the weight of the metal detector. The XP Deus II is the most lightweight metal detector, weighing just 2.2 pounds, with the Minelab Equinox 800 being second in line at 2.9 pounds. The Garrett AT Max is third, with a weight of about 3.44 pounds, and the Minelab CTX 3030 is the heaviest of all, weighing about 5.2 lbs.
Battery Life and Power Options
All four metal detectors offer a rechargeable battery, with differences in battery power and duration. The Minelab Equinox 800 has a battery life of about 12 hours which powers its coil, whereas the XP Deus II has a battery life of 20 hours which powers its coil. It has separate batteries for its controller and headphones, with battery times of 30 hours and 17 hours, respectively.
The Minelab CTX 3030 has a battery that operates for 13 hours, and the Garrett AT Max has a battery that lasts for 22 to 25 hours on a single charge.
Waterproof Capability
Regarding the build quality of the metal detectors, especially regarding waterproof capabilities, the XP Deus II is the best. It offers the best waterproof capabilities and remains waterproof in 66 feet of water.
All other three metal detectors, the Minelab CTX 3030, Minelab Equinox 800, and Garrett AT Max, remain waterproof up to 10 feet of water. The XP Deus II outperforms the all-terrain Garrett AT Max and both Minelab metal detector variants.
Warranty Period
The Minelab CTX 3030, Minelab Equinox 800, and Garrett AT Max all offer a standard warranty period of 3 years, whereas the XP Deus II offers the best of four warranty periods at 5 years.
Which is the Best High-End Metal Detector?
I strongly believe that it is fifty percent what your metal detector can do or what features it has and fifty percent how experienced you are in using the metal detector’s settings to effectively scan the ground.
So, a High-end Metal detectors comparison can only compare their features and offer half of the solution. The remaining half will be your expertise in making the settings and effectively using them for treasure hunting.
The above High-end Metal detectors comparison shows that the XP Deus II is the best high-end metal detector, as it offers a wide range in each of the basic metal detector settings. It’s the only true wireless metal detector and remains waterproof in water three times deeper than the waterproof depth of other metal detectors.
Compared to the other three metal detectors, the XP Deus II can be considered the best high-end metal detector. It is the lightest, has the best coil battery life of 20 hours, and has the longest warranty period of 5 years.
For more information, check out my full review on the XP Deus II.
What Next?
Although the one-on-one feature comparison of metal detectors has shown that the XP Deus II stands out as the best high-end metal detector, we still recommend you make the final decision based on your research and experience.
The features of each of the four metal detectors will behave differently in different conditions and ground compositions. So, if possible, learn about different settings, put some hours into each setting, and scan different terrains with each metal detector.
Only then can you make the final decision on which is the best high-end metal detector?
