MINELAB WE HAVE A PROBLEM....!!!

[BOB VALDEZ]

Was at the beach at 09.00 and intended to search until 17.00 = 8 hours. It was fun, for a while. until my X-Terra 50 broke my earphone.

AGAIN !

Bought my X-Terra about 3 months ago. It didn't come with an earphone so I was advised by the man from Belgadetect, to use the KOSS earphone that came with my Explorer II.
Used that excellent, comfy Koss for a month. Then I started to hear sounds like I was waving my coil through dead leaves...

Belgadetect replaced that Koss. For free. After another month, my second Koss was...DEAD. Didn't hear anything anymore.

FRUSTRATION.

Bought a Sennnheiser (82 Euro) in a big electro shop. Meanwhile, ordered a Maz earphone by Belgadetect. In the week before the Maz arrived, my Sennheiser started to make a strange noises, too !

Phoned to Belgadetect that it was no use, just to replace the earphones, the detector was the cause.

Since, I LOVE that X-Terra 50, I decided to buy a new one, while my first one was going to be sent over to Minelab.
Belgadetect gave me one... FOR FREE. In replace. Got also a new Koss. FOR FREE. Since I ordered that Maz, I bought & paid it. It was, again, like 80 or 85 Euro.

Today, my Maz didn't work properly. I went to my car and took the Koss but the fun was gone.

In my opinion, the X-Terra 50 has 2 problems :
1. sometimes it switches itself off. Over & over & over... Boring, frustrating. May depend on (the lenght of ?) the batteries. My first X-Terra did that, switching himself off when he got in that mood. My second one is just the same.
2. for some reason the X-Terra 50 is breaking all my earphones !!!!!

Note : My settings are : all metal, sens = 20, volume = 20. On dry sand, and there is sometimes lots of trash. But if & when the X-Terra 50 EARPHONE couldn't take this (settings), why didn't anyone say so in the X-Terra 50 manual ? And if & when I lower sensitivity and/or volume, will my earphone NOT break down ? Or will it live a little bit longer ? 5 Weeks ? 6 Weeks ? 2 Months, maybe ????

Minelab, YOU have a problem with your X-Terra 50 in my opinion.

And I have a problem too. How can I work with something in which I don't/can't believe in anymore ? I have an XP GMaxx and a Minelab Explorer II. The X-Terra is MORE fun then the 2 other ones, combined !!!! In fact : all I want is having a good, reliable EARPHONE

 

[Wirechief]

Hi Bob, I have had several occurences where the X-TERRA 50 that I use for a demo/display unit turns itself on. I have been using the Detector Pro Jolly Roger headphones and they are working fine on the X 50. In fact I use this same pair of headphones on Tesoro's, Fisher, Minelab, Garrett and no problems. I hope you can get all the problems settled soon Bob. CU later and God Bless.

Wirechief, CET

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi Bob,

I'm not saying it can't happen but I've never heard of a detector being able to hurt a headphone. Sounds like you have had bad luck with headphones to me. Changing detectors is as likely to fix that as changing cars because your tires are going flat. Koss phones always look to me more like they are made for listening to a stereo than taking field abuse. You may want to try Gray Ghosts, Killer Bees, or some other "made for detecting" headphone.

What kind of batteries are you using? I ask because you say "May depend on (the length of ?) the batteries."

Steve Herschbach

 

[John(Tx)]

My XT50 did turn itself off once when I first used it but it happened so fast that I thought I had hit the button by mistake. Has never happened again. If there is a problem, I'd like to know about it. John

 

[Wirechief]

Bob I forgot to mention that when my X50 has turned on by itself it is always because it is being influenced by a seperate energy field. I usually have mine standing against the wall next to a light switch and when the swith is turned on or off the little arc will send a burst of energy strong enough to turn the instrument on. This tells me in my case anyway that the pcb on the inside of the detector may not be very well shielded. uprocessors are very sensitive to these type of effects if not shielded or grounded well. So yes I would say Minelab does have a problem. So far the instrument I have been using for a demo has not been damaged by these effects. But if the momentary burst or arc of energy is massive enough I could see where it might blow the uprocessor. Anyway I thought I would share this with you Bob. CU later and best of luck to you Bob.

John T., CET

 

[Mike Bearden]

There's just to many headphones that are actually made for metal detectors for you to be having this problem. Get a good set with a limiter and stereo/mono switch and they can be used on just about any brand of detector. The cords are heavy duty with stress reliefs and the speakers can take the abuse. They are more comfortable and will actually stay on your head too when you bend down to dig targets.
Killer Bee's, Black Widows, Timberwolfs, Troys, Sunrays, etc. etc. etc. My Timberwolfs are so loud I have to keep the volume turned down quite a bit and you'll get similar results with any I listed.
H.H.
Mike

 

[Des Dunne]

Bob,

I'm sorry that you appear to have some sort of a problem with your X-Terra detector.

However, I believe that your dealer has REPLACED everything to you.

I'm really glad that you enjoy using and like the X-Terra a lot.

Bob, I have examined the equipment returned from the dealer and it is evident the headphone cables are torn apart where the rubber boot is connected near the quarter inch socket and that is consistent with pulling out the headphones by pulling on the rubber instead of pulling them out by the actual hard part of the socket itself.
Maybe this is the problem? If a headphone is pulled out of a detector by the soft cable instead of the hard plug area then yes it will fail after prolonged use in such a manner.

Des
Minelab

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

I have never damaged a cable, Des ! How could I in ONE month ????

BOB VALDEZ

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

If Belgadetect (Minelab ?) provides this Koss earphone with the Explorer II I can only think that it is a good earphone. WHAT DO I KNOW ?

I buy and pay for GOOD STUFF.

The Koss was replaced by... the same Koss. It broke down after a month or so. Then I ordered a blue Maz. I thought it is a good earphone for detecting. I can only buy what people advice me too buy... I am NO technician.

The Koss and the blue Maz looked like solid earphones. I agree the Sennheiser was "light" (from quality, NOT from sound. It was superb). But I don't even mention this.

Is it unreasonable to expect something to do/perform what you bought and paid it for ????????????

????????????

IS IT ?

BOB VALDEZ

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

Even the fact that the detector switches itself off (in my opinion, depending on the batteries) is not SO important. It has been like that from the start with the first one, I never mentioned it. Nothing is perfect in life, so...

But I cannot accept that my earphones break down one after another.

Now it seems it is MY fault. I am SO careful with my equipment, how could I break an earphone. It was even suggested that it was from "putting the detector on the sand while digging". Hello ? When I dig I lay the detector (very carefully + sand is... sand and SOFT !!!) ON THE 2 RESTS with the display up.

WHAT
CAN
BE
WRONG
WITH
THIS

???


Hello ??


And why break 3 ? How stupid would I have to be to do this ???

BOB VALDEZ

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

Hello Steve !

That is exactly what Belgadetect said : "Never heard a earphone can be broken from a detector" !

The Koss came with my Minelab Explorer. If this earphone isn't a good one, why deliver it with a top range detector ? I am just a customer, NOT the expert...

I don't know why it breaks down, after a few weeks I am hearing a background noise, like my coils is going through dead leaves. And in the end I have NO sound at all.

No imagine this Koss was NO GOOD. Well, it broke 2 times exactly in the same way.

Now, the blue Maz isn't good either ?

Strange ?

OR IT IS ME.

OR IT IS THE EARPHONE.

Why would I break an earphone ???? Believe me, I am much too careful with my gear. And if I broke one, why break 3 ? On a row ?

BOB VALDEZ

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

I even changed my batteries a couple of times too early in the beginning. I thought I switched itself of because the batteries were low !

But I am not alone with that problem ; I heard that the importer for Belgium and Holland had the problem HIMSELF. It is (a bit) annoying but the fact that I can use a earphone for a month only is much much worse...

BOB VALDEZ

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

How could I pull out the cables when the socket is that big ? I just grip the socket Des !!!

Even a kid knows you don't pull on the cables themselves !

BOB VALDEZ

 

[Des Dunne]

Bob,

Attached is a photo of the cables from the 2 sets which were returned.
Checking them they both produce sounds but one is mildly intermittent when flexing the cable, the other either works or it does not. Referring to your "leaf rustling" sound, this is probably the audio cutting in and out as the internal wires are flexing/bending before finally snapping altogether.
I have been using Koss UR 30 headphones with my X-Terra's and first prototypes for one year now (as recently as yesterday) with no problems whatsoever.
Koss headphones can be repaired as we have been authorised to do this.
I will also contact Koss on your behalf and return both sets of headphones to them for their opinion.
Again, my apology to you for the inconvenience.

Des

 

[JBM]

I use Sunrays they have stood the test of time.

One trick I was taught a long time back is to fold the wire just above the plug fitting into a U shape and place a plastic tie around it.

This will take all the stress out of any accidental pulling and tugging causing stress and breakages.

Have a nice day.Jerry.

 

[Mike Bearden]

It's not unreasonable to expect something to perform well when you pay for it and I understand your frustration in all of this.
I was simply stating that there are MANY sets of headphones that are designed for detecting and the build quality and even tonal differences are very obvious once you give them a try.
Sure, I have several sets of Koss phones that came with new detectors and guess what ? They sound real good on my home stereo and will probably last a lifetime "inside the house"
Even though the Koss set sounds good on my Explorer, nice bass sounds and good harmonics throughout, I still prefer a well built set of phones that were made for metal detectors ... and by the way, detector phones sound like junk when plugged into a home stereo ... go figure.
A KEY ingredient when it comes to learning a new detector "for me" is finding the subtle nuances it delivers on different targets and sticking with a proven set of QUALITY headphones to determine those differences.
There has been and always will be company's that are just as dedicated towards developing a better set of headphones for the detector users as there is detector manufacturers. Matter of fact, it's an all out WAR in some cases.
My suggestion was just that, a friendly suggestion. I enjoy reading your post and looking at the finds so keep them coming Bob
H.H.
Mike

 

[Ralph Bryant]

There are several brands of headphones that offer a 90 degree plug. With the Xterra, the plug socket comes out the side of the control housing, and naturally places a bending stress on the headphone cable at the plug. A 90 degree design will take most of that stress off of the cable and will likely solve your problem.

FWIW

Ralph

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

Good thinking, Ralph ! By swinging the coil, this plug is coming clause to my stomach and may have some "stress"...

BOB VALDEZ

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi Bob,

I'm just trying to help you out, not accuse you of anything. Nobody is saying the headphone failures are your fault. But you simply put too much importance on the fact your headphones came with the Explorer. In my opinion the headphones that come with metal detectors are all poorer quality than what can be purchased aftermarket. They are giving them to you "free" and so are not going to include the best. Often free included headphones are the cheapest that can be had. Koss phones have good audio quality but basically are designed for the stereo market, not for real tough field use. I've never used the ones that came with my Minelabs.

You are obviously doing a lot of detecting. I have worn out many sets of headphones. I always carry two sets on remote hunts, as it is likely a set will fail from hard use. Number one failure is cable breakage caused by constant stress and bending. The picture Des displayed of your cables reveals very common breakage related to constant bending while in use. Ralphs suggestion of using a headphone with 90 degree elbow design is the best solution.

The Koss and the other brand you mention are good headphones, but what is failing is the cable. Very expensive headphones designed for normal use often have thin cables and in reality are not designed by the headphone manufacturer for metal detecting and the constant bending action that happens when you swing your detector for hours.

Like I said, just trying to offer some suggestions. I've been detecting over 30 years and could fill a garbage can with the headphones I've worn out, sometimes in very short order. You are doing a lot of detecting, and you are experiencing headphone failures. I can promise you that as long as you continue metal detecting, you will continue to kill off headphones. The solution is to never again use the ones that did not work, and find some with better cables. Or just keep using the same ones and realize the same thing will happen.

Happy Hunting,

Steve Herschbach

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

I just buy a few sets (2 x 4) batteries in a local store. The usual brands like Duracell or whatever. I never look for price. Just buy a few sets so that I never run out of them. But I heard that there may be slight differences in lenght (!!!) of the batteries. Maybe they don't have enough contact, sometimes...

BOB VALDEZ