Well, let's figure out the unknowns to better help with thoughts and suggestions.
• If the Anfibio is NOT your 'go-to' detector when you hit a spot, what it? What make, model and 'modes' or 'programs' do you use with it?
• How long have you been metal detecting, and what types of hunt sites do you most often search?
• Nokta / Makro could have kept things simple-and-easy, but instead produced different models as they progressed that have been (or appear to be) more 'consumer-based' than many competitors. It would have been easy to make one model with all design and performance functions the same and change ONLY the number of 'programs', aka 'modes', with the only difference being the number of audio Tones. That would call for a lot of user-adjustable functions for consumers to learn and also increase the number of adjustable features that could make the detector very 'busy.' When you go from a 'basic' single-tone detector 'mode' to a 2-Tone or 3-Tone or any increase in Audio Tones, you are going to have to learn or remember what the different tones are where a specific target reads.
By design, they did engineer the various modes with some 'built-in' performance differences, such as Gain or Recovery Speed, etc. that give the end-user some 'mode' or audio tone options that just might be better suited for those who are likely to make use of a particular mode. For example, the more tones used often suggests the detector will need to work a bit quicker to receive and process a lot of different conductivity targets that are more closely spaced and that would call for a quicker-response and faster-recovery. Thus, by-design, a lot of that is already designed-in with the different mode functions 'in-software' rather than by a user-adjustable function. One nice thing is that just because a lot of extra search modes or adjustment functions might be on a model, we are not compelled to make use of everything if it isn't a real need or a good match for the types of detecting we do. It's impossible to make a 'One Size Fits All' detector that is going to be perfect for everyone, and the best any manufacturer can do is make a 'One Size Fits Many' ... then have available other models down the line that are less featured and/or might actually make a better fit for some consumers.
• Sometimes, even the top-end models do not offer some functions that some of us might desire that is available even on their lower-end device. I've been enjoying this great outdoor sport for a long, long time and there are certain things I have learned to like, which is why I own and use a Detector Outfit and not only one or maybe two detectors. As of this moment I have 9 detectors in my personal Outfit made up of 7 different models since I have duplicate of two of them. Of those 7 different models, the Nokta CoRe, Relic, Impact and Simplex+ make up 4 of the 7. I got my first Nokta detector on January 8th of 2015 and was very impressed with the design, comfortable weight and balance, and the in-the-field performance. I have owned all of the newer models since that one, and I liked some better than others along the way. I really like the Anfibio Multi, but for several personal preference reasons, I just bough a brand new Impact this past month to serve as my 'top-end' detector model. It lacks some of what the Anfibio offers, but it also has more modes than I care to have and some adjustment functions I very seldom use, and, like the Anfibio Multi, it lacks some of the audio performance between search modes that I have on their lower-priced Simplex+. One performance I would like to select on the other models, but I can't. That is VCO audio and the option to turn it 'Off' which many models do not provide in a 2-Tone mode. But my preferred mode on the Simplex+ is the Beach mode and it isn't VCO-enhanced like the Field mode.
• Are you off-base? No. Everyone who uses any brand or any model detector should have some dislikes about it. I know I do, and always have, with any detector I've owned since early '65, and that's a good thing. We each should learn our detectors to know them well and be aware of both the strengths and weaknesses. The likes and dislikes. So, No, you're not "off base" EXCEPT, what I see is what I often read about on many metal detecting Forums about just about any detector. And what is that? It is people who seem to be too bothered by one or maybe a few things and then complain about it. If it is a serious manufacturing oversight, then that's OK ... to a point to point it out.
But what I much rather like to read are posts made by people who have learned a detector well, and might know of the weaknesses or things they don't like, but instead they key in on the good things about a detector. The strengths a unit offers, the performance it provides, and the positive points about the overall detector design. I enjoy that more because I might learn something new and beneficial to me. And because as the operator uses the device and has success afield, they often mention the positive things about a mode or search behavior the detector offers and then I know that they are enjoying the detector, enjoying the search experience, and are having success afield. I can learn from that, and that's a positive thing.
So, you're not off-base to not like some things about the Anfibio, but if any detector make or model bothers someone that much, I feel the best thing to do is either:
1.. Spend more time learning the finer point of the detector
... or ...
2.. Sell or trade it away and buy a detector that would let them enjoy the sport and not complain too much.
Just my take,
Monte
