Racer2 Audio Tones

[Cal_Cobra]

I was testing out the adjustable audio tone feature on my R2 this afternoon, and ended up setting the low tone at 10, the mid tone left at the default of 33 and the high tone moved to 70. Did some testing with various targets and I think it'll really work well, should be interesting to see how well on my next hunt!

hh,
Brian

 

[D&P-OR]

That's about what I got mine set at Brian------Mines at 10/30/70---seems to work well.-----------Del

I was testing out the adjustable audio tone feature on my R2 this afternoon, and ended up setting the low tone at 10, the mid tone left at the default of 33 and the high tone moved to 70. Did some testing with various targets and I think it'll really work well, should be interesting to see how well on my next hunt!

hh,
Brian

 

[Tom Slick]

I prefer a little higher mid tone to off set it more from the low. I run 10/40/70

 

[Monte]

I wish I could do that with the Nokta FORS Relic.

After the first hour of evaluating the Racer 2 prototype I found the '10' Low, '30' Mid and '70' High to work best for me and my impaired hearing.

After a lot of time [size=small](at least six, maybe seven battery changes )[/size] hunting ghost towns, homesteads and quite a few tough urban renovation sites that abound in trash with ample iron nails, etc., these settings have pleased me.

Monte

 

[Dave_E]

I ran 70 as the high tone for a while, but for me it was a little too high. Almost "shrill".

I run 10-30-60 in 3 tone, and 10-60 in 2 tone and deep modes.

 

[Tom Slick]

Isn't nice to have to option of changing the audio frequencies? As seen above, different folks have different hearing, and the ability to choose what works best for each operator is great.

 

[Dave_E]

One of my favorite Racer 2 features.

I'm still pretty new but all the vets preach listening to the sounds over VID's.

How great is it that Makro gives us FULL control over all of the tones themselves, and even the ability to drop the volume of the iron tone without eliminating it?

 

[Cal_Cobra]

I took my R2 out for a test drive at a pretty beaten site with my new tone adjustments and I was VERY happy with the adjustment.

Ended up getting an 1892 barber dime, merc, silver war nickle, V nickle, two indian heads and six wheaties. I was pretty happy with that for the few hours that I spent at the site. I'm also finding that headphones are making all the difference in the world. I had a set of custom headphones made for me when I first got the Racer1. They died, and I had to use my KiIller B's and Sunray Golds. They work great on my F75 and CZ70, but not so much on the Racer. A friend lent me a pair of Black Widows while I had my phones being repaired, and they have a deep, full audio like the custom set I was using. I had to give the loaners back to the owner and the KiIller B's and Sunray Golds just don't bring out the audio like the custom set and the Black Widows do, it's like having two different detectors.

HH,
Brian

 

[D&P-OR]

That's interesting.-----I've been using Killer Bees & Sunray Pro Golds on my R2.-----May have to try out a set of Black Widows.------It's also going to be interesting to see how the new wireless h.p.'s do on the R2---if they ever get them to market.

I took my R2 out for a test drive at a pretty beaten site with my new tone adjustments and I was VERY happy with the adjustment.

Ended up getting an 1892 barber dime, merc, silver war nickle, V nickle, two indian heads and six wheaties. I was pretty happy with that for the few hours that I spent at the site. I'm also finding that headphones are making all the difference in the world. I had a set of custom headphones made for me when I first got the Racer1. They died, and I had to use my KiIller B's and Sunray Golds. They work great on my F75 and CZ70, but not so much on the Racer. A friend lent me a pair of Black Widows while I had my phones being repaired, and they have a deep, full audio like the custom set I was using. I had to give the loaners back to the owner and the KiIller B's and Sunray Golds just don't bring out the audio like the custom set and the Black Widows do, it's like having two different detectors.

HH,
Brian

 

[Dave_E]

I have Jolly Rogers on my R2. Sound great but wish I could get them louder.

 

[Monte]

1.. The Racer 2's Functions; 2.. Your Success afield; 3.. Audio Quality and Headphones.

I took my R2 out for a test drive at a pretty beaten site with my new tone adjustments and I was VERY happy with the adjustment.

This is one of the things I really like about the Racer 2, which allows me to tailor the Audio Tone settings to my personal hearing abilities/limitations.

Ended up getting an 1892 barber dime, merc, silver war nickle, V nickle, two indian heads and six wheaties. I was pretty happy with that for the few hours that I spent at the site.

You're really having a grand time hunting many sites this past few months. Congrats! I guess we ought to give some degree of credit to the Makro Racer 2 as well. Can't let you hog it all.

I'm also finding that headphones are making all the difference in the world. I had a set of custom headphones made for me when I first got the Racer1. They died, and I had to use my Killer B's and Sunray Golds. They work great on my F75 and CZ70, but not so much on the Racer. A friend lent me a pair of Black Widows while I had my phones being repaired, and they have a deep, full audio like the custom set I was using. I had to give the loaners back to the owner and the Killer B's and Sunray Golds just don't bring out the audio like the custom set and the Black Widows do, it's like having two different detectors.

Which Killer B model were you using? Most of them use the 150 ohm speakers, and most also let you select a 'limiter' function that can mellow the responses a bit. But that doesn't make them all sound the same, either.

I used to use the Killer B 'Wasp' model the most, as well as Killer B II's on occasion, and I've gone thru about four sets of the SunRay Pro Golds. Those are made for SunRay by the Killer B folks with a few subtle changes, but are in the same style and match the K-B 'Wasp' headphones I use to use the most. I still have my Killer B 'Wasp' that I take along for 'back-up' or as 'loaner' headphones for those who might need them on an outing.

I have owned quite a few of the other major competitor's headphones, and many of those top brands marketed for the metal detecting industry also use 150 ohm speakers and the same/similar headband/ear cup package, too. Prior to settling on the Killer B 'Wasp' long, long ago I had used some made by Koss for Radio Shack [size=small](I believe they were the Optima Pro or something like that)[/size] which had some of the most pleasant audio clarity for me, and they used 100 ohm speakers.

Many headphones I used, both owned or just tried them out, had 8 ohm, 16 ohm or 32 ohm speakers and the audio was terrible by comparison. It usually had more of a muffled sound, and it was difficult for me to hear weaker signals [size=small](if the detector design or mode provided that, and not all do)[/size] and many smaller, deeper, faint responses were missed. My best audio performance was from 100 ohm and 150 ohm speakers used in each ear cup.

There were other problems I faced, however, separate from the audio response, and those were fit and comfort. I guess I could say poor fit and lack of comfort. It seems that most of the headphones I used to use fit too loosely and that caused them to 'flop' around when I moved my head or looked down at the coil, and they could be easily tugged off my ears or head by a gentle snag on some of the dense brush in most sites I hunt. Not only did most fit too loosely, but the ear cups were rather small or they covered the ears, but pinched them uncomfortably. Yes, the headband piece would be loose and 'floppy' but if not too loose then the ear cups were just uncomfortable and after a short while hurt my ears.

The Killer B 'Wasp' and SunRay Pro Gold, and all the rest out there that look similar, fit fine and don't flop around or easily fall off or get tugged out-of-position, but the ear cup size and shape still isn't as pleasant as I like. They work OK but don't fit and feel OK on the ears. Years ago I tried the 'tank' style ear cups used with the Killer B 'Hornet' and found those to be about the most comfortable fit I have enjoyed. Didn't flop around, and didn't smash my ears against my head to cause pain after a while. Instead, the 'Tank' style ear cup was the way to go, and my favorite headphone became the Killer B 'Hornet.

Then I was shown the planned headphone that White's was going to introduce ahead of time and listened to the audio quality. I liked the fit, feel and sound, and when they released the Pro Star headphones [size=small](made by them)[/size] I quickly took them on as my general-use headphones for detecting. The Pro Star fit comfortable, don't flop. and they use the 'tank style' ear cups I find to be very comfortable.

The Killer B 'Hornet' is still my #1 favorite, with their 150 ohm speakers, and I have a brand new set in one of my Nokta Back-Pack Detector Bags I tote some Nokta & Makro accessories in. But my general-use set is my Pro Star, even though they advertise the use of a 50 ohm speaker, the audio clarity and performance is quite good. [size=small](Note: I am not sure if it is a 50 ohm speaker, or if it is a 100 ohm speaker but 50 ohm performance since the ear cups are mono and not stereo, splitting the difference.)[/size]

I know some participants on the WTHO the 3rd thru the 11th might have questions about headphones and I'll gladly let them try the Killer B II, Killer B 'Wasp' or Pro Star headphones to see what they think. Some of them might be better than what they currently use.

Monte

 

[Cal_Cobra]

That's interesting.-----I've been using Killer Bees & Sunray Pro Golds on my R2.-----May have to try out a set of Black Widows.------It's also going to be interesting to see how the new wireless h.p.'s do on the R2---if they ever get them to market.

I took my R2 out for a test drive at a pretty beaten site with my new tone adjustments and I was VERY happy with the adjustment.

Ended up getting an 1892 barber dime, merc, silver war nickle, V nickle, two indian heads and six wheaties. I was pretty happy with that for the few hours that I spent at the site. I'm also finding that headphones are making all the difference in the world. I had a set of custom headphones made for me when I first got the Racer1. They died, and I had to use my KiIller B's and Sunray Golds. They work great on my F75 and CZ70, but not so much on the Racer. A friend lent me a pair of Black Widows while I had my phones being repaired, and they have a deep, full audio like the custom set I was using. I had to give the loaners back to the owner and the KiIller B's and Sunray Golds just don't bring out the audio like the custom set and the Black Widows do, it's like having two different detectors.

HH,
Brian

Your missing a LOT with the Killer Bees & Sunray Pro Golds! The Black Widows took a little getting used to (like an hour) because they have a deeper, richer audio, but once you get dialed into them you can hear audio that you'll never hear on the Killer Bees & Sunray Pro Golds.

Yes I'd love to try out the R2 wireless headphones....if they ever make it to the US.... I just hope they have a audio similar to the Black Widows, and not like the Killer Bees & Sunray Pro Golds.

 

[Monte]

Your missing a LOT with the Killer Bees & Sunray Pro Golds! The Black Widows took a little getting used to (like an hour) because they have a deeper, richer audio, but once you get dialed into them you can hear audio that you'll never hear on the Killer Bees & Sunray Pro Golds.

Yes I'd love to try out the R2 wireless headphones....if they ever make it to the US.... I just hope they have a audio similar to the Black Widows, and not like the Killer Bees & Sunray Pro Golds.

1982 .. Hill Air Force Base, Utah ... pre-employment Civilian Employment Testing
Result: "You're deaf." Followed by, "We can only employ you part-time for summer hire as you are not qualified or acceptable for full-time employment due to you're impaired hearing because you are deaf."

I had the same response from them on my summer hire in '83, '84, '85 and '86 with them using two different sound-proof rooms two of those years. I didn't wear hearing aids at the time, and I could usually communicate just fine in conversational speech, if not too distant from whoever I was speaking with. But ambient noises made hearing difficult, and sometimes I needed people to slow down, not mumble and speak up a bit.

June 22nd, 2010 ... On-the-job injury from falling off a ladder resulted in rupturing my right ear drum, and that had been my better ear for hearing before that time. It healed a few months later, but with scar tissue on the ear canal and ear drum. Workers Comp had me fitted with a hearing aid for that ear which sometimes helped, but is annoying to use only one hearing aid and I generally don't. Also took it out anyway when out detecting and using headphones.

What I am getting at here is that all of us experience very different hearing. Some don't do well with the higher-pitched range, some struggle with lower-pitched sounds, and some of us are 'spotty' with different frequencies being easier or difficult to hear. According to the military testing even three decades ago, I was deaf and not fully employable, and my hearing sure hasn't improved since then, to be sure. I have long dealt with impaired hearing and, for me, the Killer B 'Wasp' and 'Hornet' and the headphones they make for SunRay, the 'Pro Gold,' as well as the Pro Star made by White's, help me hear most targets responses much better.

I usually have a lot of difficulty with some detector audio by design, such as the White's Classic series that have some added resistance in the headphone circuitry that called for me to go to the 100 ohm and 150 ohm headphones in order to hear them work well. The built-in speaker doesn't share the limiting audio as through the headphone circuitry. On my Makro Racer series and Nokta FORS series detectors, I still hear the audio much better with the Killer B 'Hornet' and Pro Star headphones than I do many other brands that have usually been sold for detector use that have a lower speaker impedance in the 8 ohm to 32 ohm range.

The only exception I have made is the 2.4 Gig. wireless headphones for the Racer 2 and Gold Racer. These have, if I recall, the lower impedance 32 ohm speakers which don't have the more brilliant, higher pitched tone that I generally hear well, but they are very lightweight and comfortable, and I enjoy using them with the Racer 2 for some of my Urban Coin & Jewelry Hunting, as well as hot summer days when in brushy town sites or working around old homesites and barns and other places with brush that could snag a plugged-in headphone cable. It's a trade-off for me, but the lightweight comfort factor kind of counters the lower impedance speaker performance.

I know Oregon Gregg tried a set of Killer B standard and didn't care for the audio as it was a more shrill, higher pitch for his hearing, plus they were not as comfortable. He now uses the 'tank-style' 50 ohm Pro Star headphones, and has ample 'back-up' sets on reserve. I think it is good for any devoted hobbyist or avid detectorist to try several brands and styles of headphones to find those that are a good fit and provide the audio performance they can hear the best.

If you make it to the WTHO, I'll let you try the wireless headphones and see how the audio works for you. [size=small](But maybe only a short while as I'll be using them with the Racer 2 in some of those brushier areas myself. )[/size]

Monte

 

[Tom Slick]

Monte, I'd sure like to give the wireless a try. I've been sold on the Pro Golds and the Killer Bee Hornets for some time and keep them both in my bag. I'd also like to hear the Black Widows as I've not had the opportunity to try them. I will say that for the most part, living in AZ, that most of the time I use a pair of Koss lightweight headphones that are not made any longer. I like them so well that I've bought all I could find to keep me going over the next, however many years. Looking forward to seeing everyone next week.

 

[Cal_Cobra]

Monte I hear what your saying (no pun intended).

I do not personally enjoy the artificial high shrill digital sounds that some machines produce, and are further articulated by various models of headphones. I guess I've gotten used to the Killer Bees & Sunray Pro Golds on my F75 and CZ70, but when I used them on my Racers I really disliked the audio, and felt that I was missing a lot of the audio nuances that I could hear with the other sets.

I know everyone's hearing is different, and I too at times have challenges hearing in environments where there's a lot of ambient noise, particularly if the speaker has a low, monotone type voice (guess I should probably get a hearing test, haven't had one since high school!).

That said, I definitely think people should experiment with various models of headphones, as getting the right ones for your hearing capabilities will make all the difference in the world with a machine like the Racer that has a lot of layered, nuanced audio reports vs a machine like my F75 LTD2 that produces a very binary digital audio report.

HH,
Brian