Danno - I to was a owner of a X-terra 70. Owned and hunted with it for four years. It was a good machine, found many nice coins with it including, Wheaties's, Indian Heads, and several silver coins. I never hunted gold nuggets with it as there just aren't any in Illinois to hunt. Depth was good with it but because of a sever hearing problem I decided to try to find another machine I could hear the different tones with.
Did some reading on line about the E-Trac and decided to find a dealer where I could personally listen to the machine before purchasing. I drove over 200 miles to the closest dealer, and man was I shocked at the difference in those two machines for the audio I could hear. I had to use a preamp to even hear the X-terra 70, I sure didn't need it for the E-Trac, and that was only the beginning in huge differences between the machines. The depth on this E-Trac is like nothing I've ever used. I have found coins 10 inch's deep and on edge and not only could I hear it but it was LOUD and clear. I have as yet to dig a coin no matter how deep that was a weak signal.
The machine is the best Nickle machine I have ever owned. I never dug a single Nickle with the X-terra 70. Iron is never a problem as the Iron Mask really knocks it out. If I dig a nail I recheck the hole because you can bet there's another target in the ground with it. I love the Quick Mask option because if I have a broken or iffy signal a quick check of the Quick Mask will tell me if it's iron or a good target. That alone is a great feature and a back saver.
I could go on for hours about the great features this E-Trac has to offer, but the real point is there just isn't any comparison between those two Machines. You won't be sorry if you purchase the E-Trac. It worth every penny I paid for it. Rick (IL)