Headphones for Metal Detecting

Using headphones makes the difference between detectorists who find mostly superficial and shallow targets and treasure hunters who recover deeper, more valuable coins and relics.

Above is a list of the headphones for metal detecting available on the market today. On each headset's reviews page, you will be able to compare headphones' Features, Specifications and Prices, read users' Ratings and Opinions, and see the headphones' Images - all information to help you choose the right unit for your treasure hunting projects.

Please do not hesitate to contribute by leaving a review if you have already used any headphones listed above. Your opinion would be of a great value to many metal detectorists! Plus, this is a great opportunity for you to let the manufacturer know what improvements should be made to ensure the most effective search. All headphones' manufacturers read these reviews regularly!

It is known that there is no serious treasure hunting without use of headphones. The older treasures are usually buried deeper and produce a weak signal due to their depth. Combined with the ambient noise, such as traffic, beach surf, and nature, it can be almost impossible to hear the deepest treasures without high-quality headphones.

Headphones, whether they are wireless or not, should be treated as an extension of your metal detector and should not be taken for granted when it comes to understanding your detector's specifics and capabilities. Different brands of headphones have their own audio characteristics and features so it is essential that you should "try before you buy."

When buying a set of headphones, use a simple rule: "The best headphones are the ones that allow you to forget they are on your head!" The market offers various designs of headphones to be used in gold prospecting, underwater treasure hunting and general metal detecting. In all cases, the following features provide maximum comfort and practicality: individual volume adjustment for each phone with stereo/mono switch, cordless or wireless connection to a metal detector, full ear-cup design, lightweight, collapsible design for portability, ambient noise reduction, signal amplification, waterproof mylar cone design, etc.

Here are three basic types of headphones that are used with metal detectors:

• Lightweight Headphones (weather proof)
  They are commonly used with portable MP3 Players, Smart-phones, iPods, etc. These phones do not block out ambient or outside noise such as automobile traffic or ocean surf. They are excellent if you metal detect in a very hot and humid climate or search areas inhabited by poisonous reptiles.
  The wiring on lightweight headphones is not designed to be subjected to use in thick underbrush or vegetation and branches.
  One will need a 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo to 1/4" (6.35mm) stereo (or mono) adapter to use this type of headphones with a metal detector which usually incorporates a 1/4" audio jack.
  Keep in mind that, if such headphones are used for metal detecting on a regular basis, their thin, uncoiled cords usually do not last long. This is why the headphones of the following type with thick, coiled wires and more durable 1/4" jacks are used for every-day metal detecting, and the lightweight headphones are used as a backup in emergency situations.
  However, since the lightweight headphones do not produce a lot of low frequencies, they are great for identification of "suspicious" targets which may be desirable targets that are partially masked by iron and produce "mixed" signals of different audio tones. This is why any cheap lightweight headset, especially of the most ergonomic ear-clip type, can be effectively used with a tonal metal detector.
• Full Ear-cup Headphones
  These headsets can be with a flexible coiled cord or wireless. Their ear-cups should have soft cushions that seal the ear-cups to your head and surround your earlobe without pinching or compressing it. Padding covering the crossover frame is another attribute toward operator comfort. Headphones with a stereo/mono switch and individual volume controls would be advantageous in most cases.
  
  Wireless (or cordless) headphones for metal detectors have been rightfully expanding their spot on the market as they are becoming extremely popular for their advanced technology (e.g. six times faster than Bluetooth speed), sturdy, weather-proof and compact build, lightweight, and simplicity in use (one-button operation).
  There are two categories of wireless headphones:
  • 1) Universal wireless headsets or audio systems (wireless headphones + Transmitter) and audio kits (Transmitter + Receiver) for the wired headphones, which can be used on any detector that has a normal headphone jack socket of 1/4-inch (6.35mm) or 1/8-inch (3.5mm) - some manufacturers even include specific adapters in the kit to fit unusual types of phone jacks.
  • 2) Wireless headsets that are specifically designed for a particular detector-model, and either included in a package or sold separately. Some of such headphones are so advanced that they allow a user to change the metal detector's settings "on the go" via additional control pads on a headphone module.
  Although most wireless headphones have the over-ear design, some wireless headsets are of the ear-clip and on-ear types. All wireless units are powered by the Li Polymer built-in batteries. Nowadays, standard packages of all most advanced metal detectors include either a set of wireless headphones (if the detector has a transmitter built-in) or a wireless adapter for the wired headset (if the detector is not equipped with the transmitter). You will find more info on both the wired and wireless headphones on my page:
  Headphones I Use for Metal Detecting
• Waterproof Headphones
  These headsets are similar in design to the land types but usually contain loudspeakers having a waterproof cone material such as Mylar. Mylar cones are more durable than paper cones and resist mildew and moisture. These phones can be mounted to the detector either through a waterproof connector or hardwired (they can not be disconnected). Some waterproof styles incorporate piezo sound transducers. Waterproof headphones can sometimes have a shrill tone that usually cannot be regulated to operator preference.

If you would like to metal detect without being hampered by the headphone cable connected to your metal detector, please visit my latest tutorial (2019):
The Best Way to Mount a Wireless Transmitter onto Your Metal Detector (Configuration #2: an enclosure with a wireless module is attached to an upper shaft), and/or my old tutorial (2013) on
How To Make Headphone Operation Wireless (Configuration #1: an enclosure with a wireless transmitter is attached directly to an armrest).

You may want to consider the wireless headphone operation seriously because it will increase your overall time efficiency in the field.

Happy Treasure Hunting!