Buying guide
Professional metal detectors
For coins, relics and beaches, look at the top of each range. The Manticore offers Multi-IQ+ plus five single frequencies from 5 to 40 kHz, in an IP68 body. For gold, Minelab's GPZ 7000 uses ZVT.
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The picks
Seven top-of-range detectors, each with a maker's spec sheet. Five hunt coins, relics and jewelry; two are built for gold.
1. Minelab Manticore
Minelab's all-terrain multi-frequency model: Multi-IQ+, an IP68 body to 16 ft and a full color LCD. It weighs 2.9 lb.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names a PRO-FIND 40 pinpointer, an M9 coil and a backpack with the detector.
2. XP Deus II
For deep wading and snorkeling. XP rates it IP68 to 66 ft (20 m), with an adjustable range of 4 to 45 kHz and 12 factory programs.
Sold as a bundle: the listing adds an MI-6 pinpointer to the detector and its 9-inch FMF coil.
3. Minelab Equinox 900
A Minelab IP68 multi-frequency model, with a Gold mode and Multi-IQ plus six single frequencies from 4 to 40 kHz. Minelab lists 11-inch and 6-inch DD coils in the box.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names an EQX 15 coil and a case with the detector.
4. Nokta Legend 2
Nokta's Legend 2 has the lightest checked weight of the seven, 2.6 lb. It offers single frequencies of 4, 10, 15, 20 and 40 kHz and is IP68 to 16 ft. Nokta's box holds two coils and Bluetooth aptX Low Latency headphones.
5. Garrett Vortex VX9
Garrett's Vortex VX9: Multi-Freq. or single 5, 9, 13, 18 and 25 kHz settings, Multi-Salt for the ocean and Z-Lynk wireless built in.
6. Minelab GPZ 7000
For nuggets on mineralized goldfields: ZVT (Zero Voltage Transmission) and a 14 x 13-inch Super-D coil. At 7.32 lb, it comes with a Pro-Swing 45 harness.
Sold as a bundle: the listing adds a second lithium-ion battery to the detector.
7. Minelab GPX 6000
A Minelab pulse induction gold detector, lighter than the GPZ at 4.6 lb, with 14-inch Double-D and 11-inch monoloop coils in the box.
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Side by side
The same facts for every pick, read on each maker's page. Open a model for its full spec sheet.
| Model | Technology | Frequencies | Waterproofing | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minelab Manticore | Multi-frequencyMulti-IQ+ | 5-40 kHz5, 10, 15, 20, 40 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.9 lb1.3 kg |
| XP Deus II | Multi-frequency | 4-45 kHzAdjustable range | 66 ftDetector, IP68, 20 m | Not checked |
| Minelab Equinox 900 | Multi-frequencyMulti-IQ | 4-40 kHz4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.8 lb1.27 kg |
| Nokta Legend 2 | Multi-frequency | 4-40 kHz4, 10, 15, 20, 40 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.6 lb1.2 kg |
| Garrett Vortex VX9 | Multi-frequencyMD-MF | 5-25 kHz5, 9, 13, 18, 25 kHz | 16 ftDetector, 5 m | 3 lb (1.38 kg) in the comparison table2.9 lb in the page textGarrett publishes both. |
| Minelab GPZ 7000 | ZVTZVT (Zero Voltage Transmission) | Not published | 3.3 ftCoil only, 1 m | 7.32 lb3.32 kg |
| Minelab GPX 6000 | Pulse inductionGeoSense-PI | Not published | 3.3 ftCoil only, 1 m | 4.6 lb2.1 kg |
Facts from the pages of Minelab, XP, Nokta and Garrett, read Oct. 16, 2026.
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How to choose
Where you hunt
Surf and wading call for a detector rated as a whole. Five of the seven are rated that way, most to 16 ft and the Deus II to 66 ft. The two gold machines rate only their coils, to 3.3 ft (1 m).
What you hunt
Coins, relics and jewelry favor multi-frequency, as on the first five picks. Small gold in hot ground is where ZVT and pulse induction come in. Minelab publishes no kHz value for either.
What you can carry
Top-of-range does not mean heavy for coin detectors: the Legend 2 weighs 2.6 lb. The gold machines weigh more, 4.6 lb for the GPX 6000 and 7.32 lb for the GPZ 7000.
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What to know before you buy
"Professional" in a listing title is the seller's word. Garrett's Vortex VX5 and ACE Apex both carry it on Amazon, and the ACE Apex rates its coil only as waterproof. Judge by the spec sheet.
Minelab's CTX 3030 is rated to 10 ft (3 m) as a whole and has FBS 2. We left it out of the frames. Its detector-only listings name a 17-inch coil, while Minelab's box holds the CTX 11 Smart Coil.
Four of the seven listings are bundles, and each frame says what the listing adds. We checked every seller on Oct. 16, 2026. The Manticore and Vortex VX9 listings were held by third-party sellers, not the brand or a detecting dealer, so check who ships before you pay.
We do not promise a detection depth, for any model. Our depth guide explains what changes it.
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Questions
Answered from the makers' pages, read Oct. 16, 2026.
Of these seven, the XP Deus II, rated IP68 to 66 ft (20 m). The Minelab, Nokta and Garrett multi-frequency models stop at 16 ft (5 m).
Not the GPZ 7000. Its modes are Gold modes and Ground Types, with no coin or jewelry setting. For coins and gold with one machine, the Equinox 900 adds a Gold mode to Park, Field and Beach. Our coin-hunting guide compares more models.
Not for every target. The two gold machines here use ZVT or pulse induction instead, and Minelab publishes no kHz value for either.
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