Metal Detector Comparison UK: 12 Popular Detectors Compared
Choosing between metal detectors becomes difficult surprisingly quickly.
At first glance, the specifications seem to provide an easy answer. One detector costs £300 and another costs more than £1,000. One operates at a single frequency while another uses simultaneous multi-frequency. Some weigh around 1.3 kg while the lightest XP configurations come in considerably below that.
But none of those figures tells the whole story.
A £300 simultaneous multi-frequency detector does not suddenly become equivalent to a premium machine simply because both use multiple frequencies. Equally, a selectable single-frequency detector is not automatically obsolete because simultaneous multi-frequency technology exists.
The differences increasingly concern how much control the detector gives you, how target information is presented, how it handles difficult conditions, the coils and accessories supplied, ergonomics and how much time you are prepared to spend learning the machine.
For this comparison, UK Detectorist has brought together the research behind 12 individual detector reviews covering Nokta, Minelab and XP. We have not independently field-tested all 12 machines, so this is not a league table based on invented performance scores. It compares documented specifications with the recurring findings from the independent reviews and detectorist experiences examined during our research.
Metal detector comparison table
Prices below are the UK prices recorded when each detector was researched. They are included to show where the machines sat in the market at that point, not as permanent RRPs.
Detector | Price when researched | Weight | Technology | Waterproofing | Supplied coil | Warranty |
Minelab Vanquish 360 | £259, Sep 2026* | 1.16 kg** | Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency | 5 m | V10X 10 × 7 in DD | 3 years |
Nokta Simplex Ultra | £299.95, Aug 2026 | 1.2 kg | Fixed 15 kHz | 5 m | SX28 11 in DD | 3 years |
Nokta Score | £299.95, Aug 2026 | Not established | Simultaneous multi-frequency + selectable 15 kHz | 5 m | SC30 12 × 9 in DD | Not established |
Minelab X-Terra Pro | £349, Aug 2026 | 1.3 kg | Selectable single frequency | 5 m | V12X 12 × 9 in DD | 3 years |
XP Icon | From £435, Sep 2026*** | 843 g with remote | XP FMF simultaneous multi-frequency + mono | 5 m**** | 11 in FMF | 5 years |
Minelab Vanquish 560 | £449, Sep 2026 | 1.26 kg | Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency | 5 m | V12X 12 × 9 in DD | 3 years |
Minelab X-Terra Elite | Price not established | 1.3 kg | Multi-IQ + selectable 15 kHz | 5 m | V12X 12 × 9 in DD | 3 years |
XP Deus 1 | £529, Sep 2026***** | 900 g with remote | Selectable frequency, coil dependent | Coil waterproof | 11 in X35 at recorded price | 5 years |
Nokta Legend Pro-Pack | £799.95, Aug 2026 | 1.3 kg | Simultaneous multi-frequency + selectable frequencies | 3 m/5 m disputed | LG30 + LG15 DD coils | Not established |
Minelab Equinox 900 | Price not established | 1.2–1.27 kg disputed | Multi-IQ + selectable frequencies | 5 m | EQX11 + EQX06 DD coils | 3 years |
XP Deus II | £1,129, Sep 2026****** | From 750 g | XP FMF + selectable frequencies | Up to 20 m with appropriate equipment | 9, 11 or 13 × 11 in FMF by package | 5-year limited |
Minelab Manticore | £1,799, Sep 2026* | 1.3 kg | Multi-IQ+ + selectable frequencies | 5 m | M11 11 in DD | 3 years |
* Recorded as sold out when researched.
** Minelab specifies 1.16 kg; an independent review gave 1.26 kg.
*** XP Icon pricing depends on configuration. A £519 WSA ST package was also recorded.
**** Full underwater use requires suitable waterproof audio equipment.
***** The researched £529 Deus 1 configuration excluded headphones.
****** The researched £1,129 Deus II configuration included the remote control but excluded headphones.
The table immediately exposes one of the problems with comparing detectors purely by specification. Price, weight and even waterproofing are not always like-for-like figures. XP machines in particular can be configured in several ways, while packages containing additional coils or headphones can make two headline prices look more comparable than they really are.
What is the biggest difference between these metal detectors?
The clearest dividing line is the detection technology.
The Nokta Simplex Ultra operates at a fixed 15 kHz. The Minelab X-Terra Pro lets the operator select a frequency, using 5, 10 or 15 kHz in Park and Field and 8 kHz in Beach mode, but it still operates on only one frequency at a time.
The XP Deus 1 takes selectable-frequency operation much further. Its available frequency range depends on the coil fitted, so it cannot sensibly be described using one universal frequency range.
The other nine machines in this comparison use simultaneous multi-frequency technology in some form.
That includes relatively inexpensive detectors such as the Nokta Score and Minelab Vanquish 360 as well as the considerably more sophisticated Equinox 900, Deus II and Manticore.
This is important because simultaneous multi-frequency is a technology, not a performance grade.
The Vanquish 360 uses Minelab Multi-IQ but deliberately provides few adjustments. The Equinox 900 also uses Multi-IQ, yet gives the operator extensive control over Recovery Speed, Iron Bias, Ground Balance, tones, sensitivity and operating frequency.
The same distinction exists within XP's range. The Icon uses XP's FMF platform but deliberately removes much of the adjustment available on the Deus II.
So asking whether a detector is multi-frequency is useful. Asking what the detector allows you to do with that technology is more useful.
What does roughly £300 buy?
This is one of the most interesting parts of the comparison because four quite different approaches occupy broadly similar territory.
The Vanquish 360 provides Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency operation in a deliberately restricted package. Park, Beach and All Metal modes, five sensitivity levels and fixed Iron Bias keep configuration relatively simple.
The Nokta Score also provides simultaneous multi-frequency at around £300, including dedicated Park, Field and Beach modes. It adds automatic and manual Ground Balance but deliberately omits adjustable recovery speed, user profiles, individual Target ID notch filtering and extensive tone controls.
The Simplex Ultra goes in another direction. It remains a 15 kHz single-frequency detector, but gives the user substantially more adjustment, including Recovery Speed, tone break, tone frequency, tone volume and Target ID depth.
Then there is the X-Terra Pro. It does not operate several frequencies simultaneously, but allows the detectorist to choose between several single frequencies while also providing adjustable Recovery Speed, Iron Bias, Ground Balance and tone options.
That makes the lower end of the market much more interesting than a simple cheap-versus-expensive comparison suggests.
At roughly the same price, you can prioritise simple multi-frequency operation, greater manual adjustment or selectable-frequency flexibility.
What changes around the £400–£500 level?
The XP Icon, Vanquish 560 and X-Terra Elite move the comparison into a middle ground between relatively simple detectors and the highly configurable premium machines.
The Vanquish 560 retains Minelab's Multi-IQ system but adds considerably more control than the 360. There are 30 discrimination segments, four Iron Bias levels, ferrous-volume adjustment, five target tones and automatic and tracking Ground Balance.
Published UK testing is particularly useful here because it prevents a simple assumption that the extra money buys dramatically greater depth. One comparative field review found no major depth increase over the older Vanquish 540. The more credible improvements concerned control, target information, waterproofing, audio and versatility.
The X-Terra Elite also uses Multi-IQ and provides adjustable Recovery Speed, Iron Bias, Ground Balance and several tone configurations. It sits between Minelab's simpler machines and the considerably more adjustable Equinox 900.
XP takes a different approach with the Icon. It combines FMF simultaneous multi-frequency with XP's exceptionally light wireless architecture, but deliberately restricts the number of programmes and adjustments compared with the Deus II.
That makes this price band less about acquiring one transformative feature and more about removing restrictions found on cheaper detectors.
What do the more advanced detectors add?
The Legend Pro-Pack, Equinox 900, Deus II and Manticore increasingly move the emphasis towards configuration.
The Nokta Legend provides simultaneous multi-frequency plus selectable single frequencies of 4, 10, 15, 20 and 40 kHz. Recovery Speed, iron filtering, discrimination, noise cancellation and threshold behaviour can all be adjusted, while 16 custom settings can be saved across its four modes.
Its Pro-Pack also matters. The LG30 and much smaller LG15 coils are both included, together with Bluetooth headphones and a waterproof spare battery. Package contents therefore account for part of the price difference.
The Equinox 900 follows a similar philosophy of versatility. Multi-IQ is accompanied by six selectable single frequencies, eight search profiles, adjustable Recovery Speed and Iron Bias, extensive tone controls and automatic, manual and tracking Ground Balance.
It also comes with both the 11-inch EQX11 and 6-inch EQX06 coils as standard. The smaller coil is not simply a promotional extra; published UK evidence repeatedly identifies it as useful on contaminated sites.
XP's Deus II pushes configuration in another direction. Its wireless modular architecture allows several different physical arrangements, while FMF is combined with extensive single-frequency operation, Reactivity, discrimination, detailed audio configuration and a large number of factory and user programmes.
Current firmware and coil development have also expanded what the platform can do since its original launch. That creates capability, but also complexity. Published owner evidence repeatedly identifies the learning curve as one of the machine's principal criticisms.
The Manticore similarly places information and adjustment at the centre of the experience. Multi-IQ+ is combined with Recovery Speed, Ferrous Limits, extensive discrimination and Minelab's two-dimensional Target Trace display.
Published UK experience reports strong sensitivity and useful separation around iron, but also repeatedly warns that maximum sensitivity is not automatically desirable and that Target Trace should not be treated as an infallible object identifier.
The common thread is clear: more expensive detectors increasingly give the operator more information and more ways to influence what the machine does with it.
That creates potential, but it also transfers more responsibility to the detectorist.
Which metal detectors are easiest to use?
Ease of use is not simply determined by price.
The Vanquish 360 is the most deliberately restricted machine in this comparison. Its fixed Iron Bias, limited sensitivity adjustment and three-tone audio leave relatively little for a new user to configure incorrectly.
The Nokta Score follows a similar philosophy while providing simultaneous multi-frequency and Ground Balance. Several more advanced adjustments are intentionally absent.
The Vanquish 560 remains relatively accessible despite adding more controls. Published UK reviewers repeatedly described it as straightforward to operate.
The Icon also exists specifically to simplify XP's FMF platform. It has only three factory programmes and three user slots compared with the much broader configuration available on the Deus II.
At the other end, the Legend, Equinox 900, Deus 1, Deus II and Manticore all have documented learning curves.
That does not mean they are inherently difficult to switch on and use. The distinction is between operating a detector and understanding it properly.
Factory programmes can get an inexperienced user detecting quickly. Learning why a machine falses on iron, when Recovery Speed should change, how Ground Balance affects stability or how nuanced audio should be interpreted takes considerably longer.
Which are the lightest metal detectors?
XP dominates the weight comparison, but the figures need qualification.
The Icon is around 843–845 g with its remote fitted, while configurations without the remote mounted can fall to roughly 735 g.
XP quotes the Deus 1 at around 900 g in a full configuration and 800 g without the remote, with some configurations starting lower still.
The Deus II can start at approximately 750 g, but again its actual weight changes with coil, stem, remote and headphone configuration.
Most of the conventional detectors cluster much more closely together.
The Vanquish 360 is officially 1.16 kg, the Simplex Ultra 1.2 kg, the Vanquish 560 1.26 kg, and the X-Terra Pro, X-Terra Elite, Legend and Manticore are around 1.3 kg. Published Equinox 900 figures conflict between approximately 1.2 and 1.27 kg.
Weight also does not tell you everything about fatigue. Coil size, balance and where the weight sits relative to the hand can change how a detector feels after several hours.
We will examine that separately in our full metal detector weight comparison.
Which detectors are waterproof?
Full waterproofing has become common across much of this group.
The Simplex Ultra, Score, X-Terra Pro, X-Terra Elite, Vanquish 360, Vanquish 560 and Manticore are specified for submersion to 5 metres.
The Icon is also specified to 5 metres, although suitable waterproof audio equipment is required for full underwater use.
The Legend needs a qualification. Nokta's own material states 5 metres, while the UK retailer material examined during our research stated 3 metres. Until that discrepancy is resolved, presenting either figure as unquestionably correct would be misleading.
The Deus II is capable of considerably deeper submersion with the appropriate equipment. Its standard FMF coils and optional BH-01 bone-conduction headphones are rated to 20 metres, although the wireless coil requires XP's underwater antenna because the radio signal does not travel through water.
The original Deus 1 is the major exception. Its coil is waterproof, but the complete original Deus platform should not be described as a fully submersible detector.
There is another practical distinction here: a waterproof detector does not automatically mean the supplied headphones are waterproof.
That matters if underwater detecting is genuinely part of the intended use rather than waterproofing simply being protection against rain, mud and accidental immersion.
Does spending more guarantee greater depth?
No conclusion like that can be supported from the evidence we reviewed.
There are plenty of individual reports of deep finds with the Legend, Deus machines, Equinox 900 and Manticore. There are also comparisons in which experienced users report one machine outperforming another on particular ground.
The problem is that these observations were made with different targets, coils, settings, soils, moisture levels, sweep speeds and operators.
Combining them into a table claiming that one detector reaches 12 inches and another reaches 14 inches would create a precision the evidence simply does not contain.
The evidence is much stronger when examining recurring behaviour.
The Deus 1, for example, has particularly consistent owner support for fast recovery and target separation amongst iron. Evidence for exceptional outright depth is considerably less consistent.
The Manticore has repeated reports of strong sensitivity, depth and separation, but those same reports show performance changing with soil and configuration.
The Equinox 900 has recurring positive evidence for target separation, particularly when using its smaller supplied coil, but also reports of convincing iron signals while users learn the machine.
These are useful findings because they describe how detectors behave. They are not laboratory rankings.
What should you actually compare when choosing a metal detector?
Start with how and where you expect to detect rather than looking for the machine with the longest specification list.
For regular wet-sand and saltwater detecting, simultaneous multi-frequency and full waterproofing deserve more attention.
For long days on pasture or cultivated land, weight and balance may matter more than an additional menu setting.
For iron-contaminated historic sites, recovery behaviour, discrimination, audio information and the availability of smaller coils become increasingly important.
And if you want a detector that can simply be switched on and used with relatively little adjustment, buying the machine with the greatest number of controls may actually move you further away from what you need.
There is also a question of how much you want to learn.
The Score, Vanquish 360, Vanquish 560 and Icon all place meaningful limits on configuration. The Legend, Equinox 900, Deus II and Manticore give the operator considerably more control.
Neither philosophy is inherently superior. They suit different users.
What does this 12-detector comparison actually tell us?
The biggest finding is how poorly price alone describes the current detector market.
Around £300, buyers can already choose between fixed single-frequency, selectable-frequency and simultaneous multi-frequency machines.
Moving towards £500 brings more adjustment, better-equipped interfaces, lighter wireless architectures and greater control over how targets are interpreted.
At the premium end, the differences become less about whether a detector can find metal and increasingly about how much information and control it gives the operator.
The Equinox 900 offers a broad all-terrain Multi-IQ platform and two standard coils. The Deus II combines extremely low weight with a modular wireless system and deep configuration. The Manticore adds extensive ferrous control and two-dimensional target information. The Legend offers a substantial multi-frequency feature set and a particularly comprehensive Pro-Pack.
None of that produces a credible universal winner.
Ground conditions change. Targets change. Coil choice matters. Operator experience matters. A feature that is valuable on an iron-contaminated Roman site may be irrelevant on clean pasture, while a detector that feels unnecessarily complicated to one user may give another exactly the control they want.
The useful question is therefore not simply:
Which metal detector is best?
It is:
Which differences between these detectors actually matter for the detecting you intend to do?
That is what the rest of this comparison series will examine in detail.
