Nokta Simplex Ultra vs Score vs Legend: What's the Difference?
The Nokta Simplex Ultra, Score and Legend make an interesting comparison because they don't form the straightforward progression you might expect. The Simplex Ultra is the most traditional of the three, operating at a fixed 15 kHz, but it gives the detectorist a surprisingly broad range of controls for the money. The Score introduces the more advanced technology of simultaneous multi-frequency, yet deliberately removes some of those manual adjustments. The Legend then combines simultaneous multi-frequency with much of the control missing from the Score, along with more frequency choices, more search modes and considerably greater scope for customisation.
That means moving through these three detectors isn't simply a matter of spending more and getting more of everything. Moving from Simplex Ultra to Score actually involves giving up some controls in exchange for simultaneous multi-frequency. Moving from Score to Legend brings those controls back and adds considerably more besides.
Understanding that difference is far more useful than simply comparing prices or counting features.
Nokta Score Nokta Simplex Ultra Nokta Legend
Nokta Simplex Ultra vs Score vs Legend: Specifications Compared
Detector | Price when researched | Frequency technology | Weight | Waterproofing | Supplied coil |
Simplex Ultra | £299.95 | Fixed 15 kHz | 1.2 kg | 5 m | SX28 11 in DD |
Score | £299.95 | SMF M1/M2/M3 + selectable 15 kHz | Not verified | 5 m | SC30 12 × 9 in DD |
Legend Pro-Pack | £799.95 | SMF + selectable 4/10/15/20/40 kHz | 1.3 kg stated | 5 m according to Nokta* | LG30 12 × 9 in + LG15 6 in DD |
Prices are the retail prices recorded during our research on 2 August 2026 and should not be treated as permanent RRPs.
* There is a source conflict over Legend waterproofing. Nokta specifies 5 metres while the LP Metal Detecting listing reviewed during our research stated 3 metres. We have retained the manufacturer's specification while noting the discrepancy.
The first thing worth noticing is that the Simplex Ultra and Score were exactly the same price when we researched them. That makes the choice between the two particularly interesting, because budget doesn't separate them. Instead, you're choosing between two quite different ideas of what a £300 detector should provide.
Simplex Ultra: Single Frequency Doesn't Mean Basic
Calling the Simplex Ultra a beginner detector doesn't really explain what Nokta has done with it. It uses conventional single-frequency VLF technology and operates at 15 kHz, so there is no simultaneous multi-frequency system working in the background. What Nokta has done instead is give the user an unusually broad range of adjustments at this price.
There are six search modes — Field, Park, 4 Tone, 99 Tone, Beach and All Metal — together with 30 sensitivity levels. Recovery speed, tone break, tone frequency and tone volume can all be adjusted, while notch discrimination, manual ground balance and a choice between Coin and Relic Target ID scales give the user further control over how the detector behaves.
This puts the Simplex Ultra in an interesting position. The underlying frequency technology is straightforward, but the detector itself isn't particularly restricted. Somebody who wants to learn what recovery speed, tone behaviour, discrimination and ground balance actually do has plenty to experiment with without immediately moving into a much more expensive machine.
Adjustable recovery speed is a good example. On a site containing lots of iron or closely spaced targets, increasing recovery speed can help the detector separate one response from the next rather than allowing them to merge together. On cleaner ground, a slower response may sometimes be preferable. The important point isn't that one setting is inherently better; it's that the Simplex Ultra lets the detectorist make that decision.
That becomes particularly relevant when we compare it with the Score, because the supposedly more advanced multi-frequency detector doesn't provide adjustable recovery speed at all.
What Does the Evidence Say About the Simplex Ultra?
The independent evidence is reasonably encouraging for inland detecting. Published reviews describe useful target separation and good general inland performance, while owner discussions generally portray the Simplex platform as approachable. Its 1.2 kg weight and fully retractable shaft also make it a practical machine to transport and swing for a full session.
Where the evidence becomes more cautious is around difficult ground, particularly conductive wet salt and mineralisation. The Simplex Ultra includes a dedicated Beach mode and can certainly be used on beaches, but it remains a 15 kHz single-frequency detector. Both independent reviews included in our research identified more advanced multi-frequency machines as the stronger option when difficult salt or mineralised conditions become a regular part of detecting.
That doesn't suddenly make the Simplex Ultra a poor detector. It simply identifies the limitation of the technology underneath an otherwise well-equipped machine. If most of your detecting is on ordinary inland pasture, cultivated ground or similar sites, the extra controls may be more relevant to you than the absence of simultaneous multi-frequency. If wet beaches form a significant part of your detecting, the balance begins to change.
And that is where the Score becomes interesting.
Score: Nokta Changes the Priorities
At the same researched price of £299.95, the Score spends its specification budget very differently. Its defining feature is simultaneous multi-frequency. Instead of permanently operating at one 15 kHz frequency, the Score provides three simultaneous multi-frequency selections — M1, M2 and M3. Park and Field can alternatively operate at a selectable 15 kHz, while Beach mode uses simultaneous multi-frequency only.
That is a much more modern frequency platform than the one underneath the Simplex Ultra, but Nokta has deliberately simplified many of the controls around it. The basic Score has no adjustable recovery speed, saved user profiles, individual-ID notch filtering, adjustable tone count, adjustable tone break, iron-volume control, threshold adjustment or bottle-cap rejection.
This is where simply arranging detectors according to their technology can become misleading. The Score has the more sophisticated frequency system, but the Simplex Ultra gives the user more direct control over several aspects of detector behaviour. Neither approach is automatically better; they are designed around different priorities.
The Score isn't completely switch-on-and-go either. There is still enough adjustment to deal with the everyday problems a detectorist is likely to encounter. Park, Field and Beach modes are supplemented by All Metal, Ground Off, Ferrous Off and Custom discrimination patterns. Automatic and manual ground balance are available, as is automatic noise cancellation across 13 channels. Sensitivity, volume, backlighting and Ground Suppressor can also be adjusted, while pinpointing, vibration, an LED torch and Bluetooth wireless audio are built in.
The distinction is that many of these functions work through predetermined choices rather than detailed customisation. Nokta lets you intervene where necessary, but the Score makes more of the underlying decisions for you.
Simplex Ultra vs Score: Which Is Actually More Advanced?
This is where the comparison becomes more useful than the specifications alone.
If by "advanced" you mean frequency technology, the Score clearly has the advantage. Simultaneous multi-frequency allows the detector to work with multiple frequencies together rather than relying on one fixed operating frequency. Nokta particularly emphasises this for conductive salt environments, which is why the Score's Beach mode operates exclusively in multi-frequency.
If by "advanced" you mean the amount of control available to the detectorist, the answer changes. The Simplex Ultra lets you alter recovery speed and provides considerably greater control over tones and discrimination. It encourages you to understand and modify the detector's behaviour rather than relying so heavily on preset choices.
This gives us two very different £300 machines. The Simplex Ultra is an adjustable single-frequency detector; the Score is a simplified simultaneous multi-frequency detector. Which approach makes more sense depends on where you detect and how involved you want to become in setting the machine up.
What we cannot do is turn the Score's simultaneous multi-frequency system into an unsupported claim that it will always detect deeper or find more than the Simplex Ultra. Our approved Score evidence contains no controlled UK field comparison capable of establishing that. Equally, having more manual adjustments doesn't mean a Simplex Ultra will outperform a Score if those controls aren't relevant to the conditions.
The technological difference is real. A universal performance ranking isn't.
Where Does the Legend Fit?
The Legend effectively combines the two ideas. It retains simultaneous multi-frequency but gives much of the control back to the detectorist.
Alongside simultaneous multi-frequency operation, the Legend offers selectable single frequencies of 4, 10, 15, 20 and 40 kHz. Its four main search modes are Park, Field, Beach and Gold Field, and recovery speed becomes adjustable again. Frequency shift, noise cancellation, threshold level, threshold frequency, discrimination and iron filtering can all be altered, while four custom profiles can be saved within each mode, giving 16 saved configurations in total.
This is a fundamentally different level of involvement from the Score. Rather than Nokta deciding how many tones you will use or fixing the recovery behaviour, the Legend increasingly hands those choices to you. Features such as FerroCheck and more detailed iron filtering also provide additional information and control when investigating awkward targets.
The key point is that you're not paying £799.95 simply to acquire simultaneous multi-frequency, because the £299.95 Score already has it. A large part of the Legend's additional capability comes from what you're allowed to do with the detector.
Score vs Legend: What Does the Extra Money Actually Add?
The progression from Score to Legend is much clearer than the move from Simplex Ultra to Score because the two machines already share the same broad multi-frequency principle.
Both can use simultaneous multi-frequency, and both provide 15 kHz single-frequency operation. The Legend expands that considerably by adding 4, 10, 20 and 40 kHz selectable options, but the more important differences appear once you start looking at the controls.
Recovery speed, which is fixed on the basic Score, becomes adjustable on the Legend. The Score uses fixed tone arrangements — three tones in Park and two in Field and Beach — whereas the Legend provides substantially more audio configuration. The Score offers selectable discrimination patterns but no individual-ID notch filtering; the Legend provides custom notch discrimination alongside more detailed iron controls. The Legend can also save 16 configurations, while the Score has no saved user profiles.
This gives the Legend much more scope to adapt the detector around a particular site or personal preference. A detectorist regularly working iron-contaminated ancient ground, for example, may value being able to alter recovery behaviour and iron filtering. Somebody moving between very different sites may appreciate saving configurations rather than rebuilding them each time.
None of that means the Score is deficient. Its simplicity is deliberate. The Legend gives you more ways to alter the machine; the Score removes many of those decisions.
Does the Legend Need All Those Settings?
Not necessarily, and this is where the owner evidence becomes particularly useful.
Published experiences don't present the Legend as universally difficult. Some detectorists describe a stable, comfortable machine that needs relatively little intervention once they have found settings that suit their sites. Others have experienced a much harder transition, particularly when moving from a simpler detector.
One UK detectorist coming from a Simplex described the Legend as complicated, noisy and difficult to trust until other users helped with the configuration. A reply in that discussion described the change neatly as a trade-off between simplicity and "a bit more homework".
That is probably a better description of the Legend than simply calling it an expert detector. You don't need to alter every available setting before you can use it, and having 16 saved profiles doesn't mean you need 16 different setups. What changes is the amount of scope available once you decide that the standard behaviour isn't quite right for a particular site.
The learning curve comes from understanding which adjustments matter and, just as importantly, which ones should be left alone.
Moving From Simplex Ultra Directly to Legend
A Simplex Ultra owner moving straight to the Legend may actually find some of the concepts more familiar than somebody coming from the Score. Recovery speed, tone adjustment, discrimination and ground balancing are already part of the Simplex Ultra experience. The major change is that the Legend places those controls around a much more flexible frequency platform.
Instead of always working at 15 kHz, the Legend provides simultaneous multi-frequency plus five selectable single frequencies. It also adds more sophisticated iron handling, saved profiles and a Gold Field mode. The Pro-Pack further changes the comparison by including both the larger LG30 coil and smaller LG15 coil, along with Bluetooth headphones and a waterproof spare battery.
The step up is therefore significant, but it isn't simply a case of replacing everything the Simplex does. In some respects the Legend develops the same idea of an adjustable detector and puts considerably more capable electronics underneath it.
The trade-off is that there is now more information to understand. A Simplex Ultra owner learns how one 15 kHz platform behaves. A Legend owner can change the frequency system itself as well as many of the settings surrounding it. That flexibility becomes useful when you know why you're changing something; it can become confusing if settings are altered simply because they are available.
Iron-Contaminated Ground Shows the Difference Clearly
Iron provides a useful example of how the three Nokta machines differ in philosophy.
The Simplex Ultra gives you adjustable recovery speed, discrimination and tone controls, allowing you to actively change how the machine responds when targets are close together. The Score simplifies that process. It provides discrimination patterns and Ground Suppressor, but several of the finer controls found on the other two machines are absent.
The Legend goes furthest. Adjustable recovery is combined with more detailed discrimination, iron filtering and FerroCheck. FerroCheck gives the user additional information about the ferrous and non-ferrous characteristics of a response rather than leaving the decision entirely to the main Target ID number.
That doesn't turn FerroCheck into an infallible dig-or-don't-dig meter. Depth, target orientation, nearby metal, ground conditions and detector settings can all affect a response. What the Legend gives you is more information with which to make the decision.
This is a recurring theme as we move through the range: the more sophisticated detector doesn't necessarily make more decisions for you. Quite often, it does the opposite.
What About Beach Detecting?
The technology difference is particularly relevant on conductive wet sand.
The Simplex Ultra has a dedicated Beach mode but remains a 15 kHz single-frequency detector. The Score uses simultaneous multi-frequency exclusively in Beach mode, while the Legend combines multi-frequency operation with a dedicated Beach mode and substantially greater control over detector behaviour.
For somebody regularly moving between inland sites and wet salt beaches, Score therefore makes an interesting step away from the Simplex Ultra without introducing Legend levels of configuration. You get the multi-frequency platform while retaining a relatively straightforward detector.
The Legend offers the same broad technological advantage but gives the experienced user much more scope to intervene. Whether that extra control is necessary depends on how seriously beach detecting features in your detecting and how much you want to adjust the machine yourself.
Our evidence doesn't justify turning that into a Score-versus-Legend beach performance ranking. In particular, the approved Score sources don't include a controlled UK wet-salt test. The difference in frequency technology is established; a measured difference in real-world UK beach performance is not.
The Legend Pro-Pack Is More Than Just the Detector
Price comparisons also need to account for what comes in the box.
The Simplex Ultra is supplied with the SX28 11-inch DD coil, while the Score uses the SC30 12 × 9-inch DD coil. The Legend Pro-Pack includes two coils: the general-purpose LG30 12 × 9-inch DD and the much smaller LG15 6-inch DD.
Those two Legend coils provide genuinely different tools. The larger coil is suited to normal coverage, while the LG15 gives the user a much smaller footprint for congested ground and areas where targets sit close together. The Pro-Pack also includes Bluetooth low-latency headphones and a waterproof spare battery.
That doesn't erase the substantial price difference, but it does mean £299.95 versus £799.95 isn't a comparison between three identically equipped detector packages. Part of the Legend's higher price is buying additional hardware as well as additional detector capability.
There is also one unresolved specification worth flagging. Nokta states that the Legend is waterproof to 5 metres, while the LP Metal Detecting listing reviewed during our research stated 3 metres. The manufacturer specification is the stronger source, but the conflict remains and shouldn't simply be hidden.
Which One Is Easiest to Learn?
The Score is the simplest in terms of the number of decisions it asks the detectorist to make. Select the appropriate mode and frequency option, set sensitivity sensibly and much of the detector's behaviour is already determined. That makes it an attractive route into simultaneous multi-frequency for somebody who doesn't want to spend every outing adjusting recovery, tone breaks and iron settings.
The Simplex Ultra is arguably the more educational machine if you actively want to learn those controls. Its frequency technology is simpler, but its adjustable recovery, tones and discrimination allow the user to experiment with how changes affect target responses.
The Legend takes that learning considerably further. It can certainly be used with relatively straightforward settings, but there is far more available when you want it. The additional controls mean more opportunity to tailor the detector to difficult conditions, but also more opportunity to make a stable machine noisy or alter its behaviour without fully understanding why.
So experience level alone isn't a particularly good way to choose between them. A newcomer who enjoys learning settings may be perfectly comfortable with the Simplex Ultra or eventually the Legend, while an experienced detectorist who simply wants uncomplicated multi-frequency operation may prefer the Score philosophy.
Does Spending More on the Legend Buy More Depth?
This is one of those questions where a simple answer would be attractive but misleading.
Nokta makes performance claims for the Legend, including strong depth and discrimination in difficult conditions. The owner evidence also contains positive reports. What our research doesn't contain is a controlled comparison placing equivalent targets in equivalent ground and testing all three machines under repeatable conditions.
That means we cannot sensibly publish a depth hierarchy for Simplex Ultra, Score and Legend.
What the additional money unquestionably buys on the Legend is greater capability: more frequency choices, adjustable recovery, more sophisticated discrimination and iron controls, saved profiles, additional target information and a much more comprehensive Pro-Pack.
Those things can help an experienced operator adapt a detector to the site in front of them. They should not be converted into a promise that every target will be detected deeper.
Nokta Simplex Ultra vs Score vs Legend: Which Approach Makes Sense?
The easiest way to understand these three machines is to stop thinking of them as three rungs on a simple ladder.
The Simplex Ultra is an adjustable single-frequency detector. It uses the least sophisticated frequency system of the three, but gives the user plenty of control over recovery, tones, discrimination and ground balance. For somebody mainly detecting inland and wanting to learn how those adjustments affect a detector, there is a lot here for around £300.
The Score takes a different route at almost exactly the same researched price. Nokta gives you simultaneous multi-frequency but deliberately takes several of those adjustments away. The result is a detector aimed more at getting the benefits of a modern multi-frequency platform without requiring the user to constantly configure it.
The Legend brings those two ideas together. It provides simultaneous multi-frequency and a broad selection of individual frequencies, then adds the recovery, audio, discrimination and iron controls expected from a much more adjustable detector. The Pro-Pack adds two useful coils, headphones and a spare waterproof battery, making it a substantially more complete package as well.
That gives the range a much more logical progression than the prices alone suggest. Simplex Ultra is about control around a straightforward 15 kHz platform. Score is about simplifying simultaneous multi-frequency. Legend is about giving the detectorist simultaneous multi-frequency without taking the controls away.
The question, then, isn't simply how experienced you are or how much you're prepared to spend. It's how much of the detector's behaviour you actually want to control.
Some detectorists would rather select a sensible programme, set the sensitivity and start searching. Others want to alter recovery speed, experiment with tones and change the way the machine handles difficult iron. Neither approach is inherently more serious or more likely to produce good finds.
They're simply different ways of detecting — and these three Nokta machines illustrate that difference particularly well.
Comparison Articles 1–12
The 12 Detectors - Reviewed
