Minelab has been making a lot front page news lately with their latest revitalization effort to upgrade one of their best selling metal detector, their Equinox. The Equinox has been one of Minelab’s best selling metal detectors in recent years. So why change a good thing you might ask? The answer is simple. Why not make a really good detector even better?
Lets be honest, while the Equinox revolutionized the metal detector industry with its Multi-IQ technology, the Equinox had its share of flaws. Minelab saw the opportunity to make their beloved Equinox even better and that is exactly what they set out to do. However, the verdict is still out but early tests are showing positive results so far. But what’s the difference between the Equinox 700 and 900? We’ll go into more detail below.
This article will take a look at the technical specifications for both the Equinox 700 and 900 and point out the differences between them. (see the table below)
Technical Specifications of the Equinox 700 and 900
| Tech Spec | Equinox 700 | Equinox 900 |
| Search Modes | Park, Field, Beach | Park, Field, Beach, Gold |
| All-Metal Shortcut | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Search Profile | 6 | 8 |
| User Profile Button | No | Yes |
| Operating Freqs [kHz] | Multi, 4, 5, 10, 15 | Multi, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 |
| Noise Cancel | Auto (19 Channels) | Auto, manual (19 channels) |
| Ground Balance | Auto, manual, tracking | Auto, manual, tracking |
| Sensitivity | 1-25 | 1-28 |
| Target Volume | 0-25 | 0-25 |
| Threshold Level | 0-25 | 0-25 |
| Threshold Pitch | Fixed | 0-25 |
| Target ID | -19 to 0 = Ferrous, 1-99 = Non-Ferrous | -19 to 0 = Ferrous, 1-99 = Non-Ferrous |
| Target Tones | 1, 2, 5 , All tones, Depth | 1, 2, 5 , All tones, Depth |
| Tone Break | Ferrous (T1) | Ferrous, non-ferrous, T1, T2, T3, T4 |
| Tone Pitch | Tone 1 adjustable 0-25 | adjustable 0-25 |
| Tone Volume | Tone 1 adjustable 0-25 | adjustable 0-25 |
| Recovery Speed | 1-3 | 1-8 |
| Iron Bias | 0-3 | 0-9 |
| Depth Indicator | 5 Levels | 5 Levels |
| Discrimination Segments | 119 | 119 |
| Pinpoint Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Length | 24″ collapsed, 56.7″ extended | 24″ collapsed, 56.7″ extended |
| Weight | 2.8 lbs | 2.8 lbs |
| Display | LCD | LCD |
| Display and Keyboard Backlight | Off, High, Low, backlight (red) | Off, High, Medium, Low, backlight (red) |
| Flashlight | Yes | Yes |
| Vibration | Yes | Yes |
| Supplied Coil | 11″ DD w/skid Plate | 11″ DD and 6″ Coil |
| Audio Out | Built in speaker, Wired 1/8″ and wireless headphones | Built in speaker, Wired 1/8″ and wireless headphones |
| Supplied Headphones | ML 85 Low Latency wireless headphones | ML 85 Low Latency wireless headphones |
| Battery | 3.7V/5100 mAh Internal Lithium-lon battery | 3.7V/5100 mAh Internal Lithium-lon battery |
| Waterproof | 16 feet IP68 | 16 feet IP68 |
| Key Technologies | Multi-IQ | Multi-IQ |
| Price | $699.00 | $1099.00 |
Will Previous 600 and 800 Equinox Search Coils Work?
Don’t throw away or sell your old search coils! The answer is yes. Any coil that was made for the Equinox 600 and 800 will work with the new Equinox 700 and 900. In addition, the CoilTek coils that were made for the Equinox 600 and 800 will also work with the 700 and 900.
What About My Old Equinox Wireless Headphones? Will They Also Work?
Unfortunately the answer is no. The older headphones that came with the 600 and 800 will not work with the Equinox 700 or 900. However, if you are lucky and can get your hands on the new Manticore, the headphones that come with the Manticore will also work with the Equinox 700 and 900.
Did You Notice The New Target ID Scale?
One of the biggest changes to the new Equinox is Minelab’s new target ID scale. Minelab decided to change the original -9 to 40 (49 segments) target ID scale to 119 segments that begins at -19 and goes up to 99. That is a big change from the 600 and 800. Detectorists will have learn a new target ID scale.
Does The 700 and 900 Really Come With a Red Backlight?
The answer is yes. I’ve seen images and the red backlight is a really interesting change. For the beach detectorists who like to hunt at night, the red backlight will come in handy and won’t attract the sea turtles! I happen to really like the red backlight and is on of my favorite features about the 700 and 900.
Did Minelab Take a Page Out of Nokta’s Playbook?
One of the biggest rivals of Minelab is Nokta Makro Metal Detectors. There is no love loss between these 2 companies. The Nokta folks have clearly targeted Minelab and the Equinox with their creation of the Simplex and Legend metal detectors. But Minelab turned around and included 3 of the same features that Nokta included in their Simplex and Legend. Those same features are:
- Telescopic Carbon Fiber Shaft
- Flashlight
- Vibration in the handle
Let the battles begin. It will be interesting to see how Nokta will address this new Equinox.
Where can you purchase the Equinox 700 or 900?
If you would like to make the Equinox 700 or 900 your next metal detector please give my friends over at Fort Bedford Metal Detectors a chance to earn your business. They will be carrying all of the new Minelab Metal Detectors including the Equinox 700, 900, and Manticore. They also carry everything you need for metal detecting to include shovels, headphones, finds bags, pin-pointers, etc. Reach out to John Page and tell him Mental Metal Detecting sent you his way. Their contact information and website can be found below.
