Minelab made a bombshell announcement that took everyone by surprise. Not only is Minelab releasing a new Manticore Metal Detector, they also announced that there will be 2 additional metal detectors hitting the market very soon. The 2 new metal detectors are going to be the Minelab Equinox 700 and Minelab Equinox 900.
This announcement has some customers scratching theirs heads. After waiting months for the Manticore to arrive, customers now have to choose between the new Manticore or the new Equinox. The Manticore is going to be more expensive but as you will see below, their latest Equinox isn’t something to quietly pass up.
What Can You Expect From This Article?
In this article, we will be taking a deep look at the Equinox 900 and comparing it to its predecessor, the Equinox 800, to determine if the new Equinox 900 will stand up on its merits and draw in the customers like the 600 and 800 has for many years.
Whether or you like the Equinox or not, it has been the most popular metal detector ever sold. It will be interesting to see if their Equinox sales will continue with the 700 and 900 or will this turn out to be a big marketing mistake on behalf of Minelab for announcing something new on the heels of getting the Manticore to its customers.
Comparing The Technical Specifications.
I will only be comparing the technical specs that you can find on Minelab’s website for both the 800 and the 900. I don’t have the 900 so doing a comparison on performance and depth will have to happen at a later date. Also, at the time of writing this article both the 700 and 900 are not available for purchase. In time, I will update this article with the latest information as well as posting videos over on the Mental Metal Detecting YouTube channel.
The table below provides a side-by-side comparison of both the Minelab Equinox 800 and the 900. Take note of the bolded items under the Equinox 900 column. A bolded item represents the difference from the Equinox 800. Keep in mind, as new updates are released these specifications may also change from time to time and this table will updated as that information is released.
| Tech Spec | Equinox 800 | Equinox 900 |
| Search Modes | Park, Field, Beach, Gold | Park, Field, Beach, Gold |
| All-Metal Shortcut | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Search Profile | 8 | 8 |
| User Profile Button | Yes | Yes |
| Operating Freqs [kHz] | Multi, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 | Multi, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 |
| Noise Cancel | Auto, Manual (-9 to 9) | 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 | 0-25 | 0-25 |
| Target ID | -9 to 0 – Ferrous, 1-40 = Non-Ferrous | -19 to 0 = Ferrous, 1-99 = Non-Ferrous |
| Target Tones | 1, 2, 5, 50 | 1, 2, 5 , All tones, Depth |
| Tone Break | Ferrous and Non-Ferrous | Ferrous, non-ferrous, T1, T2, T3, T4 |
| Tone Pitch | Ferrous and Non-Ferrous | adjustable 0-25 |
| Tone Volume | Ferrous and Non-Ferrous | adjustable 0-25 |
| Recovery Speed | 1-8 | 1-8 |
| Iron Bias | 0-9 | 0-9 |
| Depth Indicator | 5 Levels | 5 Levels |
| Discrimination Segments | 49 | 119 |
| Pinpoint Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Length | 56.7″ | 24″ collapsed, 56.7 extended |
| Weight | 2.96 lbs | 2.8 lbs |
| Display | LCD | LCD |
| Display and Keyboard Backlight | Off, High, Medium, Low, backlight (normal) | Off, High, Medium, Low, backlight (red) |
| Flashlight | No | Yes |
| Vibration | No | Yes |
| Supplied Coil | 11″ DD | 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 | Bluetooth and aptX™ Low Latency headphones (non waterproof) | ML 85 Low Latency wireless headphones |
| Battery | In-built rechargeable Lithium-ion battery | 3.7V/5100 mAh Internal Lithium-lon battery |
| Waterproof | 10-feet | 16 feet IP68 |
| Key Technologies | Multi-IQ | Multi-IQ |
| Price | $899.00 | $1099.00 |
Headphone Compatibility
The headphones that come with the Equinox 800 will NOT work with the Equinox 900. However if you have purchased the Minelab Manticore you will be able to use the Manticore headphones with the Equinox 900.
Coil Compatibility
Minelab stated in their video that all of the Equinox 600 and 800 coils (11″, 6″, and 15″) are compatible with the Equinox 900. But please be aware that the Equinox 900 also comes with the standard 11″ DD and 6″ search coils that are included in the $1099 price.
Will The CoilTek Search Coils Also Work With The Equinox 900?
About 2 years after the Equinox was released by Minelab, CoilTek came out with 3 alternative coils for the Equinox 600 and 800. I wrote up an article about those 3 coils but will they work with the 900? The theory is yes but until CoilTek or Minelab confirms, we are surely speculating at this point. I really hope they do because I feel as though the 10×5 coil paired up with the 800 was a magical combination.
What Are Your Thoughts About The Equinox 700 and 900?
As I mentioned earlier the announcement by Minelab that they were coming out with the Equinox 700 and 900 took a lot of people by surprise. Many feel as though this announcement was too soon due to the fact the Manticore isn’t widely distributed yet.
However, others are excited and have already placed themselves on a waitlists for purchase. There are others who just recently purchased the Equinox 600 or 800 who are not very pleased because there was very little warning (if any) that the 700 and 900 was coming out. Those customers probably would have waited for the 700 and 900 to come out before making their purchase.
Now Might Be The Perfect Time to Pick Up The 600 or 800
Expect the Equinox 600 and 800 prices to drop significantly as the 700 and 900 are released. This could be the perfect time to pick up one of the best performing metal detectors ever made at a significant cost reduction. But Minelab could decide to quit producing the 600 and 800 so get them while you can.
Where Can You Purchase Minelab Metal Detectors?
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. The 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.
