Should you wear headphones when metal detecting? Sometimes wearing headphones comes down to a personal preference. We believe that there are several reasons why you should wear headphones, and we’ve compiled a few of them for you to ponder.

What are some of the benefits of wearing headphones while detecting?

One main reason to wear headphones is because your detector will use less battery power. It takes a lot more power to run the larger speaker in your detector than it does the smaller speakers in your headphones.

Another great reason to use headphones is because the tones will be louder with more clarity. You will be able to hear the additional output of the tones that are missed without headphones. In metal detecting, it is important to be able to gather as much information about a potential target as possible, before we dig. During the winter months, wearing headphones can also help keep your ears warm!

Well, I don’t need headphones, I can hear the tones just fine!

Those of you that think that you aren’t missing some of the more weaker signals are in denial! No matter how good your hearing is, you will miss the faint nuances to a tone by the time it reaches your ear without headphones. Likewise, some of the deeper signals would be too weak to even hear without headphones. I personally always wear headphones no matter where I detect.

Should I wear headphones when I detect with friends?

When I am hunting with others, we go out to find things, not to engage in conversation! If we need to communicate we remove one ear piece and say what we have to say and then get right back to detecting. I enjoy detecting with others, but once my headphones go on, I am listening for tones, not small talk. When the hunt is over, we can discuss our finds, but until then all I want to hear are the tones coming from my detector!

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Wearing headphones is being considerate to those around you:

Another great reason to wear headphones is because they are considerate of those around you. It could be considered rude to expose others in the park to the beep, beep, bloop, blap noises of a metal detector. Believe it or not, the sounds of your detector will attract onlookers! Especially children! So, by wearing headphones you have the option of removing them when someone talks to you. When you get tired of their questions, just put your headphones back on and motion that you can no longer hear them. They usually get tired of trying and go on their way. Less talking means more diggin!

What can you do if you don’t like to wear headphones?

Despite all of the pros of wearing headphones, some detectorists still do not like to wear them. Some people feel like headphones cut them off from their surroundings. Others feel like headphones are too hot on their ears, or that they aren’t necessary anyway.

A compromise for those detectorists is to wear the headphones around their neck with the volume tuned way up. Others like to only wear one ear piece at a time so that they can still be aware of their surroundings. Some metal detecting headphones even come with just one ear piece to allow the detectorist to hear the signals while still being able to hear the ambiance sounds around them.

Some detectorists prefer to wear ear buds instead of headphones. Ear buds are lightweight yet they still allow you to get the full range of tones and the quiet chirps of deeper targets without being bulky. It’s also possible to wear just one ear bud at a time and you still save on battery life! The negative side to ear buds is that they usually allow too much outside noise to be heard, but some guys like that, so in the end it comes down to what you prefer.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Wearing headphones while metal detecting is a personal preference. Most detectorists that I know wear headphones and feel like they are necessary in order to hear the deeper, faint targets.

If you detect without headphones, maybe you should order a pair of headphones and give them a try so you can hear what you’ve been missing all this time!

Editors Note: This article includes affiliate links where as an amazon influencer I receive a commission for qualified purchases through the amazon affiliate program.