WM 09 – Freedom of choice

Last year I had an issue with the Minelab ML 85 headphones which came with my equinox 900. The volume button on the side of the headphones stopped working which made for a lack lustre experience whilst out detecting. They were under warranty so I sent them back explaining the issue to LP Metal Detecting, from who I originally purchased my Equinox 900. LP, as always were brilliant, and a new set of headphones were sent out in a matter of days. But whilst I was waiting for my headphones to arrive I decided to look at what options there were for alternative headphones to use with the Equinox 900, and surprisingly there wasn’t any.

It turns out the only wireless headphones that can be used with my detector are the limited offerings from Minlab, the ML-85 and the ML-105. The ML-85’s that I had were ok and I can’t really fault them as a set of wireless headphones for a metal detector, but they do have some issues. This mainly comes from the fact that they are an ‘over-ear’ design, which does have benefits but also has drawbacks. The two issues for me are that in winter it stops me from wearing my thick knit beanie and in summer my ears sweat like Jabba the Hutt in a rebel sauna!

I thought that this was something that I would just have to live with, until that is I lost my second pair of ML-85 headphones. How did you loose them I hear you ask? It pains me to have to admit it, but I will as it enlightened me to the possibilities that were presented as a result of the loss. Ok, here goes, I left them on the roof of the car as I was packing my gear in the boot! Sad I know but there it is, I drove off and somewhere along the journey the headphones took a leap from the roof of my car. I only noticed a few days later when I went detecting again, obviously I realised what must have happened and went back to the same spot just incase they were there, but to no avail. For that session I used the old wired headphones from my Equinox 600 and I soon realised how much of an inconvenience having your headphones physically tethered to your detector actually is.

Now I was in the market for another set of headphones, so back to the LP Metal Detecting website I went. I was just about to click on the link for a new set of ML-85’s when I noticed this little black box called the Minelab WM 09 Wireless Audio Module. This little gadget is designed to give you the freedom to use whatever wired headphones you want (wirelessly) with my Minelab Equinox 900. Now, I know a lot of people are going to pick up on the fact that it enables me to use wired headphones and not wireless, but for me at least this is a good thing.

I have never really been a fan of wireless headphones for two reasons, the first of which is I’m not keen on the wireless reception being that close to my head. Call me a conspiracy tin hat wearer if you want (I’m not BTW), but if I have a choice to use wired headphones over wireless ones then I will. Secondly I think you get a much better quality headphone for your money with wired versions as you are not paying the extra for the wireless technology. A case in point was when I purchased a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 headphones, they had the option of being wired or wireless, exactly the same headphones but with a difference of about £100 for the wireless version, wired seemed like a no brainer for me.

So knowing that the WM 09 would give me the freedom to use my own wired headphones made it a very easy purchase. I do think the price at £169 is a little excessive for what it is, but with the 10% discount which you can get from the many detectorists who are affiliated with LP does make it a little more palatable.

There isn’t a huge amount I can say about the device itself as it’s quite simple in both deign and what it delivers. There are two buttons on the front, one to turn it on and the other to connect it wirelessly to the detector. The LED between the two buttons flashes blue when you turn it on and then when you have paired it with your detector it will periodically flash to indicate the connection is secure. The LED on the bottom right will show red when the battery is running low, and when charging it will flash green, then turning to solid green when its fully charged (exactly the same as the Equinox 900 charging sequence) .

It’s a cool looking gadget which wouldn’t look out of place on Batman’s utility belt, should he ever need to go detecting that is. On the back of the WM 09 is a well designed clip which enables me to attach it to my belt or any point of fixation on my batman… er sorry, detecting utility vest. But it’s what this little black box offers in terms of choice which has won me over, and that is I get to wear my favourite IEM’s the Fiio FH3’s which connect easily to the WM 09’s 3.5mm headphone socket.

This immediately solves my two issues with the ML-85 over ear headphones. I can now wear my thick knit beanie in the winter and snugly keep my ears warm without the bulky over ear cups getting in the way, and as I found out on my first detecting session using my new audio system, no more sweaty ears in the hot sun! I honestly think Minelab have done themselves a great service making this device available for their new range of detectors and it’s made me very happy in the process.

As I said earlier the wired IEM’s that I’m using are Fiio’s FH3’s, which for entry level audiophile headphones are bloody brilliant. I have been super impressed with these headphones which I use regularly with my iPod, and I now benefit from that a better quality of sound for my detecting. The physical aspect of using wired headphones is no issue either as I just run the wire under my t-shirt which keeps it from getting in the way of detecting and digging as it’s not directly attached to the detector. 

This short review is not finished yet so I will come back to it towards the end of the year when I have got some proper hours under my belt using this new set up. So far the ease of use and the freedom it has given me to wear my own headphones is a big win, but the ultimate conclusion will come with time. Transitioning from summer to winter in the coming months means I can test this device in both the scenarios in which I think it will make my life easier. The more uncertain test from here on then is whether the wireless connection to my detector that WM09 will provide is any good?