SDC and the Remote Speaker Amplifier ie the Pro -Sonic

Recently carried out an air test on the Pro-Sonic and compared it to the internal speaker in the 2300 SDC, as I was seriously considering one for my wif'e's 2300.

Used around a 2mm in diam birdshot in low mineralised ground in Vic, with the detector coil around 4 inches off the ground. The internal speaker was still louder than the Pro-Sonic (around 9 inches away from my ear), with the PS setting at its loudest setting.

I was left with the feeling that this unit was designed for the use with head phones and not to be used in lieu of headphones as a speaker/amplifier.

This is my observation along with a mate and his wife, the unit came as part of the new detector purchase package. Note this unit may have been faulty or we did not set the test up correctly.

Interested to hear of others comparison. Note the pro sonic was not used for the rest of the trip and I will not be purchasing the unit based on my test which is a pity.

Peter

Hi Petersa

I love my pro sonic
The speaker on the sdc2300 is on the wrong side for me,
But i do find the sound is much better having it closer to your ear, you can hear those whisper quiet sounds
That turn out to being a little speck of gold

plus i like using headphones
I just use the ones that came with my iphone. They work ok for me.

There is another unit that came out as well.
I haven’t tried it, but have heard good reports about it
Once my pro sonic dies i will give this one a go.

http://phasetechnical.com.au/product/steelphase-sp01-audio-enhancer/

My Pro Sonic seemed plenty loud enough last time I was using the speaker but like Jen I prefer headphones so haven't used it a lot as a speaker.
I'll give it a go over the weekend if nobody else has given you a definitive answer before then.
A lot of people use the Pro Sonic plus a sound booster like B&Z or the SP01. That maybe why? They find the volume just thru the speaker too low? Expensive set up when you need to buy a Pro Sonic plus a booster!

Jen - the SP01 won't replace your Pro Sonic. It's a booster only so you'd need to get a wireless set up to go with it if you wanted to remain untethered to the SDC.

Thanks mb.

mbasko wrote:

Jen - the SP01 won't replace your Pro Sonic. It's a booster only so you'd need to get a wireless set up to go with it if you wanted to remain untethered to the SDC.

Thankyou, i just learnt something.

mb, In the future, I will be purchasing either the B & Z Amp, dual Speakers for my 7000 to use with the WM12 or the SP01 with dual speakers for the stereo affect, not sure about the SP01 as its more of an enhancer than an Amp, but it has good reports.

I was hoping to fit the Pro Sonic with the SP01 on my wifes 2300 but after my test as mentioned above, I have had second thoughts.

If you ( or any forum member) can carry out the Pro Sonic/SP01 with Dual headphones/SDC test I would be very interest in the results.

I realize that Headphones are superior to speakers but both self and wife have slight Tinnitus which is the main reason for using speakers ie not the same impact on the eardrum if you go over a horse shoe.

Peter

PeterInSa wrote:mb, In the future, I will be purchasing either the B & Z Amp, dual Speakers for my 7000 to use with the WM12 or the SP01 with dual speakers for the stereo affect, not sure about the SP01 as its more of an enhancer than an Amp, but it has good reports.

I was hoping to fit the Pro Sonic with the SP01 on my wifes 2300 but after my test as mentioned above, I have had second thoughts.

If you ( or any forum member) can carry out the Pro Sonic/SP01 with Dual headphones/SDC test I would be very interest in the results.

I realize that Headphones are superior to speakers but both self and wife have slight Tinnitus which is the main reason for using speakers ie not the same impact on the eardrum if you go over a horse shoe.

Peter

Hi Peter,

You will find that the SP01 is a better quality made item than the B&Z Booster. I will be getting one in the near future to replace my B&Z Booster that has started to play up recently. I had been using it on our SDC but put it on the Zed when I got it.

Cheers

Doug

PeterInSa wrote:mb, In the future, I will be purchasing either the B & Z Amp, dual Speakers for my 7000 to use with the WM12 or the SP01 with dual speakers for the stereo affect, not sure about the SP01 as its more of an enhancer than an Amp, but it has good reports.
Peter

Amp, enhancer, booster - doesn't matter they are all pretty much just a mini amplifier circuit in a box.
Most of the older types use basic class D amps I believe. (some maybe class A or B)
Quoted from SteelPat the SteelPhase SP01 manufacturer: "The SP01 uses a very low noise class AB amp that provides the obvious amplification. There are also some filter stages that have different eq curves It also has a stage that provides a little compression to give more definition to very broad signals, making them more pronounced and less likely to be missed." Apart from being well made IMO this is what sets the SP01 apart - selectable stages of filtration/compression. At the end of the day they all perform the same basic function which is to amplify a target sound.
Unfortunately I don't have either a B&Z or SP01 at the moment as I sold them both due to not using them with my previous detector - wish I'd kept the SP01 now I've got a SDC again even if just to try it out. I will still do a test on the SDC speaker vs. the Pro Sonic speaker tomorrow hopefully.

Tried the SDC inbuilt speaker vs the Pro Sonic speaker on a small bit of gold <0.1 gram.
With the Pro Sonic set to full volume IMO mine is slightly louder than the SDC inbuilt speaker when located at roughly the same distance away as the inbuilt speaker but on the left hand side of the SDC. (The SDC inbuilt speaker is mounted RHS which is on the wrong side for me).
With the Pro Sonic speaker located closer to the ear (by clipping onto shirt/collar/harness etc.) then the Pro Sonic speaker was louder. During testing the wind also picked up & I found that the SDC inbuilt speaker required a lot of concentration to get the fainter signals where it was much easier to hear the Pro Sonic speaker when located closer to the ear.
If I had to I could use either if stuck but would prefer the Pro Sonic speaker over the inbuilt mainly due to being able to have it positioned where it suited me.
I've got no doubt that with either a B&Z or SP01 the volume level would be even better with Pro Sonic speaker.

I seen this today & thought I'd add it here as a possible cheap alternative if you're already reasonably happy with the built-in speaker:


Available on eBay https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F142907451496
I might get one as a back-up if the Pro Sonic goes flat which has happened once when I had forgotten to charge it.

During this last week (Nov 2018), I released the SDC2300 SoundShell. Like the Trumpet, it's an acoustic reflector, and it forms part of a new range of accessories I have created for the SDC.
It is flexible, so you never have to worry that it might break or crack. Plus it fits so firmly into the SDC that you can lift the machine up and it will not come off. The SoundShell (and other accessories) continue to allow the SDC to fold up fully.




The SoundShell is currently available as part of a Pre-order special on the "Full SDC2300 Upgrade Package" running until the end of 2018.
https://www.sdc2300upgrades.com/product/sdc2300-full-upgrade-package-gents/

Hi Peet

Had a look at your web site.  Very good.  Lots of goodies for the sdc2300  

If you like to
You can also place this under it’s on category under the commercial advertising.

https://golddetecting.forumotion.net/f46-commercial-advertising

Thanks Jen. Much appreciated.
Cheers.