XP ICONX Metal Detector Overview
The XP ICONX runs the same simultaneous FMF multi-frequency engine and wireless design as the ICON, then adds the controls an experienced detectorist uses on difficult ground. Its 6 factory programs are Field, Trashy Field, Forest, Park, Wet Beach and Beach & Surf, with 6 user slots beside them. Besides FMF it runs single frequencies of 4, 14 and 28 kHz, with automatic and manual frequency shift. Reactivity has 7 levels (0 to 6), the 28-segment multi-notch works with 0.5 point resolution in the ferrous zone, and audio offers 6 settings including XP's enhanced audio curve, in PWM or SQUARE with stereo morphing. Sensitivity (25 levels), Grab, Tracking, Standard or Pro ground balance, iron volume control and the -6.4 to 99 target ID scale carry over from the ICON. XP gives about 710 g (1.57 lb) without the remote on the stem and about 830 g (1.83 lb) with it, about 11 hours per charge, and about 4 hours to charge. The ICONX is made in France and carries XP's Longtime label. XP covers the ICONX for 5 years parts and labor once the detector is registered with XP, with batteries and accessories covered for 2 years, so register it after purchase.
XP ICONX vs ICON: Which Should You Buy?
The ICON shares the ICONX's FMF technology, wireless link, 11 inch coil, 25 sensitivity levels, battery life and waterproof ratings, with 3 factory programs, 5 Reactivity levels, 1 point ferrous resolution and 4 and 14 kHz single frequencies.
If you search an older park one weekend and an abandoned farmstead the next, the ICONX keeps a setup ready for each and gives you more room to work iron. If you mainly hunt parks, fields and beaches on factory settings, the ICON is the one we recommend. For XP's full FMF control system, the XP DEUS II is the next step.
XP ICONX, Best For:
- Relic hunters on iron-heavy historical sites, using Reactivity 0 to 6 and 0.5 point ferrous steps
- Detectorists who hunt several kinds of site and want 6 user programs saved
- Small, low-conductivity targets such as thin jewelry, using the 28 kHz single frequency
XP ICON, Best For:
- A first serious detector with FMF and a short list of factory programs
- Park, field and beach hunters who mostly run factory settings
- A light, wireless second machine
ICONX Settings That Matter on Difficult Ground
Pick the factory program that matches the site, then save your adjustments to a user slot: one for parks, one for historical fields and one for the beach. More programs do not improve detection by themselves; the gain is convenience. For general detecting we begin with FMF. For small brass objects, thin jewelry or other small, low-conductivity targets, 28 kHz may be a useful alternative, but it does not find every small target better.
On an abandoned farmhouse site a good target may lie close to iron. Raising Reactivity may help separate closely spaced signals, and in a clean field a lower setting may help preserve stronger responses from some deeper targets. The 0.5 point ferrous steps allow more precise changes, but rejecting more signals raises the risk of passing over a good object, so on historical sites we begin with fairly open discrimination. With 6 user slots, we save each change to its own slot rather than overwriting a factory program, so you can always go back to XP's settings for that site.
Where the XP ICONX Works Best and Its Limits
Relic hunting and historical sites are where the extra controls earn their place. Near the surf the ICONX is designed to keep detecting in conductive salt sand, though saltwater and mineralized black sand can still affect stability. XP rates the remote to 1.5 m (5 ft) for a maximum of 30 minutes with its original cap; deeper use takes XP's BH-02 bone conduction headphones with their waterproof connector and XP's waveguide, which keeps the coil-to-remote radio link working underwater; with both, XP rates the system IP68 to 5 m (16 ft). XP's manual recommends avoiding heavy rain and extreme weather.
The ICONX is a multi-frequency VLF detector, not a dedicated gold prospecting machine. The 28 kHz frequency may help with small targets, but for small nuggets in mineralized goldfields look at our gold detectors. It also cannot reliably find every good object hidden among iron; on those sites we lower iron volume rather than reject the whole ferrous zone, so iron stays audible but quieter.
Coils and Accessories That Fit the XP ICONX
XP lists the DEUS II FMF coils (D22FMF, D28FMF and D3428FMF) and the HF2 coil (DELLFMFHP) as compatible with the ICONX. Someone who starts on the 11 inch coil and later works dense iron or tight spots among rocks can add the 9 inch FMF coil, and the HF2 9.5 x 5 inch elliptical suits small targets. Coils from the original XP DEUS and the ORX use a different coil system and do not fit.
XP's ICON manual names the WSA ST and WSA-XL ST wireless headphones for the ICONX, and wired headphones connect through the ICON jack adapter. The MI-6 pinpointer links wirelessly with the ICONX remote (see XP pinpointers), and the Go Terrain app records finds and routes with your phone's GPS. We carry the ICONX on its own, with WSA ST or WSA-XL ST headphones, with WSA ST headphones and the Backpack 240, and as the Adventure Pack.
XP ICON vs ICONX Comparison
Both ICON models share XP's simultaneous FMF multi-frequency core, the fully wireless design, the 11 inch ICON FMF coil, 25 sensitivity levels and the same waterproof ratings. The differences sit in programs, single frequencies, Reactivity, ferrous resolution, audio settings and the stem.
| Feature | XP ICON | XP ICONX |
|---|
| Technology | Simultaneous FMF multi-frequency | Simultaneous FMF multi-frequency |
| Single Frequencies | 4 and 14 kHz | 4, 14 and 28 kHz |
| Programs | 3 factory and 3 user | 6 factory and 6 user |
| Reactivity | 5 levels (1 to 5) | 7 levels (0 to 6) |
| Ferrous Resolution | 1 point | 0.5 point |
| Audio Settings | 3, standard audio curve | 6, including enhanced audio curve |
| Sensitivity | 25 levels | 25 levels |
| Ground Balance | Grab, Tracking, Standard and Pro | Grab, Tracking, Standard and Pro |
| Stem | Blue S-Telescopic Lite | Blue S-Telescopic Lite with carbon middle part |
| Included Coil | 11 inch (28 cm) ICON FMF coil | 11 inch (28 cm) ICON FMF coil |
| Weight | About 735 g (1.62 lb); XP does not say whether the remote on the stem is included | About 710 g (1.57 lb) without the remote on the stem, about 830 g (1.83 lb) with it |
| Waterproof | Remote 1.5 m (5 ft), 30 minutes max, original cap; IP68 to 5 m (16 ft) with BH-02 headphones and waveguide | Remote 1.5 m (5 ft), 30 minutes max, original cap; IP68 to 5 m (16 ft) with BH-02 headphones and waveguide |
| Wireless Link | XP digital protocol, about 4 ms latency, 36 automatic channels | XP digital protocol, about 4 ms latency, 36 automatic channels |
| Battery | About 11 hours (remote, headphones, coil) | About 11 hours (remote, headphones, coil) |
| Charge Time | About 4 hours | About 4 hours |
| Warranty | 5 years with registration; batteries and accessories 2 years | 5 years with registration; batteries and accessories 2 years |
Why Buy the XP ICONX from Serious Detecting?
- Free Shipping on Orders Over $99: Your XP ICONX ships at no extra cost across the continental US.
- Authorized XP Dealer: Showroom in Ypsilanti, Michigan, full 5-year manufacturer warranty and product registration support.
- Help Before and After You Buy: Our staff answer setup, coil and ICONX questions by phone or email.
