Best XP Metal Detectors: Complete 2026 Buying Guide

XP is the French company that made detectors wireless. The original DEUS arrived in 2008 with no cable between the coil and the control box, and nobody had done that before. Eighteen years later the same idea runs through every machine XP builds: the coil is the detector, the remote and the headphones are radios, and the whole thing weighs less than a bag of sugar.

That focus shows up in the spec sheets. A DEUS II starts at 750 g. An ICON is lighter still. XP coils are IP68 rated to 20 m, and the machines get real firmware updates years after you buy them. What XP does not do is make a cheap detector, and the model names do not help: DEUS II RC, DEUS II WS6 Master, ICON, ICON X, ORX, XTREM Hunter, and a coil menu on top of that.

This guide sorts it out. Below: our top XP picks by use case, the complete lineup with 2026-verified specs, the DEUS II configuration matrix explained in plain English, and the head-to-head matchups our phone line actually gets asked about.

If you already know what you want, jump to Best XP by Use Case, Best XP by Budget, or the full XP lineup table.

How We Tested and Ranked These XP Detectors

Every detector below was bench-tested with calibrated targets, then taken into real ground in three regions. Michigan farmland for mineralized clay. Florida surf for saltwater chatter. Nevada gold country for highly mineralized basalt. We logged depth on a buried U.S. quarter, target ID stability over 50 swings, weight and balance after a 4-hour hunt, and how quickly each machine recovered between two targets a hand-width apart.

We also pulled the last 18 months of customer support tickets and warranty returns. XP scores unusually well there, and the failures we do see are almost always cosmetic or a wear item rather than an electronics fault. None of these picks come from spec sheets. They come from machines we actually swing.

Why Choose an XP Metal Detector?

XP Metal Detectors has been building detectors in France since 1998. The company bet early on wireless coils and on firmware you can update yourself, and it has stayed on that road while the rest of the industry caught up. Buyers pick XP for engineering, not for price.

Five reasons detectorists choose XP:

• The lightest detectors made: a DEUS II starts at 750 g and an ICON at about 735 g. After four hours that is not a spec, it is your shoulder.
• A genuinely wireless system: coil to remote to headphones, with an optional wireless pinpointer in the same link. There is no coil cable to snag or crack.
• IP68 coils to 20 m: every DEUS II FMF and HF2 coil is rated to 20 m (66 ft), which is dive territory rather than wading territory.
• Firmware that keeps coming: the DEUS II shipped in 2022 and has gained real performance features since, free, over USB.
• 5-year warranty and a repairability pledge: five years on detectors bought from an authorized U.S. dealer, and XP commits to keeping machines repairable for at least five years beyond that.

The Complete XP Metal Detector Lineup at a Glance

Every current XP metal detector we stock, organized by platform. Specs verified against xpmetaldetectors.com for 2026.

Best XP Metal Detector by Use Case

The DEUS II is the machine the rest of the XP lineup is measured against, and after three years of firmware updates it is a different detector from the one that launched. Reactivity is the headline: in a nail bed, the DEUS II will call a coin between two pieces of iron that slower machines smear into one grunt. The 750 g weight is the part owners mention first, though. It changes how long you hunt.

Editor's pick: XP DEUS II RC with the 11" FMF coil ($1,399.00). The remote is the full interface, the 11" round coil is the balanced all-rounder, and this is the configuration most buyers settle on. Swap to the 9" for iron-heavy sites and the 13x11" for open fields; the coils carry their own batteries and change in under a minute.

Best value: XP DEUS II WS6 Master ($799.00). The same FMF detector with the control screen built into the WS6 headphone instead of a separate remote. Identical coils, identical depth, $600 less.

Shop the XP DEUS II → | Shop the WS6 Master →

The XTREM Hunter is a two-box deep seeker in modern clothing. An XTR-115 transmitter coil sits at the front of a long stem and a receiver coil sits behind it, and between them they light up masses of metal at depths a conventional coil cannot approach. XP quotes up to 5 m on a large target. Cellars, cisterns, buried safes, cannon, farm iron and cache tins are what it is for.

What separates it from older two-box machines is iron discrimination. The IAR iron rejection setting can reject moderate-sized ferrous objects, so a buried plow point does not have to sound like a buried strongbox. Simultaneous FMF keeps the threshold steady in mineralized ground, non-motion mode with adjustable autotune lets you hold the coils still over a suspect spot, and a 4-second recording function lets you replay a signal and compare it across passes before you commit to a deep hole.

Editor's pick: XTREM Hunter complete kit ($2,599.00). XTR-115 coils, stem, a DEUS II remote, WSA II-XL waterproof headphones and a rain- and shock-proof hard case in one box, so it works out of the case whether or not you own another XP.

Best value: XTREM Hunter coil bundle ($1,699.00). If you already run a DEUS II RC, this is the same coils, stem and hard case without paying for a second remote and headphones. Your remote needs a software update to pair; we can walk you through it.

This is where the DEUS II ecosystem earns its keep. The XTREM Hunter is not a separate detector with its own control box: it is another set of coils on the same DEUS II remote. Carry a standard DEUS II FMF coil on its own rod, and when the XTREM Hunter flags a mass, switch coils from the remote with a button press. The remote brings up the standard coil's menu and full target ID, so you can pinpoint and read the target in detail before you dig, without a second machine. The same remote also pairs with your XP headphones and the MI-6 pinpointer.

Shop the XTREM Hunter → | Shop the coil bundle →

The ORX is XP stripped back. It runs the same wireless architecture and the same X35 coil family as the original DEUS, with a smaller menu and two program families: coin and gold. For a first serious detector, or for a detectorist who wants a machine that does not need managing, that simplicity is the point.

Editor's pick: XP ORX with the 9" X35 coil ($699.00). Nine inches is the right coil for parks, pasture and old home sites, and the 35-frequency range lets you tune away from an electric fence rather than pack up and leave.

For gold and small targets: XP ORX with the 9.5x5" HF elliptical coil ($749.00). Thirteen to 81 kHz is a different class of sensitivity to fine gold and to tiny, thin silver.

Worth saying plainly: the XP ICON is newer, runs simultaneous multi-frequency, and starts at $569.00. The ORX still earns this pick for buyers who want the simplest possible interface or who specifically want the high-frequency coil option, but compare the two before you buy.

Shop the XP ORX → | Shop the ORX HF →

The ICON is the most interesting thing XP has released in years, because it puts simultaneous multi-frequency into a machine that undercuts the ORX. It shares the DEUS II coil mount, so an 11" FMF or the HF2 elliptical moves between the two. On the ground it behaves like a DEUS II with fewer settings to argue with, which for a lot of detectorists is a feature.

Editor's pick: XP ICON with the 11" FMF coil ($569.00). Remote and coil, no headphones. If you already own wireless headphones or you are happy with the bone conduction option, this is the cheapest simultaneous-multi-frequency XP there is.

Step up: ICON with WSA ST headphones ($699.00), with WSA-XL ST ($768.00), or the ICON Adventure Pack ($1,031.80) which adds the MI-6 pinpointer, a backpack and a finds pouch.

Shop the XP ICON → | Shop the Adventure Pack →

For a wider view across every brand we carry, see our Best Metal Detectors of 2026 guide.

Best XP Metal Detector by Budget Tier

Under $600: XP DEUS and XP ICON

Two very different machines at the bottom of the XP range. The XP DEUS ($499.00 with WS4 headphones and a 9" X35 coil) is the original wireless detector, still supported and still capable, with 35 selectable frequencies. The XP ICON ($569.00) is the newest machine XP makes and runs simultaneous multi-frequency. For a buyer with no existing XP gear, the ICON is the stronger pick of the two.

$600 to $1,000: XP ORX and the DEUS II WS6 Master

The XP ORX ($699.00, or $749.00 with the 9.5x5" HF elliptical coil) is the simplest XP to learn. The DEUS II WS6 Master ($799.00) is the value play of the whole lineup: a full DEUS II with the interface moved into the headphones. If you can live without the remote screen, nothing else here touches it on performance per dollar.

$1,000 to $2,000: XP DEUS II RC

The DEUS II RC ($1,399.00 with a 9", 11" or 13x11" FMF coil) is the flagship in its usual configuration. Also in this band: the XTREM Hunter coil bundle ($1,699.00), which adds deep-seeking coils to the DEUS II RC you already own.

$2,000 and up: XP XTREM Hunter

The complete XTREM Hunter kit ($2,599.00) includes the DEUS II remote. Pair it with a standard DEUS II FMF coil and one remote covers both deep cache hunting and everyday coin and relic work.

The Comparisons XP Buyers Actually Ask About

XP DEUS II RC vs. DEUS II WS6 Master (the most-asked XP question)

This is the call our phone line takes most often, and the answer is simpler than the model names suggest. It is the same detector. Same FMF engine, same coils, same depth, same separation, same 5-year warranty. What changes is where the screen lives.

The RC is a hand-held remote with a full graphic display. The WS6 Master puts a smaller screen and the menu into the headphone itself, so there is nothing on the stem and nothing in your hand.

Short answer: buy the WS6 Master if you want DEUS II performance for the least money and you are happy in a simpler menu. Buy the RC if you tune as you go, if you want a big screen in gloves and low light, or if the XTREM Hunter is anywhere in your future.

XP ICON vs. XP ORX

The awkward comparison in XP's current lineup, because the newer machine is the cheaper one. Both are wireless, both are around 750 g, and both take the MI-6 pinpointer on the same link.

The difference is the detection engine. The ICON transmits several frequencies at once. The ORX transmits one at a time, chosen from 35 of them.

Short answer: for most buyers the ICON is the better machine at the lower price, and the shared DEUS II coil mount means your coil investment carries forward. Choose the ORX if you want the longest battery life, the simplest menu, or specifically the HF coil for gold.

XP DEUS II vs. XP ICON

Both are simultaneous multi-frequency. The ICON is not a cut-down DEUS II so much as a narrower one: fewer frequency options, a smaller battery, a shallower waterproof rating, and a shorter standard warranty, in a machine that costs less than half as much.

The coils are the interesting part. The ICON takes DEUS II FMF and HF2 coils, so a buyer can start on an ICON and keep the coils if they move up later.

Short answer: if you hunt water beyond wading depth, or you want the widest frequency and coil range, the DEUS II is the machine. If you hunt land and fresh water and want simultaneous multi-frequency for the least money, the ICON gives up very little.

XTREM Hunter complete kit vs. XTREM Hunter coil bundle

Two ways to buy the same deep-seeking hardware. The only question is whether you already own a DEUS II remote.

Short answer: if there is a DEUS II RC and a set of XP headphones in your bag already, the coil bundle saves $900 for identical detection performance. If not, buy the complete kit rather than a remote and headphones separately.

DEUS II Configurations Explained

XP sells the DEUS II in more combinations than any other detector on the market, and the names do not explain themselves. Here is the whole matrix in plain English.

The two control options

• RC (Remote Control): the hand-held unit with the large graphic screen. Programs, target ID, ground balance, reactivity, discrimination and the frequency menu all live here. It is also the only way to run the XTREM Hunter coils.
• WS6 Master: a wireless headphone with its own screen and menu built into the cup. It runs the detector on its own, with no remote in the system at all.

Audio-only headphones (WSA ST, WSA-XL ST) are exactly that: they need an RC or a WS6 acting as master. The BH-01 bone conduction headset is the option that works submerged.

The coil options

• 9" round FMF (345 g): trashy sites, tight separation, small targets.
• 11" round FMF (470 g): the all-rounder, and the coil most DEUS II owners leave on.
• 13x11" FMF (570 g): maximum ground per swing for fields, farms and beaches.
• 9.5x5" HF2 elliptical (350 g): high frequency, 9 to 90 kHz multi and up to 120 kHz mono, for small gold and thin hammered silver.

All four are IP68 rated to 20 m and carry their own battery, so a coil change is a rod swap rather than a rewiring job. Mix any control option with any coil. The most popular build is the RC with the 11" FMF coil.

How to Choose the Right XP Metal Detector

Step 1: Define Your Primary Use

• Coins & jewelry in parks and fields: ICON, ORX, DEUS II WS6 Master or DEUS II RC
• Beach & saltwater: DEUS II or ICON (simultaneous multi-frequency is what makes wet salt sand workable)
• Diving and deep water: DEUS II with the aerial antenna fitted and a BH-01 bone conduction headset
• Trashy, iron-heavy old sites: DEUS II with the 9" FMF coil
• Small gold and thin hammered silver: ORX with the HF elliptical, or a DEUS II or ICON with the HF2 coil
• Deep caches and large relics: XTREM Hunter, alongside a standard coil for recovery

Step 2: Match Your Experience Level

• Beginner: XP ICON or XP ORX
• Intermediate: XP DEUS, DEUS II WS6 Master
• Advanced: DEUS II RC, XTREM Hunter

Step 3: Decide How Wet You Are Going to Get

This cuts the XP lineup in half faster than anything else. The ORX and the original DEUS have waterproof coils and control units that are not submersible. The ICON is IP68 to 5 m (16 ft). DEUS II coils are IP68 to 20 m (66 ft), which is genuine dive territory, but only with the supplied antenna fitted and a bone conduction headset for audio: the WS6 and WSA headphones are rainproof, not submersible. If you are going under, budget for the antenna and the BH-01 at the same time as the detector.

Key XP Technology Definitions

FMF (Fast Multi Frequency)

XP's simultaneous multi-frequency engine, used in the DEUS II, the ICON and the XTREM Hunter. It transmits and processes a band of frequencies at once (4 to 45 kHz on the DEUS II) instead of one at a time, which improves target ID and makes saltwater usable. The same machines can also be dropped into a single chosen frequency when that suits the ground better.

X35

The selectable-frequency coil family for the ORX and the original DEUS. Each X35 coil offers 35 frequencies spread from 3.7 to 27.7 kHz around five base frequencies, so you can step away from electrical interference without changing coils.

HF and HF2 coils

XP's high-frequency coils. The ORX HF elliptical runs 13 to 81 kHz; the DEUS II HF2 elliptical runs 9 to 90 kHz in multi and up to 120 kHz single. High frequency is what finds small gold and thin, low-conductive silver that a coin-tuned frequency walks over.

Full wireless architecture

In an XP, the coil contains the transmitter, the receiver and its own battery, and sends digital data to the remote or headphone over a proprietary radio link. There is no coil cable at all, which removes the single most common failure point on a conventional detector.

WS6 Master mode

Running a DEUS II entirely from the WS6 headphone, which carries its own screen and menu. No remote is in the system. It is the cheapest route to full DEUS II detection performance.

Reactivity

XP's name for recovery speed: how quickly the detector resets between two targets. Low reactivity gives more depth in clean ground, high reactivity separates a coin from the nail beside it. It is the setting experienced XP users adjust most.

Bone conduction headsets (BH-01 / BH-02)

Headsets that transmit audio through the skull rather than the ear canal, so they work underwater. The BH-01 is the DEUS II option, the BH-02 the ICON option. These are what make submerged hunting practical, since the standard wireless headphones are only rainproof.

Aerial antenna and wave guide

Radio does not travel through water. When a DEUS II coil is submerged, the supplied antenna (or a wave guide, in 65 cm and 115 cm lengths) carries the link from the coil up to the remote or headset. XP is explicit that it is required for submerged use.

IAR (Iron Rejection) on the XTREM Hunter

The XTREM Hunter's iron discrimination setting. It can reject moderate-sized ferrous objects, which older two-box deep seekers could not do, so buried farm iron and scrap are less likely to send you digging a deep hole for nothing. Small ferrous trash such as nails is already invisible to the coil geometry.

MI-6 wireless link

The MI-6 pinpointer joins the same radio network as the detector, so its audio comes through your headphones instead of out of a buzzer at your knee. It works with the DEUS, DEUS II, ORX and ICON.

Best XP Metal Detector FAQ

Which XP metal detector is best for beginners?

The XP ICON at $569.00. It runs simultaneous multi-frequency, weighs about 735 g, and has a short enough menu that a new detectorist is hunting in an afternoon. The XP ORX ($699.00) is the alternative if you want the simplest possible interface and the longest battery life.

Which XP metal detector is the best overall?

The DEUS II. Fast Multi-Frequency from 4 to 45 kHz, from 750 g assembled, coils rated IP68 to 20 m, and the fastest recovery between close targets of anything XP builds. The RC configuration with the 11" FMF coil ($1,399.00) is the one most buyers end up with.

What is the difference between the DEUS II RC and the WS6 Master?

Only the interface. Both are the same detector with the same coils, the same FMF engine and the same detection performance. The RC is a hand-held remote with a full screen; the WS6 Master puts a smaller screen and menu inside the headphone and removes the remote entirely. The WS6 Master is $600 less. The one real limitation is that the XTREM Hunter coils need the RC.

Is the XP DEUS II waterproof to 66 feet?

The coils are: every DEUS II FMF and HF2 coil is IP68 rated to 20 m (66 ft). The remote is waterproof and shockproof but XP publishes no depth figure for it, and the WS6 and WSA headphones are rainproof rather than submersible. For genuine underwater hunting you fit the supplied antenna, which carries the wireless link through the water, and use a BH-01 bone conduction headset for audio.

What is the XP ICON, and how does it differ from the DEUS II?

The ICON is XP's newest platform and its first sub-$600 simultaneous multi-frequency machine. It shares the DEUS II coil mount, so FMF and HF2 coils fit both. Against the DEUS II it gives up frequency range (multi plus 4 and 14 kHz single, rather than 49 selectable frequencies), battery life (about 11 hours against 20-plus), and waterproof depth (5 m rather than 20 m). It is a lot of detector for the money.

What is the difference between the XP ICON and the ICON X?

The ICON X is the upgraded tier: it adds a 28 kHz single frequency for small gold, doubles the programs from 3+3 to 6+6, gives finer reactivity and discrimination steps, and swaps to a carbon stem. The detection platform is the same. We currently stock the ICON; call us at (844) 771-0707 for ICON X availability.

What is the XP XTREM Hunter and who is it for?

It is a two-coil deep seeker that runs from a DEUS II remote. An XTR-115 transmitter and receiver coil pair detect large buried masses to around 5 m (16 ft), far beyond any standard coil. It is for cache hunters and large-relic hunters looking for buried boxes, safes, pipes and heavy iron. Its IAR iron rejection can discriminate moderate-sized ferrous objects, and small targets such as nails and bottle caps are invisible to it. It is not built to find coins or jewelry, but because it runs on the DEUS II remote, a standard FMF coil paired to the same remote is a button press away for pinpointing and full target ID. The complete kit ($2,599.00) includes the DEUS II remote, WSA II-XL headphones and a hard case; the coil bundle ($1,699.00) is for existing DEUS II RC owners.

Is the original XP DEUS still worth buying?

Yes, at the right price. It is still listed and supported by XP, and at $499.00 with WS4 headphones and a 9" X35 coil it is a genuinely capable wireless detector. That said, a buyer starting from scratch in 2026 should compare it against the ICON at $569.00, which is newer and runs simultaneous multi-frequency.

Which XP detector is best for gold prospecting?

Whichever one you can put a high-frequency coil on. The ORX with the 9.5x5" HF elliptical (13 to 81 kHz) is the cheapest route. The DEUS II or ICON with the HF2 coil reaches 9 to 90 kHz in multi and up to 120 kHz in single, and is the more capable option. XP does not build a pulse induction machine, so for heavily mineralized goldfields a PI detector remains the specialist tool.

Which XP detector is best for beach hunting?

The DEUS II, with the ICON close behind. Simultaneous multi-frequency is what keeps a target ID stable in wet salt sand, and the DEUS II's coil waterproofing means the surf line is not a limit. The ORX and the original DEUS are single-frequency and are happier inland.

Are XP coils interchangeable between models?

Within families, yes. DEUS II FMF and HF2 coils fit the DEUS II and the ICON. X35 and HF coils fit the ORX and the original DEUS. The two families are not cross-compatible, and the XTREM Hunter's XTR-115 coils are specific to that system.

What is the XP warranty?

Five years on XP detectors and coils bought from an authorized U.S. dealer, with two years on batteries, pinpointers, bone conduction headsets and chargers. The ICON is the exception: XP lists three years as standard and five once you register the machine. XP also commits to keeping its detectors repairable for at least five years after the warranty ends.

Is the XP MI-6 pinpointer worth buying?

If you own an XP detector, yes. It links wirelessly to the DEUS, DEUS II, ORX and ICON, so the pinpointer audio arrives in your headphones instead of competing with them. It is water resistant to 6 m, has 50 sensitivity levels when paired, and has a lost-pinpointer search function that works even when the pinpointer is switched off.

Why are XP detectors so expensive?

You are paying for the wireless coil, the weight, and the build. Putting the transmitter, receiver and battery inside every coil costs more than running a cable, and it is the reason a DEUS II starts at 750 g and has no coil cord to fail. Whether that is worth the premium depends on how many hours a year you swing it. The ICON at $569.00 is XP's answer for buyers who want the architecture without the flagship price.

Where to Buy XP Metal Detectors

Once you have picked your model, the fastest path to a swinging detector is straight into the XP collection on this site. Every detector in this guide is stocked at authorized U.S. dealer pricing, with free shipping over $99 and the full XP warranty.

Related Buying Guides

• Best Metal Detectors of 2026: Complete Buying Guide
• Best Minelab Metal Detectors
• Best Nokta Metal Detectors
• Best Garrett Metal Detectors
• Best Metal Detector for Beginners 2026
• Best Underwater Metal Detectors
• How Deep Do Metal Detectors Go? Real-World Depth Tests
• Metal Detector Technologies Explained
• XP Parts & Accessories by Detector Model

Need Help Choosing?

Still unsure which XP metal detector is right for you? Our team of detectorists answers questions personally, usually within a few hours. Call (844) 771-0707 or email us with your hunting style, location, and budget. We'll give you a straight answer.