Minelab VANQUISH 560 PRO-PACK Metal Detector with V12X and V8X Coils

The Minelab VANQUISH 560 PRO-PACK is the VANQUISH 560 waterproof simultaneous multi-frequency metal detector packaged with two coils and wireless earbuds: the V12X 12 x 9 inch and V8X 8 x 5 inch Double-D coils and Minelab ML60 Bluetooth LE Audio earbuds, in place of the wired headphones that come with the standard 560. The VANQUISH 560 is the top model in Minelab's VANQUISH 60 Series, for coins, jewelry and relics in parks, fields and on beaches. It uses Minelab's Multi-IQ technology, the same detection technology as the VANQUISH 360 and VANQUISH 460, and adds five target tones, four Iron Bias settings (-1, 0, 1 and 2) and adjustable ferrous volume. It has Park, Field and Beach modes plus a User Profile, 30 discrimination segments, and Minelab rates it IP68, submersible to 5 meters (16 feet). For the rest of Minelab's range, see our Minelab metal detectors.

Who the Minelab VANQUISH 560 is for

What we like about the VANQUISH 560 is that it gives you more control over target information without making you learn a complicated detector. In our experience it makes the most sense for someone who expects to spend considerable time detecting and wants more detailed target information without moving into a substantially more expensive detector such as the Minelab EQUINOX 900 or the Minelab MANTICORE. It suits experienced beginners, regular coin hunters, beach detectorists and people who search historical sites full of iron.

We would not automatically recommend the highest-numbered VANQUISH to everyone. If you mainly want to search parks, yards and the occasional beach, the 360 or 460 may give you everything you need, and the 560's extra audio information and Iron Bias control become more useful as you gain experience. We would not promise that the 560 finds targets the 460 cannot. The advantage is more information, more flexibility with iron and a larger coil for open ground. For someone who knows they will use those things, the extra investment can make sense.

What the Minelab VANQUISH 560 adds over the VANQUISH 460

Both detectors use Multi-IQ, both are waterproof to 5 meters (16 feet), and both have 30 discrimination segments, Bluetooth LE Audio wireless compatibility and adjustable Iron Bias. The VANQUISH 560 adds five target tones instead of three, a fourth Iron Bias setting (-1), ferrous volume you can adjust from 1 to 10, and the V12X 12 x 9 inch coil instead of the V10X 10 x 7 inch. The 560 is also a little heavier: Minelab lists 1.26 kg (2.8 lb) against 1.16 kg (2.6 lb) for the 460.

Imagine someone who mostly searches parks and occasionally visits a beach: the 460 may provide everything they need. Someone who spends several hours every weekend on old properties, farm fields and heavily hunted parks is more likely to appreciate the 560's extra control. And someone who searches small, trash-filled areas may actually prefer the smaller V10X coil that comes with the 460.

Five target tones and adjustable ferrous volume on the Minelab VANQUISH 560

The VANQUISH 560 divides the Target ID range into five tones, where the 360 and 460 use three. In an older park with aluminum trash, modern coins, older coins and the occasional piece of jewelry, three tones put several kinds of targets into the same broad audio category. Five tones split the range into more categories, which helps you hear differences without looking at the display all the time. It does not identify targets with certainty: a gold ring can still sound like aluminum trash. The benefit is more detailed feedback, and for someone who enjoys learning target sounds we think it is a worthwhile improvement.

Ferrous volume sets how loud iron targets sound, from 1 to 10 (default 4), separately from the main volume. On the 360 and 460 it is fixed. Around an old farmhouse full of rusty nails, fencing and broken tools, you could reject iron entirely, but that also removes information about the site, because concentrations of iron can show where a building or other activity once stood. With ferrous volume turned down, iron stays quiet while non-ferrous targets stay prominent. We would start with a relatively low ferrous volume and adjust until the audio gives enough information without becoming tiring.

Iron Bias settings on the Minelab VANQUISH 560

Iron Bias controls how the detector classifies targets that give a mixed iron and non-ferrous response, such as a coin lying close to a rusty nail. The VANQUISH 560 has four settings: -1, 0, 1 and 2. The 460 has three: 0, 1 and 2. Minelab's default is 2 in Park, Beach and the User Profile and 0 in Field, and each search mode keeps its own setting.

A higher setting rejects more unwanted iron responses but raises the risk of passing over a good target that gives a mixed signal. The extra -1 setting is a less aggressive approach to iron. That helps on an old homesite where coins and buttons may sit close to nails and you are willing to dig more questionable signals rather than risk rejecting a good one. We would not use -1 everywhere, though. In a modern park full of rusty bottle caps, a higher setting usually makes for a more enjoyable hunt. No single setting is right for every location.

Minelab VANQUISH 560 search modes and settings

• Park: Minelab's mode for parks and freshwater, with a lower recovery speed and good depth and discrimination in trash.
• Field: for fields and relic sites. Minelab gives it enhanced sensitivity to fine metal relics and unmasking of targets among dense ancient iron trash, with a higher recovery speed and a lower Iron Bias, and it rejects coke.
• Beach: for salt beaches, including underwater. It gives residual salt a Target ID of 0, so low-conductive targets such as gold chains can still be detected, and it tracks the ground automatically.
• User Profile and All Metal: you can store Park, Field or Beach with your own changes in the User Profile, the only mode that keeps changes after the detector is turned off. When you settle on a preferred mix of Iron Bias, discrimination and audio for an old property you search often, the User Profile saves recreating it every time. We would not tell a beginner to customize everything right away: start with the factory settings and experiment gradually. The All Metal button switches discrimination off so every target is heard.
• Sensitivity (1 to 10) and noise cancel: noise cancel runs automatically at every power-on and takes about five seconds. We would not run maximum sensitivity everywhere. Near electrical equipment or overhead power lines, more sensitivity can make random signals worse. Let the automatic noise cancel finish, then set sensitivity where the detector runs reasonably quietly. A stable detector makes faint, repeatable signals easier to recognize.
• Discrimination and Target ID: Target IDs run from -19 to 0 for iron and 1 to 99 for non-ferrous targets, 119 in all, and you accept or reject them in 30 segments of four IDs each, or reject a target on the spot. Discrimination always involves trade-offs. Gold jewelry and aluminum trash can give overlapping IDs, so rejecting every pull tab and foil range can also reject jewelry. On swimming beaches where gold rings are possible, we generally keep discrimination fairly open. You dig more trash, but that is often part of finding valuable targets.
• Ground balance: the range is -9 to 99, with an Auto Ground Balance that you start yourself. Minelab says it should rarely be needed, and Beach mode tracks the ground automatically.
• Backlight, flashlight and vibration: a red display backlight, keypad backlight, a built-in flashlight and handgrip vibration whose strength follows the signal. The backlight and flashlight shorten battery life.

Multi-IQ on the Minelab VANQUISH 560

Multi-IQ processes multiple frequencies simultaneously. Minelab puts it in all three VANQUISH 60 Series models, so the 560 is not a fundamentally different detector from the 360 and 460, and buyers should not assume the most expensive model has different detection technology. Minelab publishes no frequency values and no single-frequency option for the 60 Series. Coins in a park, jewelry on a freshwater beach and older targets in a farm field vary a lot in size, conductivity and depth, and Multi-IQ gives you a versatile foundation for all of them without picking an operating frequency. It does not remove the effects of ground mineralization, nearby iron or electrical interference, but it makes the detector easier to use across different locations. See our multi-frequency metal detectors.

Beach and water hunting with the Minelab VANQUISH 560

The VANQUISH 560 combines Multi-IQ with full waterproofing: Minelab rates it IP68, submersible to 5 meters (16 feet). After a busy weekend at a freshwater swimming area you might find coins, jewelry, fishing weights and aluminum trash, and the 560 works on dry sand, wet sand and in shallow water within its rating. The V12X coil is particularly useful on broad stretches of fairly clean beach, with good ground coverage and possibly extra depth on some targets in favorable conditions. On ocean beaches, Multi-IQ and Beach mode help manage the conductive response of wet salt sand. We would not promise that the 560 matches every premium beach detector, though. Difficult mineralization, black sand and electrical interference can still affect it, and if you regularly hunt demanding ocean beaches we would also look at the EQUINOX series. See our beach metal detectors.

The detector being waterproof does not make every accessory waterproof. Minelab publishes no water rating for the ML60 earbuds in the PRO-PACK, and in our experience wireless audio is not a reliable option underwater. For underwater detecting, Minelab specifies its 3.5 mm waterproof headphones (part 3011-0372), which plug into the 3.5 mm socket; with nothing plugged in, the socket can go underwater with its waterproof dust cap fitted. Do not take the detector underwater while it is charging or running from a power bank.

Coils for the Minelab VANQUISH 560

The VANQUISH 560 PRO-PACK comes with two Minelab elliptical Double-D coils, the V12X 12 x 9 inch and the V8X 8 x 5 inch, each with a skidplate. Someone who searches both large farm fields and old homesites can use the V12X to cover open ground and switch to the V8X around foundations or in ground with heavy iron contamination. The smaller coil helps isolate closely spaced targets and makes it easier to work around obstacles, at the cost of ground coverage. A larger coil is not automatically better: in an old homesite with hundreds of rusty nails the V12X may pick up several objects in one sweep. We would recommend the V12X for open ground and general detecting and the V8X where targets sit close together. Someone who mainly searches beaches or open fields may be perfectly happy with the V12X alone.

Minelab lists six coils for the VANQUISH 60 Series: the V8X 8 x 5 inch, V10X 10 x 7 inch and V12X 12 x 9 inch elliptical Double-D coils, and the EQX 06 (6 inch round), EQX 11 (11 inch round) and EQX 15 (15 x 12 inch elliptical) Double-D coils. Minelab does not list the first-generation V8, V10 and V12 coils for the 60 Series. See our metal detector coils.

Headphones and wireless audio on the Minelab VANQUISH 560

The VANQUISH 560 PRO-PACK comes with Minelab ML60 Bluetooth LE Audio wireless earbuds. The 560 supports only Bluetooth LE Audio with the LC3 codec for wireless audio, and Minelab recommends the ML60; you pair them within about 1 meter (3 feet) of the detector. Audio timing matters when detecting: you want to hear the response as the coil passes over the target, and too much wireless delay makes it harder to connect the signal to the spot. Bluetooth LE Audio is designed for low latency with compatible headphones, but ordinary Bluetooth headphones are not necessarily compatible, and Minelab describes the 60 Series as incompatible with standard Bluetooth devices. For someone who prefers wireless detecting, the ML60 earbuds are a good reason to choose the PRO-PACK. The 560 also has a 3.5 mm (1/8 inch) headphone socket that takes any standard wired headphones with an overmold under 9 mm (0.35 inch). Minelab's ML 80, ML 85 and ML 100 headphones are not listed for the VANQUISH 60 Series. See our metal detector headphones.

Pinpointing with the Minelab VANQUISH 560

The VANQUISH 560 has a pinpoint function with segment visualization and a 5-level depth indicator that Minelab calls a guide only. A separate handheld pinpointer still speeds up recovery.

Upgrading from an older Minelab VANQUISH

If you own a VANQUISH 440 or 540, the most meaningful improvement in the 560 is full waterproofing. The older models had waterproof coils, but their control boxes were not designed for submersion. The 560 also adds a rechargeable battery, updated wireless audio and more control over iron. If you mostly search dry land and are happy with your older detector, upgrading may not be necessary. If you want to search shallow water or want more adjustment, the 560 offers meaningful improvements.

One mistake to avoid with the Minelab VANQUISH 560

The mistake we would warn beginners about is assuming that more audio information makes every target easier to identify. The 560 gives you five tones and a broad Target ID range, but a gold ring can still sound like aluminum trash, a deep coin can give an inconsistent ID, and a good target sitting near iron can give a complicated response. Listen for repeatable signals, check targets from different directions and do not rely entirely on the display. The detector provides the information; learning to interpret it is still part of the hobby.

Minelab VANQUISH 560 weight, battery and build

Minelab's manual and brochure list the VANQUISH 560 at 1.26 kg (2.8 lb) including batteries. One Minelab spec page prints 2.6 lb next to 1.26 kg, but 1.26 kg works out to 2.8 lb; 2.6 lb is the weight of the VANQUISH 360 and 460. The aluminum and fiberglass S-bend shafts lock with camlocks, extend to 142 cm (56 inches) and collapse to 79.5 cm (31.2 inches). The display is a monochrome LCD with a red backlight.

The 3.7 V, 4500 mAh lithium-ion battery is built in. Minelab gives approximately 10 hours of use, less with the backlight or flashlight on. Charging from flat takes about 7 hours with a 1 A, 5 V USB supply (at least 5 W for full speed) through the magnetic USB-C charging cable in the box. You can detect while running from a power bank, but not underwater. Minelab says replacement batteries can be supplied and installed by a Minelab Authorized Service Center. Software updates install over the same cable. Minelab rates the operating temperature at -10 to +40 °C (+14 to +104 °F).

What is in the box with the Minelab VANQUISH 560 PRO-PACK

Minelab's contents for the VANQUISH 560 PRO-PACK

• Minelab VANQUISH 560 detector with S-bend shafts
• V12X 12 x 9 inch elliptical Double-D coil with skidplate
• V8X 8 x 5 inch elliptical Double-D coil with skidplate
• Armrest with strap
• Minelab ML60 Bluetooth LE Audio wireless earbuds
• USB-C magnetic charging cable
• Getting Started Guide

Minelab covers the VANQUISH 560 control box and coil with a 3-year warranty in the USA.

Serious Detecting bundle (added free at checkout)

• Serious Detecting Finds Bag with 42" Waist Belt
• Double Serrated Hand Digger with Belt Holster
• Protective Gloves

Minelab VANQUISH 560 PRO-PACK or standard VANQUISH 560

The detector in the VANQUISH 560 and the VANQUISH 560 PRO-PACK is the same; the difference is the accessories. The standard 560 comes with the V12X coil and wired headphones. The PRO-PACK adds the smaller V8X 8 x 5 inch coil and swaps the wired headphones for Minelab ML60 wireless earbuds. If you search both large fields and old homesites, having both coils is a practical reason to consider the PRO-PACK, and the earbuds suit anyone who prefers wireless detecting. We would not recommend it automatically to everyone: if you mainly search beaches or open fields, the standard V12X may be all you need. The standard VANQUISH 560 is also in our Minelab VANQUISH 560 collection.

Minelab VANQUISH 560 specifications

Our advice: the VANQUISH 560 makes the most sense for someone who wants the most adjustment and audio information in the VANQUISH lineup. For someone who mainly wants simplicity, the VANQUISH 360 remains a sensible choice, and for more control without paying for the 560's extra features, the VANQUISH 460 offers excellent value. The reason we would recommend the 560 is not that it automatically finds more than the 460. It gives you more information, more flexibility with iron responses and a larger coil for covering open ground. For the rest of the range, see our guide to the best Minelab metal detectors.