Minelab X-TERRA ELITE Expedition Pack Metal Detector, V12X and V8X Coils

The Minelab X-TERRA ELITE Expedition Pack is the X-TERRA ELITE detector with two extras in Minelab's own box: a second, smaller V8X 8 x 5 inch elliptical Double-D coil alongside the standard V12X 12 x 9 inch, and ML 85 low-latency wireless headphones. The detector itself is the same waterproof Multi-IQ machine, rated IP68 to 5 meters (16 feet), with Park, Field and Beach modes and a single 15 kHz option in Park and Field. It suits detectorists who split their time between open fields, trashy parks and old homesites, and beaches, and who want a coil and headphones for each from the first day. Explore the wider range in our Minelab metal detectors.

What the Expedition Pack adds to the X-TERRA ELITE

The standard X-TERRA ELITE comes with the V12X coil. The Expedition Pack keeps the same detector and settings and adds the two accessories that, in our experience, most owners end up looking for: a smaller coil for iron-heavy or cramped ground, and wireless headphones for long sessions. If you hunt only open, clean ground and already own headphones, the standard X-TERRA ELITE in our Minelab X-TERRA ELITE collection may be all you need. If you move between very different sites, the Expedition Pack saves you from adding those pieces later.

Two coils: when to swap from the V12X to the V8X

The V12X is the coil we would start with on a big, relatively clean farm field or a long stretch of beach. Its larger footprint covers more ground per sweep, so open areas go faster, and on favorable ground it may reach some targets a little deeper.

The V8X earns its place on the sites where a big coil struggles. Walk up to an old farmhouse site where nails and scrap litter the soil, and the V12X can hear several objects in one pass, which makes a single good target hard to pick out. The 8 x 5 inch V8X has a smaller detection footprint, so it is easier to isolate targets that sit close together. The tradeoff is less coverage per sweep and possibly less depth on some targets. We would start with the V12X on open ground and switch to the V8X when the large coil keeps reporting more than one target at a time.

Both coils are Double-D with skidplates. Minelab also says the V10X 10 x 7 inch and the EQUINOX series coils fit the X-TERRA ELITE, while coils for the old X-TERRA 305, 505 and 705 do not. Compare sizes in our metal detector coils.

Using the ML 85 wireless headphones on land and in the water

The ML 85 is the headphone Minelab recommends for the X-TERRA ELITE's low-latency wireless audio. That link is Minelab's own system and is not compatible with Bluetooth, so ordinary wireless headphones will not pair with it. Minelab's own Bluetooth headphones, the ML 80 and ML 100, are among the ones that will not pair. Without a cable between you and the control box, the headphones stay out of the way while you swing, kneel and dig. The detector still has a built-in speaker and a 3.5 mm (1/8 inch) socket if you prefer wired audio; the plug's overmold has to be under 9 mm (0.35 inch) to fit the waterproof socket. Minelab also lists the ML 105 headphones and the WM 09 wireless module as compatible with the X-TERRA ELITE.

The 16 foot rating applies to the detector, not to every headphone. For underwater detecting Minelab requires its waterproof headphones with the threaded connector, and in our experience wireless audio is not a practical underwater solution, so we keep the ML 85 for land, sand and wading where the headphones stay dry. When you submerge the detector with nothing plugged in, keep the dust cap on the socket. See our metal detector headphones.

What is in the box with the Minelab X-TERRA ELITE Expedition Pack

Minelab's standard contents for the X-TERRA ELITE Expedition Pack (Minelab part 3707-0003)

• Minelab X-TERRA ELITE detector with three-piece collapsible shaft, handle, armrest and strap, and built-in 3.7 V, 5100 mAh lithium-ion battery
• V12X 12 x 9 inch elliptical Double-D coil with skidplate
• V8X 8 x 5 inch elliptical Double-D coil with skidplate
• ML 85 low-latency wireless headphones
• USB charging cable with magnetic connector
• Getting Started Guide

Minelab covers the X-TERRA ELITE control box and coil with a 3-year warranty in the USA.

The X-TERRA ELITE detector at a glance

• Multi-IQ plus 15 kHz: simultaneous multi-frequency is the default in all six profiles and Minelab's recommendation; Park and Field can also run a single 15 kHz frequency, Beach cannot.
• Profiles: Park 1 General and Coins, Park 2 Fine Jewelry, Field 1 Coins and Artifacts, Field 2 Fine Coins and Artifacts, Beach 1 Dry and Wet Sand, Beach 2 Underwater and Surf. No Gold mode.
• Iron handling: Iron Bias -1 to 2 in Multi-IQ, recovery speed 1 to 3 and a separate Ferrous Tone Volume, so you can turn iron down rather than out.
• Ground and noise: Auto, Manual and Tracking ground balance, sensitivity 1 to 25 and Auto Noise Cancel across 19 channels.
• Target information: Target IDs -19 to 99 on a 30-segment discrimination scale, a 5-level depth guide, and Target Tones 1, 2, 5, All Tones or Depth. Minelab sets the depth guide by a US quarter, with the top level meaning deeper than 8 inches, and it reads less accurately in mineralized soil.
• Build: 1.3 kg (2.9 lb), 63 to 138 cm (25 to 54 inches), red backlight, LED flashlight and vibration.

Beaches, lakes and surf with the Expedition Pack

Wet salt sand is where Multi-IQ matters most to us. The Beach profiles run Multi-IQ only: Beach 1 for dry sand, wet sand and shallow water, Beach 2 for surf and a fully submerged coil, and Minelab recommends Tracking ground balance on saltwater beaches. Residual salt reads 0 on the Target ID scale, and in black sand the detector lowers its transmit power automatically and shows a Beach Overload indicator. It will not behave like every more expensive beach detector in black sand or heavy interference, but as an affordable detector it handles both inland and coastal hunting. On freshwater lakes, including the Great Lakes, you can move from dry sand into the water within the 16 foot rating. Do not take it under while charging or on a power bank. For charging, Minelab's manual calls for a USB charger rated above 2 A at 5 V on the magnetic charging cable. On land, a USB power bank keeps it detecting when the built-in battery runs low, and after the beach or the water we rinse the detector with fresh water. More options are in our beach metal detectors.

One habit worth learning early

Turning sensitivity to 25 does not make the detector find more. Near power lines or other electrical interference, a high setting just produces random signals that hide real ones. Run Auto Noise Cancel first, ground balance if the soil is mineralized, then raise sensitivity only as far as the detector stays reasonably quiet. A stable X-TERRA ELITE at moderate sensitivity is easier to read than a noisy one at maximum.

Expedition Pack, X-TERRA PRO or EQUINOX 900

Below the Expedition Pack sits the standard X-TERRA ELITE, the same detector with the V12X coil, and the Minelab X-TERRA PRO, which runs one selected frequency at a time and has no Iron Bias. For dry parks and farm fields the PRO can be enough; for regular trips between inland sites and saltwater beaches, Multi-IQ is the reason to choose the ELITE. Above it, the Minelab EQUINOX 900 adds Gold modes, more single frequencies and finer recovery speed control, and also ships with two coils and ML 85 headphones. We point people to the 900 when they will use those extras, for example for gold prospecting.

Minelab X-TERRA ELITE Expedition Pack specifications

In short: the Expedition Pack is the X-TERRA ELITE we would hand to someone whose weekends take them from a plowed field to an iron-filled homesite to the beach. The V8X answers the trashy sites, the ML 85 makes long days easier, and Multi-IQ is what keeps the detector useful on wet salt sand. For a side-by-side of the whole range, see our best Minelab metal detectors guide.

Serious Detecting bundle (added free at checkout):

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