XP ORX Metal Detector with 9.5 x 5 in Elliptical HF Waterproof Coil and FX-02 Wired Headphones

The XP ORX with the HF elliptical coil is paired with XP FX-02 wired headphones in this bundle. We recommend the ORX to prospectors searching for small natural gold who want a lightweight, relatively straightforward detector. The FX-02 plugs straight into the remote's 3.5 mm jack. With the HF elliptical coil the ORX reaches 80 kHz, the top of its range, and higher frequencies can improve sensitivity to tiny natural gold.

What is in the box with this XP ORX bundle

XP's standard contents for the ORX with 9.5 x 5 inch HF coil

• XP ORX remote control with backlit LCD display
• XP HF elliptical search coil, 24 x 13 cm (9.5 x 5 inches)
• S-Telescopic Lite stem
• Built-in rechargeable lithium batteries in the coil and remote
• USB charging cable with one mini-B plug
• USB connection cable with three mini-B plugs

This XP ORX bundle also includes

• XP FX-02 wired headphones

What the add-ons in this XP ORX bundle do

XP FX-02 wired headphones: they plug into the 3.5 mm audio output jack on the ORX remote control, so they need no charging and no pairing, and the remote's loudspeaker can be switched off while you listen through them. See our metal detector headphones.

The HF elliptical coil on the XP ORX

The 24 x 13 cm (9.5 x 5 inch) HF elliptical coil is the one that takes the ORX to the top of its range: XP lists 21 frequencies from 13 to 80 kHz with it, against 59 kHz for the 9 inch HF coil and 27.7 kHz for the X35 coils. Higher frequencies can improve sensitivity to certain small, low-conductivity targets such as tiny natural gold, and the same high frequencies can respond more to mineralized ground. At 330 g it is the lightest ORX coil. XP rates it waterproof to 6 meters (20 feet), with a battery life of 13 to 20 hours depending on frequency and power. Each ORX coil mounts on its own lower stem, and changing coils means changing the lower stem and pairing the coil to the remote by its serial number. See our metal detector coils.

About the XP ORX

What we like about the XP ORX is that it is lightweight, wireless and considerably simpler to operate than the original XP DEUS. We particularly like its Gold and Coin programs and its compatibility with XP's high-frequency coils for small gold. The ORX is not a simplified XP DEUS II, though: it works on one selected frequency at a time, while the DEUS II runs simultaneous multi-frequency.

How the XP ORX works: the coil sets the frequencies

The ORX is a VLF detector with a wireless search coil, and the frequencies you can choose depend on the coil. The X35 coils (9 inch, 11 inch and 13 x 11 inch) give 35 frequencies from 3.7 to 27.7 kHz, the lower and intermediate range. The 9 inch HF coil gives 21 frequencies from 13 to 59 kHz and the HF elliptical coil 21 from 13 to 80 kHz, the higher range XP ties to extreme sensitivity to small targets. Coil choice matters considerably on the ORX, because the coil decides which frequencies you can select.

XP ORX programs and key settings

• Four factory programs and two user programs: Gold (XP: low to average mineralization, medium and large gold), Fine Gold (heavy mineralization, small and medium gold), Coin Fast (coins and all targets on mineralized or contaminated ground) and Coin Deep (low-mineralized, uncontaminated ground). Along with ground balance, sensitivity and frequency selection, the differences between the Gold and Coin programs are the settings we would learn first.
• Reactivity (1, 2, 2.5 and 3): a faster setting helps the ORX respond more distinctly to closely spaced targets but can weaken some deeper signals. XP's manual says the greatest detection range comes with low Reactivity and a slower sweep on clean ground, while medium or high Reactivity finds more targets and penetrates deeper in mineralized ground.
• Discrimination and ground balance: 99 discrimination levels plus IAR (Iron Amplitude Rejection) from 0 to 5 in the Gold programs, target ID from 0 to 99 with an iron probability, and ground balance set manually from 60 to 90 or by a quick automatic grab while pumping the coil over the ground.
• Sensitivity and frequency shift: XP's manual puts the most commonly used sensitivity levels at 50 to 80. Higher levels can reach deeper targets but may make the ORX unstable, and with too much interference you lower the sensitivity or shift the operating frequency slightly.

Beach and water use with the XP ORX

XP rates every ORX search coil waterproof to 6 meters (20 feet), and a submerged coil needs XP's aerial antenna. XP's manual says the ORX remote control is not waterproof, so keep it dry; along a freshwater shoreline the coil can go in the water while the remote stays dry. Wet salt sand is harder, because conductive saltwater produces a ground response that interferes with detection. The ORX has a salt mode for highly conductive ground such as salt lakes and beaches (ground balance 0 to 30), but it is not the detector we recommend for regular saltwater beach hunting. See also our waterproof metal detectors.

Where the XP ORX works well, and where it does not

We recommend the ORX to prospectors searching for small natural gold and to detectorists who want a lightweight machine for coins and relics without complicated menus. Imagine a rocky creek bed holding small gold nuggets and scattered iron fragments: we would use a suitable Gold program, ground balance carefully and investigate faint, repeatable signals around exposed bedrock. Around an old homesite full of nails, Reactivity, discrimination and a smaller coil help you investigate signals, but iron masking remains a challenge and the ORX cannot reliably identify every desirable target near iron. XP's manual notes that iron, hot rocks and other mineralized debris generally reduce soil penetration, and that deep gold nuggets in mineralized ground can give a signal similar to iron, which is why XP advises less discrimination there. The ORX is also not equivalent to a specialized pulse induction gold detector in severe mineralization. For someone regularly searching saltwater beaches or wanting simultaneous multi-frequency operation, we recommend the DEUS II or the XP ICONX instead. We would choose the ORX for lightweight, relatively straightforward detecting, especially when small-gold sensitivity is important. See our gold detectors and relic and treasure metal detectors.

XP ORX battery, weight and build

XP advertises configurations from about 750 g (1.65 lb) with the remote carried off the stem; actual weight depends on the coil. The S-Telescopic Lite stem alone folds to 58 cm (22.8 inches). Coil, remote and XP's wireless headphones talk over XP's own digital link, not Bluetooth, so the remote can ride on the stem or be carried separately. Coil and remote each hold a rechargeable lithium battery. XP's manual rates the remote at about 19 hours; coil battery life depends on the coil, with XP rating the HF elliptical coil 13 to 20 hours depending on frequency and power. Charging takes about 3 hours. The ORX is made in France.

One mistake to avoid with the XP ORX

The mistake we caution beginners against is assuming the highest frequency will always find the smallest targets at the greatest depth. XP's manual matches frequency to target size: the lower frequencies for large and medium targets, around 30 kHz for medium to small targets and 55 to 80 kHz on the HF coils for small to miniature targets. Over highly mineralized soil a high-frequency setting may produce more ground response than you expect, and adjusting ground balance, sensitivity or frequency may bring back stability. Experiment over known targets rather than assume one frequency is right everywhere.

XP ORX with HF elliptical coil specifications

XP covers the ORX remote control and search coil for 5 years, parts and labor; batteries carry 2 years.

For our full XP ORX guide, settings advice and comparisons, see the XP ORX collection.