LS.PELSO Waterproof Headphones for the Minelab Equinox

ColonelDan

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LS.PELSO Waterproof Headphones for the Minelab Equinox

Colonel Dan 5 September 2018


I had an opportunity to test these new waterproof headphones for the Equinox and wanted to share my thoughts with those on this forum. Rest assured, I have no financial interest in these headphones and am under no obligation in any way to Kellyco, the retailer.

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Upfront Disclaimer: I'm neither an engineer nor an employee of Kellyco, I'm just a guy who uses his detecting equipment like many of you. The internal technical details of how the equipment is manufactured and functions I leave to the experts. This independent review is strictly from the average Equinox user stand point and focuses on what detectorists like me look for in a good set of headphones.

First Impression: Solid. My initial impression of the LS.PELSO headphones was how solidly constructed they were; no flimsy materials anywhere. The cable was especially impressive; first class quality all the way and long enough to ensure ease of use without placing any strain on the cable.

Fit and Comfort: Very good. Sufficiently tight without unduly squeezing your head as some headphones I've tried. They're easily adjusted for proper fit and stay in place very well even under sweaty conditions. The ear pads are soft, comfortable and well fitting.

Ambient noise reduction: Excellent. The LS.PELSO headphone base unit was originally designed for hearing protection/noise reduction and modified to include underwater speakers. Consequently, they reduce outside noise extremely well. The true test; I could easily hear faint signals of small deep targets with negligible distracting sounds from the environment.

Tone Quality: Exceptional. The speakers provide outstanding tonal quality under all test conditions. Clear, crisp and distinct. These headphones don't use piezo technology but high quality underwater speakers...a big difference in my view!

Faint Signals: Excellent. The combination of effective noise reduction and high quality tones produced by real speakers work hand in hand in producing those faint whispers where many good targets try to hide. With these headphones, I could pick up those small targets at depth well enough to certainly prompt me to dig them.

Durability: Looking good. I obviously can't report on long term durability since I only had these a few days for testing and review purposes. Having said that, based solely on the observed quality of the materials and construction, I'm going to bet these will be more durable than many I've used.

Waterproof: Absolutely. I think the best testimonial I could provide comes from a hunting buddy who had his set completely submerged for 30 minutes and they worked perfectly throughout.

Speakers vs Piezo: I can't testify as to any detailed engineering specifications but I can and will say this; these are the first headphones I've ever had on my head where I had to turn the volume down on my detector. Although these headphones aren't equipped with an independent volume control, I never missed that feature. The volume control of my Equinox was more than sufficient for adjusting it to a comfortable level. When I first turned on my detector with these headphones attached, I was indoors and the Equinox volume was set at 25--they nearly blew my ears off. Outdoors, I was certainly able to adjust the volume sufficiently to insure those whispers were heard. On other headphones I've used with an independent volume control, I had to keep them at max level. As noted, these headphones utilize true underwater speakers and are thus far beyond any I've used which employ piezo technology.

Conclusion: I'm sorry I had to give them back after testing but I will have a set of these. They're truly superior water proof headphones in my estimation and will become my “go to” set for the Equinox in and out of the water! Now you may ask, “Why would I need a set of waterproof headphones? I don't hunt in the water.” Have you ever been caught in a downpour? Ours is an outdoor sport and when it rains, I certainly don't want to risk my non-waterproof wireless Equinox headphones. These LS.PELSOs are just the ticket for both excellent performance and peace of mind but again, that's just the view from my foxhole...

https://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/ls-pelso-underwater-headphones
 

That was my experience with them as well. They were a pleasant surprise. Not made for diving work since they are not piezo's but perfect for surf and chest high water detecting without fear of ruining from a solid dunking. Their sound quality and isolation is so good that I will use them as my all weather phones with the Equinox in heavy rain or snow. Thanks for the writeup, Dan.
 

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Yep, I have a pair of these as well. They isolate better than any headphones I've ever used.
 

Had a few pairs of the ones from Hungary, two with the waterproof speaker modules and one with the piezos. Got a set of the LS Pelso's from KellyCo today. The physical headphones and speaker modules are identical, but the cord is quite a bit longer and won't be tugging on the phones when swinging like the Hungary ebay ones. No piezo can compete with the quality of sound or volume levels that these make. Best thing going for wading waterproofs.
 

Had a few pairs of the ones from Hungary, two with the waterproof speaker modules and one with the piezos. Got a set of the LS Pelso's from KellyCo today. The physical headphones and speaker modules are identical, but the cord is quite a bit longer and won't be tugging on the phones when swinging like the Hungary ebay ones. No piezo can compete with the quality of sound or volume levels that these make. Best thing going for wading waterproofs.

Cable was made longer so it can be routed under the arm cuff, tie wrapped on back of arm cuff, this keeps cable behind you rather than hanging in front of you.
 

Ha, that was the first thing i thought of and did :occasion14:
 

I bought them for $85 plus $10 shipping on EBay. Nothing against Kellyco, but good to know I got a great deal.
 

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Grey ghosts should be out soon. Im gonna wait
 

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I bought them for $85 plus $10 shipping on EBay. Nothing against Kellyco, but good to know I got a great deal.
Do they have piezo speakers or real speakers and is the cable long enough to run it under your elbow and out the back of the arm cuff so it stays behind your back? All the ones I have seen on Ebay have had piezo speakers.
 

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Grey ghosts should be out soon. Im gonna wait

Just a FYI, Kellyco has a waterproof jumper cable to connect gray ghost amphibians with the 3030 connector. 1/8 inch jack on one end, 2020 connector on other end and it is waterproof.
 

Detector Pro is supposedly attempting to address volume and quality issues they have had with previous iterations of their Amphibians (I have a pair for my ATX and a "generic" pair that I had modified to add an Equinox threaded connector and they both suffer from poor volume, the latter required that new speaker drivers be installed to boost the volume to acceptable levels such that only the cable, headband, and earcups were truly "Gray Ghost" when it was all said and done and those Frankenphones still lag the Pelsos in performance, lol).

IMO, having owned two GG Amphibian products, I saw no sense in waiting for DP to get their act together on the Equinox Amphibians when there is a great product on the shelf already at reasonable cost. (I paid $10 more for the generic Amphibian without a connector than the LS.Pelsos). In any event, I hope DP does up their game because competition is always good thing for us and look forward to seeing the reviews, but just a little too late as far as I'm concerned. I have a product that works in my hands right now.
 

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I ordered a pair last night. I have been running a wire from the control box to the earphones but that was turning into a PIA.
 

Do they have piezo speakers or real speakers and is the cable long enough to run it under your elbow and out the back of the arm cuff so it stays behind your back? All the ones I have seen on Ebay have had piezo speakers.

Cord stretched up to 10ft. They say piezo just like Kellyco but I thought those where real speakers, but what do I know. Just noticed they’re from Ukraine I might’ve gotten the screws. I know at least on warranty. I maybe wrong, but you know TH we can all be wrong sometimes.
 

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Cord stretched up to 10ft. They say piezo just like Kellyco but I thought those where real speakers, but what do I know.

Ones kellyco is selling are not Piezos, they are waterproof speakers like the CTX 3030. This is from their website on the LS.Pelso..

"These high quality waterproof headphones use actual speakers instead of piezo material (essentially a metal disc) found in most of the standard aftermarket headphones. The LS.PELSO provides a more precise and louder target response to help you distinguish the trash from the treasure."
 

Ones kellyco is selling are not Piezos, they are waterproof speakers like the CTX 3030. This is from their website on the LS.Pelso..

"These high quality waterproof headphones use actual speakers instead of piezo material (essentially a metal disc) found in most of the standard aftermarket headphones. The LS.PELSO provides a more precise and louder target response to help you distinguish the trash from the treasure.


Oh I was getting confused with pelso and piezos very similar looking names. Gotcha [emoji1360]

I only need them for detecting in the rain [emoji943]
 

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Shoot,, ordered a spare set, they arrived today, but have a much shorter cable, Grrrr

called Kellyco, sending back, then waiting for next batch to come in, hopefully with the longer cable.
 

Shoot,, ordered a spare set, they arrived today, but have a much shorter cable, Grrrr

called Kellyco, sending back, then waiting for next batch to come in, hopefully with the longer cable.

How long is the cable on your first pair? Was just curious because im thinking about getting a pair but I don't want to get stuck with a pair with a short cable..
 

According to Kellyco sales guy, the next batch should have the longer cord, expected to be delivered anytime now. Pic shows both length (i painted the one set gray, which the guy said voided the warranty, quite ridiculous, but whatever). The shorter length isn’t too bad really, but the longer cord is nicer, imo.
 

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According to Kellyco sales guy, the next batch should have the longer cord, expected to be delivered anytime now. Pic shows both length (i painted the one set gray, which the guy said voided the warranty, quite ridiculous, but whatever). The shorter length isn’t too bad really, but the longer cord is nicer, imo.

Thanks for the pic!!! Much appreciated..
I think i would like the longer cord... going to order mine here pretty soon...
 

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