The article gives you the details about the metal detector headphones and tips for buying headphones

Head Phones – Heart of Metal Detection

The head phones are essential part of metal detectors. Metal detection technique depends on the audio response from the coils as opposed to x ray techniques where you are able to see the images.

Since the X-ray technique is costly not very mobile. Since the audio response is sufficient of detection of metals, the headphones become an indispensable part of metal detection.

Stereo or Mono headphones

Since all that you are going to get from the metal detector is a humming sound, the mono headphones are usually sufficient. For the persons with a differing hearing ability in both ears, a stereo headphone may be required so that any even a faint sound from the metal detector is audible. The headphones do not completely cut off the external sound as the hi fidelity music stereo headphones might do. The external sound can be better heard with mono head phones.

External Speaker or Headphones

All the metal detectors have an external speaker and a head phone jack. It may be thought that since the external speaker is already there, and all that you wish to hear is a humming noise, a headphone is unnecessary. That is not generally true.
Since the humming noise may be a faint one, it would be better to have a headphone so that even a faint hum can be heard clearly.
The hum may not be heard in external speaker and might even be lost in the general din of surrounding. It also serves the ethics of the game to have headphones so you do not disturb those around you when the blast of sound comes from external speaker.

Quality of Speakers in Headphones

Prospecting is an outdoor activity and hence the speakers in the head phone have to brave the rain, occasional water spray sand and lot of heat. To undertake such rigorous task, the speakers in the headphones have to be made of a tougher material than paper.
Mylar is one such material that is presently being used for making the speaker in side the head phones. Mylar is the material used in all the quality hi fidelity head phones these days and you can use the same head phones even for your metal detector.

Can I use My Hi-Q Headphones for Metal Detecting

Yes, you certainly can but first find out the following characteristics of your headphone

Head phone jack size: Some head phone have jack size of 1/4” whole others have smaller size of 3/8” Obviously if the sizes do not match you cannot fit them. Adopters available in any music shops can be used to fit the Hi-Q headphones for your metal detectors. While using the adopters make sure that the adopters do not get separated easily. In the general mêlée and excitement of metal detection on the beach, it is easy to lose the adopter and you will then find the adopter itself with your metal detector, the external speakers, and a pair of eyes

Ohm load of speakers: If the manual of your metal detector shows the resistance value of headphones required, match it with the value of Hi-Q headphones. (The ohm value will be given as 3 Ω or 8 Ω or 16 Ω) If the value matches, you can use your Hi-Q headphones directly. If the resistance value of your headphones is higher metal detector, you can use the Hi-Q phones. Do not use it if it is lower.