Though it’s really not a beginner level machine, I am reviewing the White’s MX Sport all-terrain metal detector here because it’s the latest one I’m using as I exit what I feel is my rank beginner stage as a metal detectorist. At some point, other beginners will do the same, and may be interested in this machine as a potential new tool for their own use. I want to give them the benefit of my experience with it, because there are things you can understand only through actually using a detector that just aren’t apparent any other way.
Of course, this isn’t any “be-all, end-all” review. It’s just my opinion after nearly two months using it. But I think it’ll add some value for those taking the time to read it.
As of the date of this writing, I’ve only ever done one other metal detector review so far, and I found it daunting to write because there was so much to say. To provide some helpful structure in my approach, I’m going to fall back on the proven journalism “5 Ws formula” (who, what, where, why, when and how). So, here we go:
Who – You, Me, and White’s
Who should use this depends on what they’re looking for in a detecting experience. See the Summary at the end of this review for my overall recommendations about this.
I have been detecting for going on 13 years now. I began the hobby with a machine given me as a Christmas present. It was a Garrett Ace 100, and I was thrilled to get it. Problem was, I knew absolutely NOTHING about the hobby or how to evaluate whether it was a good machine or not. So I read the manual (there was no DVD with it) and took it out in my yard to play around with it and see how it worked. I knew nothing about hand-held pinpointers, so my holes were about the size of trashcan lids. I could locate targets, but the machine was very, very basic — essentially one control, one tone, and not much else. Long story short, it was really what I’d consider a toy, and was more frustrating than anything. It wasn’t until I met some other detectorists who told me what’s what, that I was finally able to make a sound judgment about this tool.
One of those other people is a guy who’s a solid fan of machines from White’s Electronics. I was astounded by the number and quality of targets he was able to find with his MXT Pro and a couple lesser machines he used, and I watched him work. Wanting to give it a try myself, I was much dismayed to find out how bloody heavy they were, and that was it for me. I knew I’d never get a White’s machine, because I’d never have the upper arm strength to sustain a decent-length hunt. Very disappointing.
When
Fast forward a decade, and White’s came out—finally!—with a line of beginner level machines (at least that’s what they call them. I think they’re more advanced than that). These machines—the Treasure Master and the Treasure Pro—are as light as, if not lighter than, anything I’d previously used. And they are very, very good. I tried the Treasure Master for a month and wrote a review of that, in which I admittedly gushed. I was impressed, to say the least, at the functionality and accuracy of the machine that was well within the high end of beginner range in price.
Based on that, I purchased the next level machine, the Treasure Pro. It’s very similar to the TM, but also has a backlight on the digital readout screen. I love it! Even now, when my primary machine is the Sport, I keep the Treasure Pro with me at all times, just in case something gets blippy with the Sport, or I want to lend it to someone as a hunt buddy.
What and Why – The MX Sport
This general purpose metal detector is waterproof, so you can take it beach hunting, relic hunting, coinshooting, jewelry seeking, and even prospecting. The MX Sport builds on the legendary MXT, with new features and the latest technology.
My friend was committed to the MXT for its reliability, ruggedness, and proven performance. The MX Sport expands on that legacy, with improved performance, more options, and expanded features and functions. Now even he uses a Sport as his primary machine. Let’s take a look at these features:
- 6 Search Modes – All-Metal for areas where you might miss a real gem if you discriminate anything out; Coin and Jewelry, the most user-friendly default mode; Beach, allowing you to hunt on salty, wet sand and black sand without interference (though it works at least as well in freshwater); Prospecting, for the nugget hunter; Relic mode, which targets the most common metals used in valuable historical artifacts except iron; and Hi Trash, which helps you pick good targets out of a myriad of bottle caps, pull tabs, foil and can slaw.
- Pinpoint Mode – On top of the six regular modes, you can push and hold the central button to toggle on and off the pinpointer function, to help you hone in very tightly on the target; or you can give it a quick click (or tap, as the manual calls it) to activate and lock it in, then tap again to unlock. Very handy, and extremely accurate. The accuracy is astounding, once you get used to the modulated squeal it emits, and how it works. By far, one of the most useful features of this machine.
- Backlit Display – This rocks, especially if you are a diehard who just can’t seem to call it quits even when the sun goes down. Or maybe you live down South, where it’s just too bloody hot to hunt in the daytime. Or even if you’re in a deeply wooded area where the display is constantly moving in and out of shade and shadow, the backlight just makes it so much easier to read! Best of all, unlike at least one machine I used to have, the LCD display doesn’t look wonky if you’re wearing polarized sunglasses, so now you don’t have to carry a separate pair just for hunting.
VDI Numbers – If you’ve only ever used a machine that provides tone indication of the type of target your coil is over, VDIs can be a little daunting at first. Having cut my teeth on Garrett audible tone-only machines, I was used to mostly listening for the discrimination circuitry’s output, formally referred to as tone identification. Generally, this meant high-pitched tones for valuables and low grunts for iron and other junk. VDI numbers on the screen, though approximate, have been a lot more accurate in my experience. VDI stands for Visual Discrimination Indicator. The high/low tones coordinate with the VDI. The numbers are very large and legible, regardless lighting conditions, and I think this is just as important as having them there in the first place.- Target Identification – This is the word or words that appear beneath the VDI readout on the screen. For instance, a nickel might appear as “18″ with the word “Nickel” below it on the display, or “80 – Quarter.” Again, these are helpful but approximate, and I strongly recommend learning your tones and trusting those more.
- Selectable Tone Identification – After you’ve hunted with it for a while, you’ll come to know your machine’s tones without even looking at the screen, and you’ll know which specific types of targets tend to read wonky in the ground around you. This is affected by soil conditions, and the syndrome happens everywhere. But generally, this Tone ID is pretty accurate. You can choose between several different numbers of tones, depending how sensitive your ears are to differentiations.
- Frequency Control – If you’re hunting around other machines that are making yours chatter, or there are stray electrical impulses present, such as those from Extra Low Frequency (ELF) waves, making your machine constantly emit “falsing,” or confused signals, you can just switch your machine over to another of four frequencies to make that annoyance stop.
- Depth Indicator – As with all other machines I’ve used from any maker, take this feature’s indicator with a grain of salt. I find the shallow targets read far shallower than they are, the medium-depth ones read quite a bit deeper than they are, and the really deep ones can fool you in any direction. I do think you can get a better handle on this if you use headphones to hear some of the more subtle modulations of the tone, which can tell you a lot about depth.
- Automatic or Manual Ground Balance – Set it to automatic until you get the hang of how to manually keep your machine from reacting to highly mineralized soil. And read the manual to really understand the manual process.
- Salt-tracking – I have used this feature so far only in the brackish (partial saltwater/part freshwater) tidal waters toward the mouth of the Delaware River, and it worked great to eliminate any chatter, static or interference caused by its salt content. Not sure how it would be right on the beach or in the ocean, but I’ve heard good things from other users. This is one feature you’ll definitely want to read more about in your manual before attempting to use it.
- Self-Adjusting Threshold (SAT) – You’ll want to dial this in to deal with any harsh ground minerals, of which there are an abundance in our Pennsylvania soil. This setting only influences the All Metal, Relic and Prospecting modes, so you’ll only see it as an option when you’re using one of those programs. It makes these programs require motion to detect metal targets, and it’s a bit tricky to use, so consult the manual for this one, too. Frankly, I’m not sure how valuable this feature is, given the touchy nature of how the operator can inadvertently reset the machine using it. I find the regular Threshold setting more than adequate.
- Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) – VCO increases the beep pitch as your coil nears a target. This only works in the above-listed programs and Pinpointing. It essentially makes a regular swing sound like it’s pinpointing. I haven‘t found a need to use this yet, but I imagine it would be great for very small targets, especially in trashy areas.
- Iron Grunt – Also only works in the All Metal modes listed above. The strong grunt noise assigned to intense iron signals simply makes it obvious when a target is iron. This works very similarly to the Garrett AT Pro’s Iron Audio, so if you like it on that machine, you’ll like it here. I find it a bit obnoxious, especially in the old farming areas I hunt that are just full of iron trash, so I use it sparingly. When I’ve honed in on a specific target and really want to know if it’s iron, I’ll switch it on just for that, then turn it off again. Fortunately, the control panel makes that quick and easy.
Where
Though the MX Sport is fully submersible up to 10 feet deep, I haven’t had the chance to use mine that way yet. I will make sure to fully follow the steps to prepare for safe underwater operation in the manual before I do. I am aware that early production line models of this machine have had significant issues with housing leakage, requiring them to be returned to the manufacturer, but I got mine in October 2016 and haven’t had any issues myself or heard recently of anyone else continuing to have issues, so I believe White’s has gotten this one under control. I guess I’ll find out next spring when I take it in the river for the first time!
There are several swappable search coils available for the Sport, making it a versatile machine for just about any application. One thing I want to point out is that it’s a sturdy, well-built, durable unit, which adds some weight. Check out the drop test and other trials in this video.
How
At 4.2 lbs., it’s easily the heaviest machine I’ve ever used, but far lighter than any other White’s higher-end model. It was that weight of their older machines that kept me away from using them for so long, so I’m really thankful they’ve found a compromise in the design process. I believe one thing that makes the weight livable for me is the incredibly well-balanced distribution of the weight over the machine. I can usually hunt with it for about 15 minutes straight before I need to switch hands for a rest, and if I can do a little toning over the winter, I think I’ll have that up to a half-hour by spring. But I have now taken this baby on day-long hunts without discomfort.
Summary
Overall, I am extremely impressed with the White’s MX Sport as a general-use machine and one of the lower-priced but high-performing options for those needing a fully submersible machine. The fact that it operates on regular AA batteries and is so easy to learn makes it a strong intermediate machine but due to its many features, I would not recommend it for beginners. It would simply be overkill added to overwhelm, and wouldn’t be fair to the machine or a new user.
For anyone using it, I strongly recommend revisiting the manual several times, and really paying attention while you practice with it. You won’t learn this in a day or even a week, but your time will be well spent, because the many functions allow you to deeply personalize your detecting experience to the way you like it. The White’s MX Sport is a solid mid-range choice for those emerging from newbie-hood into intermediate user status, and it wouldn’t be anything to scoff at for the veteran user on a budget, either.
Update – June, 2017
I just have to add here that I recently added the Detech 13″ Ultimate DD Coil to my MX Sport accessories, and all I can say is WOW! This puppy is so powerful and deep-seeking that it has turned spots I (and quite a few of my digging buddies) have pounded hard for ten years back into productive sites! Areas that we thought we’d cleaned out because they’d gone silent have come back to life, with signals we never heard before! One particular area that we have hunted for a decade, a documented drilling ground for a local militia during the War of 1812, recently gave up a US box plate (yes, really!) from an area that has easily had coils pass over it a hundred times or more. It does add more weight to the machine, but I don’t find it a problem. When my arm gets tired, I just switch hands for a bit, then change back, and that works fine. So it’s a great way to extend the already formidable detecting power of an MS Sport!
Very well written evaluation of the new White’s MX Sport. As White’s dealers, I will refer my customers to your review for an unbiased view.
Mary, thanks so much for your kind words. I’m glad you’ll find my review helpful for your customers!
I am considering this detector and have found your review incredibly helpful. I especially appreciate your perspective as a woman regarding the weight of the MX Sport. I currently use a Garrett AT Pro and want to find something that will work in the wet sand of salt water beaches, something the AT Pro struggles with. I really like the display with VDI and target ID name. It seems so logical that I wonder why Garrett didn’t employ it. Thanks for writing a concise and well thought out review!
Hi, Madonna –
Thanks for visiting and for reaching out. I actually was using an AT Pro at the time I got my MX Sport. Quite honestly, I had been wavering for a long time, but the deciding factor was when I went water hunting down along the Delaware River near Philadelphia. In that location, the river becomes a tidal estuary, and the water is brackish (half salt/half fresh). My AT Pro was chattering like a freezing person’s teeth and I couldn’t get it to settle down. VERY frustrating. Then my friend comes by with his MX Sport and lets me listen in his phones — quiet as a church mouse except for his threshold hum, which he likes a bit louder than I do (to get those deep, whisper signals).
Well, out of loyalty to Garrett (because they really do make good machines and I learned on two of them and still love my Ace 250), I stuck with mine for another hour. But when my buddy pulled a silver reale out of an area I’d just gone over and heard nothing worthwhile, I nearly threw it in the river! Happily, he had an extra MX Sport with him and I used that the rest of the day. I can’t say I found a lot of good stuff, but I did find a LOT of stuff; and I had found zilch in 90 minutes with the AT Pro. So I can say with confidence that, as you found, yes — it struggles with saltwater, a lot.
And yes, the VDI and target ID name is very helpful (though not 100% accurate, like any machine). I also love the color interface (I’m very visually oriented and color is a big part of that, so for me particularly, that’s a helpful feature) and the backlight. I also like that I can wear polarized sunglasses and not get the weird wavy/oily-looking lines I get with the AT Pro’s LCD screen. The Sport’s screen is just more readable and contrasty at any time of day, period.
I agree about it being logical, but I’m honestly not surprised Garrett didn’t use it. Two reasons: One, it’s more expensive, and Garrett has really staked out the lower end of the price spectrum while still providing a decent performing machine, while White’s has always been comfortable holding strong at the mid-range prices for more high performance. It’s just where they find themselves, position-wise, in the market.
Secondly, I find that, with ALL the manufacturers, they get used to a certain look and a certain way of doing things, and they stick with it. Garrett likes those LCDs, while White’s is now moving away from them rather fast and furiously. I think they found a way to use the better contrast LED screens at a reasonable cost and figure most folks will be willing to pay that small premium. I’m betting they’re right, as I watch person after person on the Facebook groups abandoning their AT Pros for the MX Sport.
Given the chance, I’d make the same choice I already did, but you’ll need to weigh that for yourself. I can say that once I got my first White’s machine, I knew I’d never look back. Good luck, and happy hunting! Come back often!
You’ve help sway me in what I consider a positive direction. I’m going to buy the White’s and learn how to use it before our trip to Va Beach in September. Thank you so much!
You’re quite welcome, and I trust you’ll be happy with your purchase. That said, be aware that — as with any detector — it will behave differently on the water than on land. And also be aware that because of the way it works, the MX Sport will feel like the signal is slightly delayed compared to other machines until you get used to it. But once you do, I think you’ll find, as I did, that there’s no going back. Since you’ll be using the Sport, you can go out as far as the breaker line, where you’ll find a lot more stuff than you’ll find on the beach itself, particularly older stuff, even pirate treasure coins and relics sometimes! Here’s a good article to help get you started: http://detecting365.com/metal-detect-wide-open-beach-2/ Happy hunting, and I hope you find lots of goodies on the beach!
Just got back from buying the White’s MX Sport. I am fortunate to have Centreville Electronics just a short drive away. Now to put it to use. Thanks again for all your help.
Madonna, this is great! I think you’ll really like it, and I’d love it if you come back after you’ve used it a while and let us know what you think. Happy hunting, and have a productive, find-filled summer!
Thanks for the reference to our article on detecting365, loving your site!
Hi Mary
I just received the MX sport as a gift (I’m a beginner)(I know you said its not for beginners but here goes)still trying to figure it out. The manual can be a bit vague maybe because I’m new.
Paul, I wouldn’t recommend the MX Sport for a true beginner, simply because it has several layers of features to understand, and won’t be the easiest machine to learn. That said, it’s an incredibly capable detector, and will — if you TRULY TAKE THE TIME to read the manual, watch YouTube video tutorials, and get out there and practice (that’s most important) — reward your purchase richly. The biggest piece of advice I can give you right now is: Tackle ONE feature at a time. Once you are sure you know and understand that feature (why it’s there and how it works), get out and practice using it until it becomes second nature. Then move on to the next. Start with the basic features and move up to the advanced ones. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for needless frustration. Good luck, and happy swinging!
I have just ordered an MX Sport. For the last 20 years I’ve used my White’s 6000 di Pro sl with outstanding results, but now I want some new technology! Thank you for an excellent review.
All this being said for beach wet sand, a PI or MF machine is needed , as a single vlf does not detect to any reasonable depth in the wet surf sand it would be useless to do so, the PI machines along with the new Equinox 600 at least would be the way to go for wet surf sand. I enjoyed reading your review.
Paul, thanks for your kind words about my review.
I will agree with you to a point about needing a PI or MF machine for saltwater hunting. However, I have to share my recent personal experience that defies that wisdom as being hard-and-fast:
I actually took my MX Sport to Mexico with me last November, where I hunted on dry and wet sand on the beach, and in water to nearly over my head (I’m 5′-6″). It performed admirably on the beach in both dry and wet sand. It wasn’t till I got it in the water that I had to turn the sensitivity down to 3 to get it to stop chattering. That said, the Sport is a high-sensitivity machine to begin with, so turning it down to 3 wasn’t something I found of any particular handicap. I was still getting some banging signals.
Let’s face it: If you’re hunting in the ocean at the beach, you’re mostly looking for recently dropped bling, and that will mostly stay fairly close to the surface of the sand, because it moves around so much. So the low sens setting won’t do much to stop you.
But yes — if you’re mostly looking for old relics and coins and possibly stuff washed up from a shipwreck, you need a pulse induction or multi-frequency machine, no doubt. Those are the only ones stable enough not to chatter from the high saltwater mineralization.I appreciate you making the point, as it will be especially useful for beginners — my main audience — who don’t know about such things. Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment. I hope you stay around to continue contributing to what I hope is becoming a solid resource for beginning metal detectorists.
I’ve ran the coinmaster, mx5, Treasurepro, V3i, minelab equinox 800, and settled back down to the Mx sport. It’s a pretty Big Bang for the buck. Capable of doing anything the previously ones could do. The 2 things I dislike, is the software update. You have to send your machine in for it. And 2nd it doesn’t share the coils like the other machines.
Hi, Daryll – Thanks for weighing in on the various machines you’ve used. Since this is primarily a website for and about beginning metal detectorists, the only ones of the machines you mentioned that are really relevant to my target audience are the White’s Coinmaster and their TreasurePro. Having used both myself, I would agree they’re good machines. You may have seen my review of the TreasureMaster — one step below the TreasurePro, here on my site.
I haven’t used the MX5, but my friend DJ has one and I’ve watched him hunting with it. He used that and his MXT almost exclusively until the MX Sport came along. Now he switches back and forth between that and the newer MX7. So I think he’d agree with your take on the MX Sport being pretty versatile and a high performer, as would I.
Where I might differ would be that, though the MX Sport is my current machine, I have used both the XP Deus and the Minelab Equinox 800. And I would have to respectfully disagree that the MX Sport outperforms the Nox. I loved both of those higher-end machines, but found the Deus a bit less user friendly. The Nox, on the other hand, has a turn-on-and-go standard default program that allows even the non-techno-nerds among us to still leverage the amazing power of that machine. I spent a long day in the ocean with it last spring, and it truly blows the Sport out of the water in performance in that environment. When I tried the same thing in Mexican waters two years ago, the Sport chattered so bad I had to turn the sensitivity down to 3. Now granted, unless you’re looking for old pirate-era treasure, you’re probably gonna find plenty of recently dropped bling even on the 3 setting. Most folks would be happy with that, but since I’m more of a relic hunter, I would far rather find truly old coins or jewelry than modern bling. It’s not about the monetary value for me, but the historical value and the story it tells.
Which just goes to show, there are as many different ways to hunt and machine preferences as there are diggers! I appreciate your thoughts, and thanks again for reaching out.
hi wondering about new machines. ive been hunting on and off since 82 and like the mx sport as a whites machine, in old days I had whites eagle and whites spectrum so i know what to exspect similar sounds ive dug hi trash area at slower speeds and pulled 4 indian heads and one seated dime in circle as well as 11 in buttun and 13in 22 calaber so i know it goes deep on land is the nox really bettr then that ?am i missing deeper targets ?
Hi, John – This site is primarily for beginning metal detectorists, so I don’t usually comment on more advanced machines. But because I also swing a White’s MX Sport, and have hunted twice with the Nox 800, I feel qualified to answer your question. I also have found great targets at healthy depths of more than 10″ with my Sport, on a regular basis (especially when ground conditions are moist). That said, my experience is that the Nox is, indeed, a target-finding beast. I don’t know that I’d say it goes any deeper than my Sport, but it definitely does better with silver (I call it the Silver Sniffer!) at any depth. That silver tone is just so loud and clear, even in trashy areas, I just can’t get over it. And another thing I can say with absolute certainty is that the Nox performs five times better than the Sport in and around saltwater. I’ve hunted beaches and in the water, fully submerged, with both, and the Nox literally blows the Sport “out of the water” with its consistently strong performance. I have not had the chance to compare them in freshwater. My Sport does just great in freshwater streams and lakes. But the Sport was plagued from the beginning with control box leaks, whereas there’s been no such problems with the Nox.
All that said: As much as I love the Nox and wish I had one, my next machine (very soon, in fact) is going to be a Nokta Simplex+. By all accounts, that machine is giving the Nox a run for its money at a price point just below $300. For that $500 savings, the Nox would have to do something pretty spectacular to get me to buy it instead. Hope this is helpful for you.