Why choose the ORX

The metal detecting world has never been more competitive, especially within the mid-range models.
Many manufacturers have dropped their prices in order to compete with others. I think XP have been wise to stick to their guns and not follow these trends, and here’s why.
In order to reduce price something has to suffer, very often this is build quality and reliability, mainly due to out sourcing production or cheaper components.
XP have remained steady and insisted everything is carried out “in house” in order to keep up their high standards.
Is the XP ORX multi-frequency?
No, it is a single frequency with several operating frequencies to choose from depending on your coil choices.
However, I challenge anyone to find this to be a lesser performer against a Multi-frequency machine on an ancient inland site.

XP ORX metal detector with WSA headphones

Amazon price £599

XP ORX metal detector best price

What are the features

I will only touch on a few features of what I think makes the XP ORX a worthwhile investment in 2024.
And the first thing is indeed investment, the ORX has a very strong following, so it will hold good resale value in years to come.
Menus and Features
The ORX has 4 factory pre-set programs, 2 for Gold hunting and 2 for inland searching, plus 2 empty slots for custom user programs.
Language choices
The XP ORX has the option to change the interface to suit your language, there are lots of choices.
Other features
Configuration – Speaker – Backlight – Contrast – Go Terrain – Update

Programs -save – delete.

Coils – Choose your desired coil.

Headset – Pair with WSA

Pin pointer – Pair with MI-6 – Remove – Research

Let’s not forget about the wireless connectivity, not just the headphones, but the coil and the RC….now that’s special!

XP ORX metal detector pictured near a waterfall

How would I describe the ORX

As soon as you pick up the ORX you can instantly feel it’s lighter than the Deus, 70g does not sound much, but the machine feels so fast and nimble, the new S Lite stem deploys in exactly the same way as the original stem.
While swinging the ORX through the stubble I began thinking about XP’s target customers, where will it fall in the 2024 marketplace, is it a Gold machine or is it a coin machine, at that point just by chance the headphones rang out a solid mid-tone with a strong target ID.
After a quick dig a nice Medieval hammered coin looked up at me, I remember thinking neither it’s a Silver machine !

The XP ORX with a silver medieval coin
XP ORX target identification

Target ID and interface
This is another interesting concept, when a target is detected the screen turns to a bigger visual display with an added Iron probability scale.

XP ORX pinpointer choices

Pin Pointer connectivity
The XP ORX can connect wirelessly to the XP MI-6 pin pointer, when connected it has a research mode, so you can find a lost pin pointer.

Could the XP ORX be improved?

It would have been nice to have seen an update for this metal detector, although it is a great little workhorse, it could easily have been taken to the next level with a small update, perhaps in the future, who knows.
I guess by giving it more features, you are now heading towards XP Deus 1 territory, and this is where things may get confusing.
2 tones and full tones
I would really like to see a 2 tone and full tone audio option, plus an audio response feature to compliment.
I find 2 tones give a nice, crisp response and make it much easier to define targets next to iron.
Now throw in an adjustable tone pitch / tone breaks, and we are cooking on Gas.
3 tones just don’t do it for me, and never has, perhaps an adjustable 3 tone will be a compromise, so the user could assign 2 tone ranges to the same audio pitch.
I am sure for the US market 3 tones is the better choice for coin hunting.
Is it a worthwhile investment in 2024?
Yes I think it is, because it is a modular machine, if you have an XP ORX and later wish to update to an XP Deus 1, all you need to do is buy the Deus 1 RC, because the ORX stem, coils, and WSA headphones are all compatible.
I think you really get what you pay for in this hobby, models change fast, good ones stick around.
Perhaps having a 5-year warranty helps to inspire confidence.