Garrett Vortex VX9 Review: The Multi-Frequency Answer, on a New Platform

The two things AT owners complain about. First, salt water: the AT machines are single-frequency, and single frequency cannot separate a target from conductive sea water. The VX9 publishes simultaneous multi-frequency and a high-resolution ground balance system that Garrett describes as spanning saltwater to highly mineralised soil, which is the capability the older platform never had.

Second, waterproofing and power. Garrett publishes 16 feet of submersion here against 10 feet on the Garrett AT Pro and Garrett AT Max, and replaces disposable cells with an internal lithium-ion battery published at up to 15 hours per charge over USB-C, which also carries firmware updates. Add published frequency choices of 5, 9, 13, 18 and 25 kHz and the machine covers the span from the silver and copper coin end of the frequency chart up to where small jewellery starts to respond.

Published figures only. This is the bracket where the VX9 has to beat two well-established machines.

This is the part of the Vortex proposition that buyers should understand before choosing a tier, because Garrett sells software upgrades rather than only hardware.

Coils are the real cost here. The Garrett AT line has a mature aftermarket: the Garrett 5 by 8 DD PROformance Coil for working between nails, Mars Sniper 10 by 6 DD Coil as a middle elliptical, NEL Hunter 12.5 by 8.5 Coil for AT Pro for coverage. The Equinox platform has Minelab own range plus Coiltek 10 by 5 NOX Search Coil and Coiltek 15 inch NOX Search Coil. For the Vortex platform, none of that exists in this catalog yet. A second coil is the cheapest meaningful upgrade in detecting and the one that decides what you find on trashy ground, as the coil size chart sets out, and on a new platform you wait for it.

The second weakness is what is not in the box. Garrett publishes Z-Lynk wireless operation on the VX9 and lists compatible headphones as sold separately across the Vortex range, so add Garrett MS-3 Z-Lynk Wireless Headphones at $107.99 to the real price. Compare that with the Minelab Equinox 700, which publishes low-latency wireless headphones included. Once you add headphones, the price advantage over an Equinox narrows considerably.

Third, the software-tier model. Garrett publishes the VX5 as upgradeable to VX7 or VX9 through paid software upgrades, which means the cheaper machines are partly the same hardware with capability switched off. That is a reasonable way to sell detectors and it does mean a buyer should check whether upgrading a lower tier costs more or less than buying the VX9 outright before ordering.

Published owner reviews are fewer than for the established machines, which is itself the most useful thing to say about a young platform: there is less accumulated evidence to rely on. The reports that do exist consistently praise the ergonomics and the battery, with the 2.9 lb figure and the 24.75 inch collapsed length making it an easy machine to carry and pack, and the 15 hour charge removing the AA habit entirely.

The second consistent theme is that Garrett users find the interface familiar, and that the multi-frequency performance on wet sand is the upgrade AT owners were waiting for. The recurring criticism is the accessory situation: no aftermarket coils yet, headphones separate, and a smaller pool of owners to ask when something is unclear. Owners also consistently note that Garrett publishes 2.9 lb bare and 3.05 lb with the coil cover fitted, which is unusually candid and worth remembering when comparing with makers who do not say what their figure includes.

Buy it if:

• You want simultaneous multi-frequency and 16 feet of submersion for less than an Equinox 700.
• You are a Garrett owner who wants the salt water capability the AT line never had.
• You value a sealed lithium battery and USB-C charging over swapping cells.
• You will hunt with the stock coil and are not waiting on a small one.

Skip it if:

• Your ground is trashy and you need a small aftermarket coil now rather than eventually.
• You want headphones in the box, which the Equinox 700 publishes.
• You want the largest owner community and the most settings advice available.
• You want two coils included, which the Nokta Legend Pro Pack offers.