Minelab VANQUISH 360 vs Nokta SIMPLEX Ultra

The decision in one sentence

Buy the VANQUISH 360 when you want a detector that makes the frequency decisions for you. Buy the SIMPLEX Ultra when you want to make more of the decisions yourself.

That distinction is more useful than comparing the number of modes or target IDs. The VANQUISH 360 uses Minelab's Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency processing through three simple modes. The SIMPLEX Ultra uses one 15 kHz frequency but exposes ground balance, recovery speed and detailed tone controls that the VANQUISH deliberately leaves out.

Neither approach is universally better. The right detector is the one whose strengths match the ground you can actually search.

Best for mixed ground and wet salt: VANQUISH 360

The VANQUISH 360 is the easier recommendation for a beginner who expects to move between parks, fields, dry sand and the conductive wet part of a beach. Multi-IQ processes more than one frequency during the search, while the Beach mode is designed to manage the broad response created by salt. You still need stable sensitivity and a level coil, but there are fewer setup choices to get wrong.

Its interface is intentionally compact: Park, Beach and All Metal modes, three target tones, five sensitivity levels and six discrimination segments. A new user can spend the first sessions learning repeatability, coil overlap and clean recovery instead of designing a custom audio programme.

The limitation appears once you want to tune around a difficult inland site. Recovery behaviour, tone break and detailed audio shaping are not the point of this model. The target scale may show 119 values, but the six discrimination segments mean it should not be mistaken for a highly granular notch system.

Best for inland control: SIMPLEX Ultra

The SIMPLEX Ultra is more instructive for a settings-led beginner. Its six modes cover Field, Park, 4 Tone, 99 Tone, Beach and All Metal, while the menu provides automatic or manual ground balance, recovery-speed adjustment, tone break, tone frequency and tone volume. These are meaningful controls rather than decorative extras: they change how quickly adjacent targets separate and how accepted ranges sound.

At 15 kHz it is a versatile single-frequency detector for coins, general relics and ordinary inland permissions. The larger 11-inch round coil gives efficient coverage on clean pasture and cultivated ground. Bluetooth audio is another practical advantage if cable-free headphones are important, although compatibility and latency should be checked before buying a headset.

The trade-off is wet salt. Beach mode and ground adjustment can settle difficult sand, but one 15 kHz frequency does not become simultaneous multi-frequency because the screen says Beach. Expect to lower sensitivity and accept some loss of response where salt, black sand and moving water combine.

Field and pasture performance

On ordinary inland soil both detectors can find small coins and general artefacts within practical VLF depth. The SIMPLEX Ultra gives the experienced operator more ways to adapt. A lower recovery setting can favour smoother responses in clean ground; a faster setting may help separate close targets in iron, with the usual cost in response strength on marginal targets.

The VANQUISH 360 takes a calmer route. Select Park for modern recreation ground or use the most suitable general mode, then concentrate on repeatable responses. Its smaller elliptical coil is easier to place between stubble, tussocks and iron than the SIMPLEX's broader round coil. A larger coil does not automatically go deeper when it receives more ground and adjacent metal at the same time.

For either machine, begin with the factory profile, run the model's recommended setup, and raise sensitivity only until operation remains stable. The pasture field plan explains permission, lanes and careful turf recovery.

Wet and dry beach performance

Dry upper sand behaves much like mild inland ground, so both detectors can work well there. The decision changes below the damp line. Salt water makes the sand electrically conductive and can create a wide ground response that looks like many targets to an unsuitable setup.

The VANQUISH 360 has the clearer advantage on wet salt sand because Multi-IQ and Beach processing are central to the design. The SIMPLEX Ultra remains usable with its Beach mode, ground balance and a conservative sensitivity setting, but it asks more of the operator and may not remain as quiet when conditions vary every few metres.

Both detectors are IP68 rated for immersion to 5 m. That protects the complete machine within the stated conditions; it does not remove tide, surf or recovery risk. Wireless radio also does not work reliably under water, so submerged audio needs the exact compatible arrangement in the manual. Read wet sand versus dry sand before taking either machine below the tide line.

Target IDs are not a common language

The VANQUISH's 119-point target scale and the SIMPLEX's 01–99 scale cannot be translated with a simple chart. Processing, coil, mode, depth, target angle and nearby iron all change the displayed number. A value learned on one detector is not a reliable identity on the other.

The SIMPLEX Ultra gives more audio information through its tone options, while the VANQUISH keeps three target tones. That makes the SIMPLEX more expressive once learned and the VANQUISH less distracting on day one. On both machines, cross the target from two directions and judge sound, stability and shape together. Our target ID guide explains why one number is evidence rather than identification.

Balance, shafts and coils

The 40 g listed-weight difference is too small to decide the purchase by itself. Balance, shaft length and the coil's leverage matter more over a long session. The VANQUISH 360's 10-by-7-inch elliptical V10X coil creates a compact search footprint. The SIMPLEX Ultra's 11-inch SX28 coil covers more open ground but places more area ahead of the hand.

Adjust either shaft while wearing the boots and outer layer used in the field. The coil should rest close to the ground with a relaxed elbow and without pulling the shoulder forward. A poorly adjusted light detector can feel worse than a slightly heavier balanced one.

The SIMPLEX Ultra uses a full carbon-fibre shaft and collapses into a compact format. The VANQUISH also packs down for transport. If iron separation or confined ground becomes the priority, check the manufacturer's exact compatible smaller coils rather than buying by connector shape alone.

Controls and learning curve

The VANQUISH 360 suits someone who wants a dependable factory-led process: choose the ground mode, set a stable sensitivity and search. Its fixed high iron-bias behaviour and compact discrimination system reduce decisions, but also reduce the scope to experiment.

The SIMPLEX Ultra rewards a methodical notebook. Change one variable, test it over the same buried or surface targets, and record the result. Recovery speed and tone controls can clarify a site, but aggressive settings can also make deep targets shorter, noisier or harder to recognise. Ninety-nine tones are not automatically more informative than four tones if every response becomes tiring.

Waterproofing and aftercare

Both control units, shafts and coils are rated as complete waterproof detectors to 5 m, subject to the manufacturer's instructions. Inspect charging-port covers, coil connectors and seals before immersion. After salt use, rinse permitted parts with fresh water and let the charging area become completely clean and dry before connecting power.

Do not assume a waterproof detector is maintenance-free. Sand inside a cam lock or under a coil cover can cause wear and false signals. Follow our beach cleaning sequence after every coastal trip.

Which one should you buy?

Choose the VANQUISH 360 if:

• wet salt sand will be a regular search area;
• you want automatic simultaneous multi-frequency operation;
• a small, uncomplicated control set is reassuring;
• a compact elliptical coil suits your sites.

Choose the SIMPLEX Ultra if:

• most searches will be on fields, pasture, parks or freshwater margins;
• you want to learn ground balance, recovery speed and tone control;
• Bluetooth audio and a larger supplied coil matter;
• you accept that wet salt may require a more conservative setup.

If your priority is a more adjustable detector that also runs simultaneous multi-frequency, move up to the multi-frequency shortlist rather than asking either of these machines to become something it is not.

Before the first search

Read the exact manual, charge the detector, fit the coil cable without strain and practise on several known targets in clean ground. Check permission for the exact site and agree the recovery method before arriving. Start in the relevant factory mode and change only one setting at a time; the first useful upgrade is controlled technique, not a custom programme copied from a different field.