Headphones Review (Sun Ray Pro Gold vs. Black Widow)


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I was a little bored tonight so I thought I'd type up a quick review of some new headphones I got.

To start off I've been using Sun Ray Pro Gold headphones like these for about two years now:

SUN_RAY_PRO_GOLD_-_CUP_SIDE_-_ORIGINAL.j

I've put them through the ringer here in southern Arizona and beat on them pretty hard poking my head under mesquite trees and dropping them on rocks a few times. They've worked just fine without any issues. Found some nice gold with them too ;)

However last paycheck I decided to mix things up a little and I bought a pair of Black Widow headphones like these (which you can buy at http://www.robsdetectors.com):

0000198_black_widow_400.jpeg

To my surprise whilst comparing the two I noticed some interesting contrasts between them that motivated me to write this review.

First off the construction of the Sun Rays seemed to be the most robust between the two. The wires were just a little thicker than the Black Widows and the ear cups and headband are made of leather. The Black Widows are vinyl. Overall the Sun Rays are less bulkier than the Black Widows too.

The volume knobs on the Sun Rays allow for finer volume adjustment as well. The knobs on the Black Widows want to "click" for each volume setting so you can't tune them as finely.

The Sun Rays also blocked a lot more ambient noise than the Black Widows. I put on both pairs of headphones in my office with the music on my stereo turned up to test out how well they blocked ambient/outside noise and the Sun Rays really hugged my ears better and blocked out a lot more of the music. I think this is due in part to the nice leather ear cups they have.

However once I plugged the headphones into my GPZ 7000 and did some sound tests things changed in favor for the Black Widows.

The Black Widows were noticeably LOUDER than the Sun Rays. Sure the Sun Rays blocked out ambient noise better but the speakers in the Black Widows were just louder. It was even to the point were I had to turn the Black Widows down a notch on the volume knobs, which I liked.

The sound quality of the Black Widows had a much higher pitch to them as well. More "treble" to put it plainly. How that translates to the "language" of my GPZ 7000 in the field I'll be curious to test in the next few weeks.

When I switched back to the Sun Rays the sound quality was just a little more monotone and muted to my ears compared to the Black Widows.

So there you have it. I think the Sun Rays are built a little better but the Black Widows are noticeably louder. Can't wait to (hopefully) dig some gold with the Black Widows on my next hunt in a few days. I'll keep both pairs around and experiment with both of them to see which one comes out on top.

It's also worth noting that the "volume limiter" switch on both the Sun Rays and Black Widows didn't seem to do anything or "cut off" the volume on any of the targets I overloaded my GPZ 7000 with.

Both headphones also carry limited lifetime warranties.

- Chris

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Hi Chris,

Very interesting review. I happen to own the same headphones that you do.

I especially appreciate the Black Widows higher available pitch

as that is the hearing range that I have hearing loss in.

The one huge problem I have with Black Widows is the tightness of the headphone frame,

it actually is too tight on my head…I haven't tried to modify that - yet.

That being said I have found the Sun Ray Gold Pro's my go-to headphones

they are easy on the head, they block noise vey well and their adjustability is great.

Thanks for taking the time to inform us.

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Hi Chris,

Very interesting review. I happen to own the same headphones that you do.

I especially appreciate the Black Widows higher available pitch

as that is the hearing range that I have hearing loss in.

The one huge problem I have with Black Widows is the tightness of the headphone frame,

it actually is too tight on my headI haven't tried to modify that - yet.

That being said I have found the Sun Ray Gold Pro's my go-to headphones

they are easy on the head, they block noise vey well and their adjustability is great.

Thanks for taking the time to inform us.

I've got kind of a big head. As an example most of the guys at work got fitted for Large helmets and I took an XL.

The opposite seemed true for me. The Sun Rays fit down on my head the tightest. I could shake my head back and forth without them slipping. The Black Widows were looser. Which for me might be why they didn't block as much ambient noise. But like I said its kind of par for the course because the speakers in them are louder. However if they get yanked off my head out in the field breaking through some brush or something I might not be too happy.

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Hey Guys,

I never have used the Sun Ray headphones, but heard great things about them. I have always been a DetectorPro guy. I started with the GrayGhost, then the Gray Ghost Ultimates for many years, then tried the Nuggetbusters and then the release of the Black Widow's. For the last 6-7 years I have only used the Black Widow's. I think they have the highest audio output and fit my head right.

Another plus is Gary Storm at DetectorPro is a stand up guy and fixes any issues with the DetectorPro headphones right away. I will pay a bit more knowing there is a lifetime warranty and top notch support anyday.

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Can't wait to try out the Black Widows in a few days out in the field and see how they really sound. They have quite a different tone than the Sun Rays that I'm used to. We'll see if that's a good or bad thing. If anything I think I'll appreciate a little increase in volume.

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Yo All ... I've used the Black Widows for at least 8 years and really love them ... Downside is that I've damn near stood on top of several Joe NoShoulders and didn't hear them with those on ... I own 2 pairs that both have little shorts in them and, while Gary has been great, for a while, at helping when they have a problem, he felt that my SD2100 was too loud or something and creating the problems ... So I just live with the shorts in them not wanting to bother him any more ... I do feel the Black Widows are the very best detectors out there and have tried many other brands with none even coming close to the sound enhancement and sensitivity ... I recommend them for nugget shooting, tho' I do suggest you have a repair ability, either field solder or just plain old electrical tape or shrink wrap as back up ... Cheers, Unc

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99% of the fault occurs where the wire enters the ear cup, this is caused by improper slack in the wire when folding the phones or folding them back wards and crimping the wires.

Tug the wires out from the headband to create more slack and be careful how you fold them up.

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Well I broke the Black Widows in today and managed to find a little .6 gram dink.

The Black Widows were a lot louder than the Sun Rays I'm used to. I even switched my GPZ 7000 from Auto Smoothing Off to On because the raw threshold was a little too much after awhile.

When you're on a target or just happen to swing over some trash the Black Widows really BOOM.

Next week I'll probably switch out to the Sun Rays and go over the same ground to see if I missed anything.

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Just for the record repairs on the Sun Ray Pro's are also quick and inexpensive. I paid postage to them and they did it back to me. Used them for the last 4 years ... haven't tried the Black Widows for more than a couple minutes while testing another guys machine. I'm sure all will find they are superior to the UR30's that come with the pulse machines from Minelab.

Mike

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3 November 2015 at 10:41 PM, nvchris said:

99% of the fault occurs where the wire enters the ear cup, this is caused by improper slack in the wire when folding the phones or folding them back wards and crimping the wires.

Tug the wires out from the headband to create more slack and be careful how you fold them up.

 

I know this as I am currently replacing mine with 6 core multi strand wire,I am just going to double up on the wires,added insurance if it happens again I have a backup wire

Other than that I give them a 10/10 for quality,

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I've had other headphones and I still have one that takes a battery but the Black Widow has been the one I like the most. I ordered it from Rob some years back and the only trouble I've had is too much fat between the ears.

Headphones you get from Minelab I've never been able to keep them on my head. I just keep them in case I sell that detector.

Whatever headphones you buy be willing to put out money for a good set. Reviews like this should help you make the right decision the first time. This way you have more money to spend on that detector.

Chuck Anders

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  • 3 weeks later...

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