The DEUS II platform – a brief overview

Since its launch in 2021, the XP DEUS II has established itself as a reference detector in the top class. It combines FMF® multi-frequency technology (Fast Multi Frequency, 4–45 kHz, 49 single frequencies), complete wireless operation via XP's proprietary digital wireless protocol, IP68 waterproofing of coil and remote control to 20 metres and a weight that clearly beats all comparable multi-frequency detectors for comfort.

What sets this detector apart from others, however, is above all one thing: the platform keeps growing. Every update – they are all free – has not only stabilised the detector but extended its core capabilities. V2.0 brought compatibility with the XTREM HUNTER deep-seeking system, V3.0 the HF2 high-frequency coil, V3.1 higher gold nugget sensitivity. V4.0 and V4.1 are now the biggest step so far: a fundamentally new detection architecture.

V4.0 & V4.1 – what has really changed?

To understand the three new headphones, you first need to understand what V4.0 means technologically. Until now, every metal detector – no matter how many frequencies it transmits at once – delivered exactly one detection result per swing. One channel, one compromise: either high reactivity for separation or low reactivity for depth.

V4.0 removes this compromise for the first time. With the update, the DEUS II processes two completely independent detection channels simultaneously in a single swing – with one coil. Channel 1 and channel 2 can have different reactivity values, different modes (motion and non-motion) and different audio characteristics. Each channel sends its own audio signal – left for channel 1, right for channel 2. That is stereo multi-processing.

Multi-processing: two detectors in one swing

The basic principle sounds radical but is immediately understandable: channel 1 (left ear) runs, for example, with low reactivity – it listens deep into the ground and merges closely spaced targets into one signal. Channel 2 (right ear) runs at the same time with high reactivity – it separates closely spaced targets and can pick out non-ferrous metal beneath the carpet of iron in a ploughed field. Both pieces of information arrive in real time in the same swing. No switching, no second pass.

V4.0 also allows motion and non-motion mode to be used in parallel: channel 1 as a classic discrimination program (swing required), channel 2 as a static all-metal mode. For the first time, the detectorist combines separation and maximum depth perception in a single pass.

Audio morphing & chorus

Morphing audio dynamically transforms the sound the closer you get to a target: a target at great depth sounds different on the first pass than the same target directly under the coil. Distance to the target thus becomes audible without looking at the display. The chorus effect widens weak, deep signals in the stereo field – they become more present and easier to hear above the background noise.

V4.1 – the complete ecosystem (4 March 2026)

V4.0 had one drawback: it was not allowed to be installed without ST headphones. Anyone who installed V4.0 on a detector with an old WS6 or WSA II ended up with silent headphones. V4.1 solves this problem completely: all headphone models can now be updated. Multi-processing remains reserved for the ST headphones – but the new audio features, improved wireless stability and the MI-6 improvements are available to everyone.

WS6 ST – headphones, control unit and stereo master in one

The WS6 ST is the most technically sophisticated of the three new headphone models – and at the same time the most versatile. It is not only a stereo wireless headphone, but can also control the DEUS II completely without the remote control. The detachable WS6 module with graphic display (64×64 pixels) can be removed from the neckband and mounted directly on the S telescopic shaft – the lightest DEUS II configuration ever possible: from 750 g with the 22.5 cm coil.

Three operating modes of the WS6 ST

WSA ST – the proven neckband, now in true stereo

The WSA ST is the direct stereo successor to the WSA II – in the view of many dealers the best-selling DEUS II headphones of all. It keeps everything that made the WSA II convincing: light, foldable, ambient sounds remain audible, no display (controlled via RC or WS6), robust build. New are the stereo microprocessor architecture, USB-C instead of micro-USB and – with V4.0 or higher – the full multi-processing menu with dual-channel audio.

For existing RC users it is the simplest and often cheapest way into the stereo ecosystem: no need to buy a new control unit, just swap the headphones. The WSA ST stays as light and unobtrusive as its predecessor – 72 g that you simply forget about on long sessions.

WSA XL ST – over-ear with stereo and maximum noise isolation

The WSA XL ST is the large, closed over-ear headphone of the ST family – the stereo development of the WSA II XL. If you search on the beach with the noise of the surf, are out on windy fields or simply prefer the intense sound immersion of closed headphones, this is the one for you. The ear cups isolate background noise so effectively that weak signals can be heard even more clearly.

The WSA XL ST is the most robust headphone of the new ST series for wind and weather. Please note: like all DEUS II wireless headphones, it is not waterproof – for diving you need the optional bone conduction headphones. Its compact, foldable design makes it surprisingly portable despite its 250 g – it fits into any detecting bag.

All DEUS II headphones compared side by side

With the three new ST models, there are now six different wireless headphones for the DEUS II in total. Here they all are at a glance – including the decisive differences:

Multi-processing in practice – what really changes?

The technological promise sounds impressive. But what does dual-channel audio mean in everyday use in the field?

Field scenario 1: old site littered with iron

The classic dilemma for every detectorist on medieval fields: low reactivity hears deep but blurs the difference between closely spaced targets. High reactivity separates well but misses deep targets with little surface area. With multi-processing, channel 1 (left ear) runs at low reactivity and channel 2 (right ear) at high reactivity – at the same time. You hear both pieces of information in real time and only then decide whether it is worth digging. The compromise no longer exists.

Field scenario 2: motion and non-motion in parallel

Channel 1 runs in classic motion discrimination mode – it separates iron from non-ferrous metal and delivers reliable target IDs. Channel 2 runs as a static all-metal non-motion mode – it responds to any metal mass, even without a swing, even at the greatest depth. No single mode can do both on its own. With V4 the DEUS II can.

Field scenario 3: morphing as an audible depth gauge

Audio morphing changes the sound dynamically the closer you get to a target. A weak, deep signal on the first pass sounds different from the same signal when the coil is almost on top of it. This gives the detectorist an audible sense of depth – without having to take their eyes off the ground and look at the display.

Buying advice – which headphones suit whom?

The sound quality is the same on all three ST models – all provide multi-processing from V4.0 with the same new hardware. The difference lies solely in form factor, range of functions and main area of use.

Technical data – XP DEUS II with V4.1

Strengths & limitations

Rating

Conclusion

With V4.1 on 4 March 2026, the XP DEUS II has fully grown up. All six headphone models run on a common firmware, and the entire ecosystem – including the MI-6 pinpointer and XTREM HUNTER – works on the same level. The three new stereo headphones WS6 ST, WSA ST and WSA XL ST complement each other without overlap: if you want maximum control and minimum weight, go for the WS6 ST. If you want the lightest stereo upgrade for your existing system, choose the WSA ST. If you want to defy the beach, wind and cold, you need the WSA XL ST.

What all three have in common: true stereo hardware, the full multi-processing menu from V4, 15 hours of battery life, USB-C, a 5-year warranty and the build quality of a product made in France. And they all unlock a capability that simply never existed in metal detecting before: two detectors in a single swing.

If you are buying a new DEUS II today, you should go straight for a set with ST headphones – the new models are available at prices that more than justify the added value. If you already own a DEUS II, update to V4.1 – free, straight away – and then decide in peace whether the investment in ST headphones is worth it. The answer: yes, it is.