Mid-range machines
Nokta Double Score vs Simplex Ultra: A $50 Step Up to Multi-Frequency
Quick answer
Buy the Nokta Double Score at $349.00. For about $50 more than Nokta Simplex Ultra at $299.00, Nokta adds simultaneous multi-frequency, built-in Bluetooth and a rechargeable 3250 mAh battery rated for up to 12 hours. The Simplex Ultra remains the cheaper entry point and its carbon fibre shaft is a real difference, but the Double Score is the better machine for a small step in price.
Nokta Double Score
$349.00Simultaneous multi-frequency (SMF), Bluetooth enabled, rechargeable 3250 mAh battery up to 12 hours, fully waterproof IP68 to 16 ft.
Best for: a waterproof multi-frequency machine around $350
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Nokta Simplex Ultra
$299.00Fully waterproof to 16 ft, carbon fibre shaft retracting to 25 in, 2.6 lb, firmware updates over USB, Bluetooth headphones not included.
Best for: wading, surf and wet ground on a mid budget
Check price on AmazonWithin Nokta's own lineup, the gap between Nokta Simplex Ultra and Nokta Double Score is one of the smallest price steps in this catalog for one of the largest capability jumps: $299.00 to $349.00, roughly $50, for simultaneous multi-frequency (SMF) technology, built-in Bluetooth and a rechargeable 3250 mAh battery good for up to 12 hours. The Simplex Ultra answers back with a carbon fibre shaft that retracts to 25 inches and a lighter 2.6 lb weight, and Nokta explicitly states its Bluetooth headphones are not included, a detail the Double Score listing does not need to mention because Bluetooth is built in.
Both publish full IP68 waterproofing to 16 feet and firmware updates over USB, so the waterproofing argument that separates other pairings in this batch does not apply here, both machines already clear that bar. The decision comes down to whether simultaneous multi-frequency and Bluetooth are worth $50 to you, and for nearly everyone reading this, they are. The Double Score settings chart is where to start once it arrives.
Top pick
Nokta Double Score
Simultaneous multi-frequency, built-in Bluetooth and a rechargeable battery for about $50 more than the Simplex Ultra, which is close to a free upgrade.
Price was accurate when this page was compiled and changes often.
On this page
Why is this the smallest gap in this whole batch?
Because Nokta is not asking you to pay for a different platform, it is asking you to pay for the multi-frequency chip and a Bluetooth radio bolted onto essentially the same body. That is unusual: most of the pairings in this file involve trading physical build quality, coil count or brand ecosystem for capability. Here, the Simplex Ultra's carbon fibre shaft is arguably the nicer physical object, and the Double Score is simply the smarter electronics inside a comparable one. Judge this pairing on capability per dollar, not on which one feels better in the hand.
How do the published specifications compare?
Both listings are unusually complete, which makes this an easy table to trust.
The Double Score publishes multi-frequency, Bluetooth and a rechargeable battery that the Simplex Ultra listing does not match, while the Simplex Ultra publishes a lighter weight and a carbon fibre shaft.
| Model | Price | Frequency type | Stock coil | Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nokta Double Score | $349.00 | Multi-frequency | - | - |
| Nokta Simplex Ultra | $299.00 | - | 11 in | Carbon fibre shaft |
Figures are taken from each manufacturer's own published listing and specification sheet. A dash means the maker does not publish that figure for that model, not that the feature is absent.
Where do the two listings actually differ?
The two machines tie on waterproofing and firmware updates, and the Double Score pulls ahead on frequency handling, connectivity and battery, for about $50 more.
| Specification | Nokta Double Score | Nokta Simplex Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.00 | $299.00 |
| Frequency handling | Simultaneous multi-frequency (SMF) | Not published in this listing |
| Bluetooth | Built in | Not included |
| Battery | Rechargeable 3250 mAh, up to 12 hours | Not published in this listing |
| Waterproof rating | IP68, 16 ft (5 m) | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Shaft | Not published in this listing | Carbon fibre, retracts to 25 in |
| Weight | Not published in this listing | 2.6 lb (1.2 kg) |
| Firmware updates | Over USB | Over USB |
Drawn from the Nokta Double Score and Simplex Ultra listings in our catalog. Both listings are relatively complete, so the gaps that remain are genuine rather than a difference in how thoroughly Nokta markets each one.
Choose the Double Score if
You can find the extra $50, in which case there is little reason not to. Built-in Bluetooth removes a future purchase, a rechargeable battery removes the ongoing cost of AAs, and simultaneous multi-frequency helps on salt sand and mineralized ground the Simplex Ultra's unpublished single frequency may struggle with. The Nokta frequency chart by model and Equinox 700 vs The Legend put the Double Score's multi-frequency into context against Nokta's higher tiers.
Choose the Simplex Ultra if
The absolute lowest price for a fully waterproof Nokta matters more than multi-frequency, or you specifically prefer the feel of the carbon fibre shaft and the lighter 2.6 lb weight over the Double Score's unpublished figures on both counts. The full Simplex Ultra review and Simplex Ultra target ID chart are the next two pages, and Simplex Ultra vs Garrett ACE 400 is the cross-brand version of this same budget bracket.
Where the rest of the budget should go
Toward recovery speed, not toward a second coil for either of these. Nokta PulseDive Pinpointer doubles as a scuba pointer if either machine goes in the water, and Garrett Pro-Pointer AT is the universal choice otherwise. The beginner setup lists the rest of a sensible first kit in price order, and the battery runtime calculator is worth running against the Double Score's rechargeable spec before a long day trip.
Neither machine needs a bigger coil to be a genuinely useful first detector, and the money is almost always better spent recovering targets faster than searching a little deeper. Treat the coil upgrade as a later decision once you know your actual sites.
Sources
- Nokta Double Score product listing and specifications
- Nokta Simplex Ultra product listing and specifications
Frequently asked questions
Is $50 really worth multi-frequency and Bluetooth?
For nearly everyone, yes. Fifty dollars is a small fraction of either machine's price, and multi-frequency operation genuinely changes how a detector reads salt sand and mineralized soil, while built-in Bluetooth and a rechargeable battery remove two future purchases. Stick with the Simplex Ultra only if that specific $50 is the difference between buying and not buying at all.
Are both of these fully waterproof to the same depth?
Yes. Nokta publishes an IP68 rating to 16 feet (5 meters) for the Double Score and a 16 foot rating for the Simplex Ultra, so waterproofing is not a differentiator between them. Both are suitable for wading and shallow submersion; check the current manual before diving with either one, since IP68 ratings are not the same as dive certifications.
Does the Simplex Ultra take replaceable batteries or is it rechargeable?
Not published in this listing. Nokta's Simplex Ultra listing in our catalog does not state the battery type, unlike the Double Score, which explicitly publishes a rechargeable 3250 mAh lithium polymer battery rated for up to 12 hours. Check the current Simplex Ultra manual for its battery type before planning a long day away from a charger.
Can I run the Double Score without using Bluetooth at all?
Yes. Built-in Bluetooth is a connectivity option, not a requirement, and the Double Score functions with standard wired headphones or its own speaker like any other detector. If you have no interest in wireless audio, that feature simply goes unused rather than getting in your way, and the multi-frequency and battery improvements remain the more relevant upgrades over the Simplex Ultra.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published specifications, manuals and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Target ID numbers, depth figures and settings vary with soil chemistry, moisture, target size, depth, orientation and firmware version, so treat every figure here as a starting point and verify it against your own machine's manual and your own ground. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.