I started detecting in 69', so I'm an old school twist the knobs, like simple, beep & dig guy. I've been swinging a Minelab Sovereign Elite on the beach for the last 16 years, audio & knobs only. Last year, I was fortunate to pick up a Dual Field PI that was previously owned & modded by OBN, audio only, 3 knobs, simple to operate. Early last year, I picked up a Minelab X-Terra Elite as a backup and for coinshooting on land. I could have bought the Manticore, but that's the opposite of simple. Also looked at the NOX 700 & 900, liked those, but the X-Terra Elite is from the same family, less expensive, and the specs are almost identical to the 700 & 900. Main differences are the 700 & 900 have some expanded ranges. Oh, and the coils are 1/2 the price of the NOX coils.
But when I thought about what I really needed, I really don't need expanded ranges. For instance, I've never run sensitivity full out. Sensitivity on my X-Terra Elite goes to 25, on the NOX 900 it goes to 28. But I don't need those extra 3 notches since I never get sensitivity up that high, lol. The X-Terra has the same features & controls of the 700 & 900, just fewer ranges of adjustments. Check out the Minelab X-Terra Elite, it might fit your needs. Waterproof to 16 feet, backlit screen, depth, target ID, variable tones & hunting modes, vibrating handle, adjustable grip length, even has a flashlight, lol. You can get the X-Terra by itself, but I recommend getting the Expedition Pack, which comes with the detector w/11" coil, an 8" coil, also came with a free Minelab Pro 40 pinpointer. Buying the Expedition Pack saves about $300 over buying everything separate.