The closest comparison to the E-trac is the Explorer. Even though we know it's not one, the Etrac, for me is a "formidable" detector.
I found the ETrac has an edge over the Explorer or any other detector I currently own.
It may not be the BEST for someone else, but seeing as I am talking about me here............that's all that matters for now.
If you stay within the "safe" limits of operation with the E-trac , then it's so smooth and stable.
If you decide to take it beyond the recommend settings and/or Sensitivity, then one needs to be prepared for the spill over of instability and needs to rethink the way they interpret the signals.
Watching that video at the MLO:
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?63,845917,845917#msg-845917
on the way Niel Jones sets up his E-trac, sort of reminds me how I search a field over here.
I just don't use headphones, mainly so as it won't drive me bananas listening to all those spurious sounds.
Until I get a set of headphones with volume control, it'll be the way I search especially for the old stuff.
When he starts searching the field, there were a few times I thought he was going to stop and dig what I thought and heard what seemed a "viable" detected target. He just kept searching and digging what were low tone's.
Makes me wonder if one can remain sane hearing all those false signals coming through all the time during a hunt.
Maybe this is what's happened with some of the guys who have found the Etrac a "waste or time". They haven't bothered trying a different approach and have expected the E-trac to behave like another detector they may have used with more success.
I, for one, really , really , really like the E-trac.
and I prefer to say:

It's the
"BEST USE of $1500 bucks I have ever done"
I'm going to keep using it as my primary detector, at least until Minelab brings out something that I feel, can better it.
HH
David Di
.