Is the Garrett ACE Apex still worth buying in 2026?

Yes, for one specific buyer: someone who wants Garrett's simultaneous multi-frequency detection without paying Vortex prices. Launched as the first multi-frequency model on the ACE platform, the Apex runs Garrett's Multi-Flex technology across six modes — four single frequencies (5, 10, 15, 20 kHz) plus two simultaneous multi-frequency settings, including a dedicated Multi-Salt mode for beach hunting. At $399.99 it undercuts the newer Vortex VX5 (~$450) by about $50, but it gives up whole-machine submersion to do it — the coil is fully waterproof, the control box is only rainproof. If that trade-off doesn't matter to you, it's the cheapest way into real Garrett multi-frequency.

Is the Garrett ACE Apex waterproof? Can I submerge it?

Only partially. Garrett's own spec describes the 6" x 11" DD Multi-Flex Viper search coil and lower shaft as fully submersible, but the control box is rainproof, not waterproof — it's built to shed rain and blowing spray, not survive a dunk in a creek. Leave the rubber covers seated over the USB and headphone ports and you're fine in wet grass or light surf spray; drop the whole unit in the water and you risk the electronics. For a Garrett you can fully submerge, step up to the AT series — our AT Pro review covers the 10 ft whole-machine alternative.

Garrett ACE Apex vs Vortex VX5 — which should I buy?

Buy the Vortex VX5 if the extra roughly $50 is available and you ever hunt wet ground — it submerges the whole machine to 16 ft (per Garrett's spec) and runs newer simultaneous multi-frequency tech. Buy the ACE Apex if budget is the deciding factor and you mostly hunt dry-to-damp parks and fields; you get the same core Multi-Flex multi-frequency benefit — better performance across mixed and mineralized ground than a single-frequency ACE — for less money, you just can't wade a creek with it.

Garrett ACE Apex vs ACE 400 — is multi-frequency worth the extra money?

It depends on your ground. The ACE 400 ($357.99) runs a single adjustable 10 kHz frequency and works fine in mild, consistent soil. The ACE Apex adds simultaneous multi-frequency detection and a dedicated Multi-Salt mode for roughly $40-90 more, which pays off the moment you hunt mineralized relic sites, trashy parks with mixed target depths, or wet sand — conditions where one fixed frequency can't stay optimal all outing. If you only ever hunt one easy municipal park, the ACE 400 does the job for less; if your sites vary, the Apex earns the upgrade.

Does the Garrett ACE Apex come with wireless headphones?

It depends on the package. Garrett sells the ACE Apex in a Basic configuration ($399.99) without built-in Z-Lynk wireless audio, and a step-up package (around $449.99) that adds it. Check the listing carefully before buying — the Z-Lynk wireless in the pricier bundle is the same low-latency system used across Garrett's AT Max and Vortex lines, not a downgraded version.

Is the Garrett ACE Apex good for beach hunting?

For dry and damp sand, yes — the dedicated Multi-Salt mode is built specifically to filter out saltwater's mineral interference. For wading in the surf line or hunting wet sand near the waterline, its rainproof-only control box is the limiting factor, not its detection ability; a whole-machine-submersible option like the Nokta Simplex Ultra or Garrett AT Max handles that better. Our beach detector guide ranks the machines built for actual water contact.

Garrett ACE Apex Review 2026: Garrett's Budget Multi-Frequency Machine, Tested

Quick Answer: The Garrett ACE Apex ($399.99) is Garrett’s budget entry into simultaneous multi-frequency detection — six modes including four single frequencies (5, 10, 15, 20 kHz) and two simultaneous multi-frequency settings, one built specifically for salt beaches (Multi-Salt). It undercuts Garrett’s newer Vortex VX5 (~$450) by roughly $50, but gives up whole-machine submersion to do it: per Garrett’s own spec, only the 6”x11” DD Multi-Flex Viper coil and lower shaft are waterproof, while the control box is rainproof only. At 2.5 lb with a 15-hour rechargeable battery, it’s the cheapest real path to Garrett multi-frequency — as long as you don’t need to wade a creek.

The ACE Apex shows up as a footnote across this site’s Garrett coverage — our Garrett lineup guide calls it “the older weatherproof multi-frequency one-off, now effectively succeeded by Vortex,” and says we’d buy a Vortex instead at 2026 prices. That’s still true for most buyers. This review digs into exactly who the Apex is still right for, and why the answer comes down to a $50 price gap and one submersion spec.

Garrett ACE Apex at a glance

	Garrett ACE Apex	Garrett Vortex VX5	Garrett ACE 400
Price	$399.99 (Basic)	~$450	$357.99
Frequency	Multi-Flex: 4 single + 2 simultaneous multi	Simultaneous multi-frequency	10 kHz (adjustable)
Submersion	Coil + shaft only, control box rainproof	16 ft, whole machine	Coil only, no rating
Ground balance	175-point auto	Auto + manual	Digital, manual
Wireless audio	Z-Lynk on step-up package only	Z-Lynk built in	None
Weight	2.5 lb	~2.9 lb	2.9 lb

Garrett ACE Apex — Budget Multi-Frequency

Garrett ACE Apex

Cheapest real Garrett multi-frequency · $399.99

Multi-Flex Multi-Frequency across 6 modes: 5, 10, 15, 20 kHz single frequencies plus simultaneous Multi-Frequency and Multi-Salt.
6" x 11" DD Multi-Flex Viper waterproof search coil; control box is rainproof, not submersible.
175-point hi-resolution auto ground balance, 20-pixel Notch Discrimination with 8 pixels of Iron.
2.5 lb, built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated ~15 hours per charge, 4-hour recharge.

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Multi-Flex Multi-Frequency: what six modes actually buys you

The ACE Apex was Garrett’s first multi-frequency detector on the familiar ACE-platform interface, and the headline feature is Multi-Flex Multi-Frequency — six selectable modes rather than one fixed frequency, per Garrett’s published spec. Four are single frequencies (5, 10, 15, 20 kHz) you can hand-pick for a specific target type, and two run simultaneous multi-frequency: a general Multi-Frequency mode for mixed ground and a dedicated Multi-Salt mode built to cancel out saltwater’s mineral interference on beach hunts. That flexibility is exactly what our multi-frequency explainer describes as the advantage over single-frequency VLF machines: one setting doesn’t have to stay optimal for an entire outing across changing ground.

The submersion catch: rainproof control box, waterproof coil only

Here’s the spec that decides who should actually buy this machine. Garrett’s own documentation describes the ACE Apex’s 6”x11” DD Multi-Flex Viper coil and lower shaft as fully submersible, but the control box itself as rainproof, not waterproof — built to handle rain and blowing spray with the USB and headphone port covers seated, not a dunk in a creek. That’s a meaningfully different spec from the whole-machine-submersible AT series or the newer Vortex line, both covered in our waterproof detector guide. Dry-sand and damp-park hunters never notice the difference; anyone who wades will.

ACE Apex vs. Vortex VX5: is the $50 worth it?

Garrett’s own lineup guide calls the Vortex line the effective successor to the Apex, and the spec sheet backs that up: the Vortex VX5 (~$450) runs newer simultaneous multi-frequency technology and submerges the whole machine to 16 ft, against the Apex’s coil-only waterproofing. For roughly $50 more, that’s a real upgrade if wet ground is ever part of the plan. But $50 is also real money for a beginner or budget-conscious buyer, and the Apex delivers the same core multi-frequency benefit — steadier performance across mixed and mineralized ground than a single-frequency machine — for less. Choose the Apex on price, the VX5 on capability.

ACE Apex vs. ACE 400: when multi-frequency pays off

The ACE 400 ($357.99) runs a single adjustable 10 kHz frequency and, like the Apex, has a coil-only waterproof rating — the two machines share more waterproofing DNA than the Apex shares with the Vortex line. The difference that matters is frequency count: in mild, consistent dry-land soil, the ACE 400 finds the same targets for $40-90 less. Once ground turns mineralized, trashy, or salt-adjacent, the Apex’s Multi-Flex modes start finding targets the ACE 400’s single frequency reads inconsistently. Match the machine to your actual dirt, not the spec sheet.

Who should buy the Garrett ACE Apex

Budget-conscious buyers who want real multi-frequency — it’s the cheapest way into Garrett’s Multi-Flex technology, full stop.
Dry-sand and damp-park beach hunters — Multi-Salt mode filters mineral interference without needing a submersible control box.
Not water waders — if creeks, rivers, or surf-line hunting are part of your plan, the extra ~$50 for a Vortex VX5 or a fully submersible AT Pro buys real capability, not just a spec bump.
Verify the package before buying. Basic ($399.99) and Z-Lynk-wireless bundles (~$449.99) are priced and specced differently — read the listing, and confirm the “Sold by” line is an authorized Garrett dealer.

The bottom line

The Garrett ACE Apex at $399.99 is a real, if narrow, value play: Garrett’s only sub-$400 simultaneous multi-frequency machine, with a dedicated Multi-Salt mode and 175-point auto ground balance. The catch is submersion — only the coil and shaft are waterproof, not the control box — which is why our own Garrett lineup guide still points most buyers to the Vortex VX5 instead. If the extra ~$50 isn’t in the budget and your hunting stays dry-to-damp, the Apex delivers the multi-frequency advantage for less. Curious how Garrett’s older single-frequency workhorse compares instead? Our AT Pro review covers the fully submersible alternative.