I prefer both. I used nothing but the tone for many years. Back then the display was little more than a power meter. It had a needle that went up to show the power returned. Then TID started but still wasn't much so the sound was still king. In the late 80s early 90s all that changed. Far more reliable information was being displayed. It was the big selling point back then.
Now technology has the ability to display the same information that the audio circuit gets. In the case of say the E-Trac/CTX with dual VDI, 1 for ferrous & 1 for conductive ID, you can actually get more. You can only hear 1 tone at a time. This new 2D display on the Manticore looks promising, but no one is spending any time in their videos showing what it can, or can't do.
Detector MFGs are starving to find new technology but ignoring the obvious. VLF depth is maxed, now spend some time making a more accurate and informative VDI. Minelab has been the only ones working on it. The E-Trac was a nice start with dual VDIs, then the CTX took it to the next level with Target Trace. Now the Manticore looks to have the next generation in VDI. Many other MFGs have actually lost ground in the VDI technology in my opinion. Compressing the target segments. WTH were they thinking?
I used the Target Trace on the CTX a lot and loved the extra info. Kind of like how on a tone you might hear the tone start or end with an iron grunt. That is as close to the dual VDI you can get from the E-Trac or CTX, and possibly Manticore if someone would just take a little time and show it.
Now, you new Manticore owners, get out to those hard-pounded hot sites, and let's see what it can, or can't, do.