I have yet to find a target with one that the other could not hit. Using the same frequency on the same target buried in ground that was not planted there but stayed where it dropped for years and years, both machines react the same on the same target using the same coil and frequency.
However, yes the deus has an adjustable transmit gain where the ORX has a fixed transmit gain
If you read the manuals XP states the same adjustments are fixed in the ORX settings ie, fast vs deep compared to the Deus fast and deep.
The difference comes into play with how you want a certain target to react or how it sounds. With the Deus you have that ability to either make the response louder, or have a different tone or to null it out completely.
Sometimes people mention the Deus has too many settings.
Those same guys need to try the whites V3i. That machine had too many settings and you could mess up real good with it. I tried one of those twice. Even compared one to the Deus. The Deus could pick out targets in iron much better than the V3I.
I find the deus more forgiving than a V3i ever was. Even the Spectrum Eagle, DFX and XLT seemed more complicated than the Deus is to me.
There are some benefits in having a Deus and I like it very much. But if I only had an ORX, I would not complain at all nor would I feel like I am missing anything.
If there is one thing I like better on the ORX compared to the deus, it is the large numerical ID screen that it has.
All in all they are both fun to use.