- Crystal-clear voice alerts and high resolution display
- Variable speed radar performance
- AutoLearn intelligence and user-selectable preferences
- Safety warning system and brightness controls
- Comes fully equiped with a Comprehensive owner's manual, quick-release windshield mount, coiled SmartCord, quick reference card
I read all the reviews I could get my hands on and narrowed it down to these two radar detectors. The Escort 9500ix and Beltronics GX65 models are touted as the most sensitive window mounted units available with the new "GPS" advantage.
DISPLAY Both units have the option of dim, medium, bright, dark and auto mode. The Escort 9500ix has blue lights. The background of this unit is black, but glows blue around the numbers, to a point of skewing the display a little bit. At night, it is easier to read. The Beltronics GX65 has red lights with a pure black background. The GX65 display is crystal clear, day or night. Advantage Beltronics GX65. Importance Moderate.
POWER CORD While sitting behind the wheel, the Escort 9500ix cord plugs in on the left hand side of the detector unit. The Beltronics GX65 cord plugs in on the right hand side. Depending upon the set up of your vehicle, SPECIFICALLY THE LOCATION OF YOUR POWER SUPPLY, this could make a big difference. Both of the detectors have a dark display mode, where the display goes completely black (for night use, so other drivers can't see your detector). While using dark mode, the only thing that lights up is the very end of the power cord, where it plugs into the power supply. The unit still makes sound, but only you will be able to see the light at the power supply. Very ingenious idea! Advantage to neither. It depends upon the location of you power supply. Importance Moderate
SIZE and BUTTONS Both units of virtually the same size, however, I personally prefer the shape and button layout of the Beltronics GX65. Importance Low
WINDOW MOUNT Both the 9500ix and GX65 use the same exact window mounts. For an expensive $500 dollar radar detector, I feel that the mounts are very cheesy. My old mount on my $79 Whistler was superior to this window mount. Both of these units tap the window when driving. This is due to the design of the mount. The mother company needs to improve this window mount in my opinion. Importance Moderate
GPS "LOCKOUT" CAPABILITY Both units have the ability to "Lockout" any false signal. When you know the detector is sensing a false signal, all you need to do is tap a button three times and it will permanently lock out the false signal. This is an absolutely fantastic feature. Both detectors also have the ability to warn you of red light cameras, photo cameras and speed traps. This is also a nice advancement. You can manually set the detector to warn you of any known speed trap in your area. Nice feature! The only GPS negative is when you're driving down the interstate and you drive over an intersection with a red light camera. The detector will sound, even though your not going through the light. This is the only negative I've found regarding the GPS system. Importance VERY HIGH
AUTO LEARN This feature is only on the 9500ix. You drive a false signal 3 times and the 9500ix will automatically lock out the signal permanently. For any proactive person (most people who purchase a radar detector!), this feature is not that important. The moment I drive by any false signal, I lock it out immediately. Why would I wait to drive by it 3 times? It only takes three taps of a button. On the other hand, for someone who is electronically challenged, this feature might be a lifesaver. With this feature, theoretically, after a few weeks of driving, you should be able to drive around your home area, never touch your detector and all false signals will be locked out. Therefore, no more false alarms, Police warnings only! Advantage: Escort 9500ix. Importance Moderate
SENSITIVITY This area is the most important of all. The reviews and tests I've read online, showed the 9500ix as being slightly more sensitive to Ka, K band and laser. It's only a few hundred feet, but that could be the difference between a speeding ticket or not.
These results are not scientific, but in every situation I encountered, the 9500ix picked up true police radar a second to a few seconds quicker the the GX65. This is really the main reason I decided to keep the Escort Passport 9500ix. In my opinion (and the scientific results back it up), the sensitivity of the 9500ix is superior to the GX65. Advantage: Escort Passport 9500ix. Importance CRUCIAL.
THE WINNER, and better detector where it matters most is.................. the ESCORT PASSPORT 9500ix. I shipped the Beltronics GX65 back for a full refund.
Buy Escort Passport 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector Now
If I had to sum up how I feel about the Escort 9500ix in a just few words, it would be "this detector is absolutely incredible" and leave it and its five star rating at that. But, if I was looking at detectors and see the price of the Escort and read only "this detector is....", it wouldn't sell me, so I'll expand the review (please pardon that the examples I use relate to areas in and around the Twin Cities, but obviously they should apply to anywhere these situations may be encountered)Why 5 stars? In short...
-Because it warned me of a couple of speed traps a little less than a mile out before I encountered the squads on 169 between Shakopee and LeSueur. This was of the utmost importance, not only because it saved me possible speeding tickets, but it also seemed to mollify my wife who was a little unsure that spending $500 on a "gadget" was a wise expenditure in this economy...
-Because the auto-learn feature absolutely works. For instance: There are two of those "your speed is" stationary speed notification signs on Ayd Mill Road, and after three passes it beeped and locked both those out, as well as a couple of consistenly false signals detected on Snelling Avenue (the GPS icon on the display spins, reassuring you that they are being picked up but are not being announced).
-Because you can update it with the latest speed and traffic light cameras across the country (not important in MN, but from what I've read from other reviewers vitally important in other states that use those methods to ticket.)
-Because it is extremely easy to use, and the blue LED display is very clear. Also, a feature on the smart cord indicates radar signal strength while in the "dark" mode, so you are not just hearing the initial announcement of a detection and then are left in the blind as to how close the signal source is.
-Perhaps most importantly; because it has been named "best in class" in the vast majority, if not all, of the independent reviews I read before shelling out $500 on a "gadget".
If you use a detector strictly for open highway use, I suppose you could get by with a more economical model, but if you want an effective, extremely long-range, GPS-enabled "Smart" radar detector for in-town and highway use, I humbly suggest you consider the 9500IX.
Read Best Reviews of Escort Passport 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector Here
I recently purchased a Passport 9500ix and can honestly say it is by far the best detector I've ever owned. As a previous owner of several other brands including Cobra, Whistler and a V1, this one is light years ahead.From the moment I mounted it in my car, (which was super easy with their mount) I knew this one was different. I proceeded to mount it on the glass and started driving it without even looking at the owner's manual. As I began to drive, I was alerted to several door openers that my other detectors didn't even see, which to me indicated that it was far more sensitive. On my way back home, along the same route, I was alerted once again to these same door openers. At this point I began to remember why I quit driving with a detector many years ago....false alarms! Now that I had a more sensitive detector, I was wondering if I could stand to hear all of this noise everyday.
The next day I went to work, (close to the same route as picking up my kids) and I was pleasantly surprised when I passed these same spots again. The 9500ix beeped once and displayed the word "stored". Not reading the owner's manual, I had no idea what this meant. When I arrived at work I grabbed the owner's manual and read it at lunch. To my surprise it meant that the 9500ix had locked out these locations, knowing they were false alarms. How cool is that? Now that they were locked out, I couldn't wait to drive by again and see what it would do. On my way home, sure enough no alerts. Only a small indicator in the upper right side of the display rotated, indicating it saw these false alarms but no audio alert was given.
The following day I was in route home from work enjoying my new detector when it began to register a Ka band radar alert. I'm not completely sure what the difference is between all of the radar bands, but I began to take notice and checked my speed. I drove almost a mile wondering if this was a false alarm. Sure enough, as I turned the corner, there was one of our local police officers sitting along the side of the road. I had sniffed out my first alert, and in plenty of time to check my speed.
As someone who has used several other brands and grew accustomed to false alarms, let me assure you this one is different. Better sensitivity without the constant beeping. I'm not sure why it took me so long to try a Passport, but I will say that I will not be driving without one ever again.
Want Escort Passport 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector Discount?
Over the years I have owned several radar detectors all the way back to the original Escort which was state of the art back in its day. Unfortunately, speed trap technology seemed to advance at a much faster rate than detector technology. In recent years, the 8500 spent most of the time in the trunk as things like speed cameras became the bigger threat and the hassle of listening to false alarms was more hassle than it was worth. The arrows on the Valentine are nice, but were not enough to bring me back to the fold. Reality is that the basic technology of detectors has not changed in 20 years ... until now.The integration of GPS into a radar detector is probably the most significant innovation to this market, and is a game changer. A drive through places like AZ, where they have placed cash registers (er, speed cams) every 10 miles or so, instantly triples the value of a product like the 9500ix. On a recent trip to AZ it picked up every one of them (note that the fixed cameras do not rely on radar so a traditional detector is useless). It also noted the red light cameras, although in my opinion if you run red lights you deserve a ticket and a suspension.
Just as important as the alerts is the learning capability. In areas around Philadelphia, the noise pollution drives most other detectors crazy. The 9500ix has worked just as advertised, it spots the false alarms until about the 3rd pass when it recognizes them and marks them so that you are not getting beeped every time.
I was concerned when I saw a eviewer whining about having to pay for the data updates. Get serious, it is $30 for a 3 year subscription. if you can't afford that, then you should be buying a Whistler or some other $50 piece of junk.
But the 9500ix (using GPS) remembers all the false alerts on my route to work and automatically blocks them out. I can also lock out the local bank or 7-eleven that made my old detector beep. When the unit goes off, it's ACTUALLY a patrol car shooting radar.
The 9500ix comes with an awesome power cord that puts the mute and volume controls right on the plug in my console. And I love the bright blue display! You'll have to logon to the Escort web site to register and download GPS updates for red light cameras, but no big deal. Again, extremely quiet and high quality construction. Looks great, too!
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