Customer Reviews

Escort Passport 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector (Black)

5 star:		(123)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

WHICH ONE IS BETTER? READ AND FIND OUT. I bought both the Escort 9500ix and Beltronics GX65 for a week long, on dash, real world comparison. They both are sold by the same company and they offer a 30 day, money back guarantee. I figured, what the heck.....I'll try them out, side by side. These units were both mounted at the same level on the window of my truck.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Escort 9500ix is amazing! Quietest detector I've ever driven! I've had other top detectors over the years and my biggest complaint has been annoying false alerts all the time.

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!

I did a lot of research on the internet before deciding on the Escort 9500ix. I wanted to wait a few weeks before giving my positive review to see it operate under various conditions. I live in nyc and this detector is a must have in manhattan. I never realized how many red light cameras there are and the unit picks them all up. I have seen falses with the red light camera mode when I'm on the highway but I think it is picking gps signals from the street directly above or below where I was passing etc. This RD has saved me already and having the ability to lock out falses is the only way to go. It does what it is programmed to do and it does it well.

Have no regrets getting this one over the V1 I was considering. The technology is far more advanced and overall the 9500ix is better.

I do feel it is a joke ($499.00) that this unit does not come with everything needed to fully update and/or install it via hard wiring etc. You will need an additional hard wire, usb, and 12volt adaptor (do not go to RadioShack who wanted $40, total ripoff.they are out there on the web from 2-10 dollars at most). Also the suction cup mount is not great, expect to upgrade that too.

All minor complaints, reviews like this helped make my decision so if your considering buying this unit, buy it! its awesome.

The accuracy and being able to eliminate false bands that come buildings closer to the roads. The Escort Passport 9500ix doesn't look all that different than it's many predecessors. Don't let that fool you. This is one VASTLY improved device. I've owned several prior Escort Radar detectors. I've also owned the Cobra and Valentine One detector. I wouldn't trade my 9500ix for them.
Another thing I like is the built in mute button located in the power cord. Instead of having to reach (dangerous while driving) across my dashboard - I can push a button on the power adapter and mute the detector.

What I like:
- barely any false alarms
- pleasant alerts
- shows current speed when alerting
- integrated GPS remembers where I've locked out a false alarm
- mute button on power cord

What I don't like
- nothing i can think about..

I have used many different detectors over the years and consider myself an expert in the field. If you're a long time radar detector user, the Escort 9500ix will completely blow your mind!

First, a little bit of background. For years, the Valentine One (V1 for short) was widely considered the best portable radar detector on the market, therefore it became the "gold standard" to which most other detectors would be compared to. It was a great detector with long range detection and directional arrows which would help the driver figure out where the different radar signals where coming from. It was also able to detect multiple signals at once, a nice feature that cheaper detectors (usually below $200) did not have. The biggest problem with it was the fact that it had so many false alarms (many of which, according to Valentine One's website, are to blame on cheaper radar detectors on the road) that most users would either start ignoring them or they would have to change the detector's settings to reduce its sensitivity (which in my view defies the purpose of buying a super-sensitive detector). I believe that because Valentine One had the main advantage at the time -the directional arrows- they became complacent and didn't work hard enough to find the next big technological improvement that would revolutionize radar detectors. Enter the Escort 9500ix. This detector uses GPS technology to automatically store false alarms so they never bother you again. It also has a pre-loaded database of all inductive loop systems (which are used by many speed cameras). It's basically a system which consists of two wires buried beneath the road surface and a computer that calculates the speed between the two wires, with a camera waiting at the end. V1 and all the other detectors on the market don't stand a chance against those threats. (Thankfully, those types of threats are not widespread at this point as far as I know but with the 9500 even if they were it wouldn't be a problem.)
GPS has made the Valentine One's directional arrows obsolete because now that false alarms have been eliminated on the 9500ix, if it goes off you KNOW it's a threat, regardless of where it's coming from.
Granted, the 9500ix is not for everyone. I would say it's more for the expert user. For most advanced users an Escort 8500 x50 or a V1 will be perfect. For more casual users even a Cobra or a Whistler will do the job (they saved me plenty of tickets over the years). But if you want the BEST protection available with mind-blowing features, spend the extra money and get the Escort 9500ix. You won't regret it. Its features include auto-volume control, which means it "listens" to the noise in the car and automatically adjusts the volume of the alerts. Also, because the 9500ix is GPS-enabled it knows exactly how fast you're going at any given point in time. So the faster you drive the further down the road it "sniffs" for radars, progressively increasing/decreasing its sensitivity as needed. How cool is that? This thing is light years ahead of most detectors in my view. Did I mention it automatically adjusts the brightness of the display according to the amount of light in the car? Of course, all the features mentioned above can also be manually adjusted. I believe that the Escort 9500ix is the new "Gold Standard" that other detectors should be compared to. The V1 just simply doesn't cut it anymore for expert users like myself. I have used many different detectors over the years and all I can say about this one is that driving will never be the same. Try the 9500 for a few days and, believe me, you will never go back to any other detector!

I read through all of the negative reviews and many of the positive ones as well as all the more recent comparisons I could find and then bought the 9500ix.

My prior detector was a Solo S2 that was stolen while I was deployed. I loved that one and so gave strong consideration to the Escort brand. I know folks who love their Valentines, but I was unimpressed by them.

I love it. The only thing I can conclude from the negative reviews is that they failed to read the manual before using it or are religiously devoted to the Valentine One.

1: Failing to alert on speed cams, red light cams, etc: No database is perfect. That's why this product has the ability to mark speed traps, cameras, etc. on the fly. I've used mine for two days and have already marked several types of locations either for flagging or for ignoring which seems to work perfectly.

2: Detection range: Flawless. More than enough, even in the city, to give me time to react but not so much I decide the thing is false-alerting. Within 5 minutes of installing it the thing gave me ample warning of a motorcycle cop approaching with K-Band going and I had almost a full minute to react. Valentine One touts it's very long-detection range. Great, but I don't really care if someone in the next county is pointing a RADAR gun along another road. The detection range on this is excellent without being useless.

3: Really? You're going to complain about the CASE? I don't WANT a ten-pound chunk of magnesium hanging off my windshield. The build quality on this is excellent, solid and...LIGHT.

4: The coiled cord. Eh. Gives me plenty of flexibility. In my Saturn I have to play some games to route it where I want to go, but this is a problem with any cord. Kinda silly to complain that they don't supply you with every kind of cord made when you purchase it.

5: The Display. Seems clear and easy to read to me. Complaints about it not showing the band? RTM again. I switched the voice off on mine and went with the Expert display which gives me a bar display of the strength and band of individual emitters. If I wanted to, I could set it to display the FREQUENCY of individual emitters. I like the quick visual display of my speed upon alert, but I can turn that off if I choose.

6: Display too bright. Press the BRT button to dim it down, or completely dark or set it to auto and let it dim itself at night. And for real? You're going to complain about that tiny little LED on the power adapter? THAT is too bright for you? May I suggest you wear your sunglasses at night? Moonlight must be actively painful. Or, try a piece of tape. I love having both the visual cue and a second mute button available on the adapter.

I LOVE the Auto-Learn feature. There's one stretch I drive through that I was unsure what was being alerted. Three trips through and the thing determined it was a false-alert and now...no more beeps there. I didn't even have to mark the location myself. Conveniently, it indicates it's blocking a signal there with a very unobtrusive rotating GPS symbol so that I can UNBLOCK it if I choose to.

I do a LOT of driving, both city and highway and this appears to be the best detector available for me. If you're a serious driver and exposed to a wide variety of threats, this is an outstanding, if expensive detector with an incredible array of features and highly configurable.

Orion

I've used a V-1 for more than 10 years and have upgraded it once. The V-1 is an excellent detector and built very well. But... with the proliferation of fixed-position speed cameras and red light cameras, the V-1 simply does not cover enough of the threats (to use a Valentine term) that are out there. If I was only concerned with radar, I would have stayed with the V-1.

I find that the 9500ix seems to have a slightly better range than the V-1; however, the sound indication is much less representative of the signal strength, i.e., it seems to me that the 9500 has some sort of "smoothing" function such that the rate of beeping does not respond as quickly as the V-1.

The lack of arrows is also a negative for the 9500 as I found them quite useful when I had the V-1, but I am willing to give them up to get the GPS speed trap and speed camera location function.

The 9500 blue display is practically worthless. If it did not have the voice I would have immediately returned the 9500 as the display is completely unreadable 95% of the time during the day, due to the odd choice of blue, and the shiny gloss plastic front of the detector which acts like a mirror, showing reflections of the interior. Frankly I cannot see how this display ever made it into production... it truly is abysmal when the sun is out.

The ergonomics and perceived build quality of the 9500 is also quite inferior to the V-1, with the detector bouncing around on its mount, unlike the V-1 which was much more intuitive to operate and firmly mounted to the windshield.

I waited for Valentine to update his radar detector to include GPS as I really wanted to stay with the V-1 style, display, arrows, and bogey counter, but I finally gave-up and went with the 9500. I guess Mr. Valentine has mentally retired and it appears the V-1 will never be updated again from what I see.

So to conclude, if you are only interested in radar performance, and do not have a problem with lots of falsing, the V-1 is still the way to go. But if you, as I, want a GPS function to warn of fixed position camera devices, the 9500ix is probably the best choice out there today.


BIG PS:

Please note that some of the sellers on Amazon are "unauthorized resellers," e.g., Electronica Direct and 6ave are specifically identified as unauthorized resellers by Escort, the manufacturers of the Passport 9500ix

Check the manufacturer's website (escortradar) for the risks involved in buying from an unauthorized reseller.