Cobra XRS 9445 Radar Detector Review
Fitting nicely in to the "under $100" category is the Cobra XRS 9445 - a mid-line radar detector from a well known manufacturer. With a few intelligent features and many improvements over other models in the Cobra XRS range - we wanted to do a detailed review of this unit to see if it is really worth spending a little bit of extra money on.
The results of our review are below. If you're considering buying this unit, make sure you read the results before purchasing.
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Cobra XRS 9445 14 Band Voice Alert Radar/Laser Detector with POP Mode Radar Gun Detection, VG-2 and Spectre1 Undetectability and Alert
List Price:  
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Eligible for free shipping!Cobra XRS 9445 Radar Detector Specifications & Features
Band Detection
The Cobra XRS 9445 has a pretty comprehensive database of bands in its portfolio - with 14 bands in total able to be detected. These bands include 7 radar (Ka, Ku, VG, etc), 6 lasers (ProLaser, LIDAR, etc) and the traditional SWS (safety warning system) band.
All together, we found that this selection of bands should provide full coverage, no matter where you are traveling. It is good to see that the latest band being favored by law enforcement (Ku band) is included in the list.
Display & Layout
There's not much difference between the appearance of the Cobra XRS 9445 and other XRS line models. The casing still looks fairly similar, as does the individually colored symbols on the display. Whilst it is a bit disappointing that there are no massive changes to the layout - we cannot expect every single release from Cobra to be excitingly different.
User buttons are still on the top of the device, and they are still easy to press. The menu is intuitive and leaves no guess work - which is a good thing.
Unique Technology
This upgraded XRS line model introduces VG-2 cloaking, 360 laser eye protection (which is an improvement over the standard 360 laser detection features on past models), and other small enhancements such as a radar strength meter on the far right hand side of the display.
The Stay Set Electronic Memory is useful if you only travel every once in a while. It remembers all of your settings, even if power is not provided to the unit for an extended period.
Performance & Range
Overall, we found the performance of the Cobra XRS 9445 to be highly competitive. Range was excellent - in line with other XRS line models. Signal detection was good, with minimal false signals. Cornering is an area which performed surprisingly well on our tests - with the standard Ka band being picked up well in advance of the corner being traveled.
Clearly, Cobra has put a lot of effort in to this model to ensure that it competes with other main players such as Beltronics and Escort.
Our Rating of the Cobra XRS 9445 Radar Detector
We feel that 4.5 stars would sum up the abilities of the Cobra XRS 9445 well. The casing is still the same, and the user display needs work. But aesthetics aside, this is a great unit with excellent potential - and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for frequent or occasional road travelers.
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