Escort Passport 9500IX Radar Detector Review
The Escort Passport 9500IX Radar Detector is a unit with a difference. Having recently been reduced in price to better align it with the rest of the market, we ordered the product (even though we've used this particular model in the past) to see whether it has continued to stand the test of time.
After some heavy duty testing, we're ready to sum up our findings on this device - as well as give our overall opinion as to whether it is still a competitive product in this fierce market.
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Escort Passport 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector (Blue Display)
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Escort Passport 9500IX Radar Detector Specifications & Features
Band Detection
The Escort Passport 9500IX Radar Detector still recognizes all of the key bands in the radar and laser spectrum, with notifications providing detail of K, Ka, X, and POP. At first, we were unable to find a facility for Ku detection - but after a bit of time spent surfing through the navigation menus, we found the option to turn it on.
This is important because Ku is the latest band being employed by law enforcement agencies throughout the world. It provides a faster reading of speed, and is therefore encouraging a shift away from the Ka and K bands.
The 9500IX also detects all types of lasers, making for a very comprehensive device.
Display & Layout
One of the first things which people always comment on with the Escort Passport 9500IX Radar Detector is the blue backlighting of the screen. This looks awesome at night, and provides a point of different from the usual black and red displays which most other radar detectors use.
Whilst this model only has 2 buttons on the top, navigation is surprisingly easy, and is customized by the length of time that you hold the buttons down for.
Unique Technology
Discovering the added technology under the hood of the Escort Passport 9500IX Radar Detector is as simple as filtering through the main menu. Here, you will find customizable features such as Auto Sensitivity - which is a program that automatically adjusts sensitivity of the unit depending on the number of signals it picks up in a given period of time.
Additionally, 3 types of signal notifications are available, with the exact spectrum of the band being reported along with the voice alerts, or a screen display showing spectrum rather than strength.
Performance & Range
Our testing environment featured a test track with a 4 mile length. The radar detector was able to pick up a signal on both Ka and Ku bands from a distance of 2 miles (in a line of sight). Instant On radar - which is the bane of most radar detector owners - could be detected from between 500 to 1000 feet (not taking into account any leakage from other vehicles - so technically this could extend to 1500 feet).
Our Rating of the Escort Passport 9500IX Radar Detector
Even though we have moved on from the Escort Passport 9500IX Radar Detector since its first release, we still think it is an extremely good product for the average motorist - and at the current price, it represents amazing value for money. It still manages to get 5 stars from us.
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