Whistler XTR-330 Laser / Radar Detector Review

Yet another addition by Whistler to the XTR range, the XTR-330 makes improvements on the XTR-265 and XTR-140, but stops short of becoming a mid-range radar detector (both in terms of design, technology, and performance).

In our last review of the season, we wanted to give the Whistler XTR-330 Laser / Radar Detector a decent test to see whether or not it was still a valid product in today's market. Sure - it's capable of detecting modern radar and laser signals, but does the performance and range stack up to those mid-ranged devices which retail for an extra $50 or so dollars?

Whistler XTR-330 Laser / Radar Detector Specifications & Features

Band Detection
The Whistler XTR-330 Laser / Radar Detector offers support for Ka, K and X bands - but once again, Ku is nowhere to be found. This is becoming a common theme with the older Whistler products (and probably for good reason - they're older!).

What you will find though is a 360 lasereye on the top of the unit, which is able to detect signals throughout a 360 degree area. Additionally, alerting priority is a new feature which puts Ka signal notifications ahead of X or K notifications - ensuring you don't mistake a signal as "fake or annoying".

Display & Layout
You'll remember from our XTR-265 review that we didn't think much of the design of the unit. We are pleased to say that the Whistler XTR-330 Laser / Radar Detector makes significant improvements in this area, with the much needed addition of design curves and a contrasting colour theme.

The display is bigger on this model, but it is still static, and doesn't provide us with a huge amount of information about the signals being picked up. Still though, for the price, this is forgivable.

Unique Technology
Voice Alerts!!! Finally, a Whistler product which talks to us. The voice alerts provide information on the type of band which has been detected, but not the strength of the signal - which is alright. This allows you to focus on your driving, and give more attention to the preventative action you might be required to take, rather than looking at and assessing the device's screen to determine what is going on.

Performance & Range
The performance of the Whistler XTR-330 Laser / Radar Detector is impressive. We were pleased with the functioning of the notification system and voice alerts - leaving the ultimate test to be the range.

We found the XTR-330 to be fairly average in this area. Obvious, priced around $60 - we weren't expecting 2 or 3 miles of forewarning. And we didn't get that. Instead, we probably received about 1 mile or so to take action - which is still not bad. Hence, the XTR-330 does "OK" in this area.

Our Rating of the Whistler XTR-330 Laser / Radar Detector
We think that the Whistler XTR-330 Laser / Radar Detector deserves 4.5 stars. It is a clear improvement on the previous XTR models, but still leaves out some vital functionality (such as Ku band). Overall though, this is not a bad buy - especially at the current price.

Related radar detector reviews:

1. Whistler XTR 330