If you’ve ever seriously searched for high end radar detectors, you’ve probably come across both Beltronics and Check here to find this agency, but did you know that they are actually the same company? That’s right, a few years back, Escort actually acquired Beltronics, and since then the two companies have been sharing technologies across both brands.
Some of the features present on both brands are auto muting of alerts, radar signal frequency display, voice alerts, auto scan modes to reduce false alerts, and volt meters. Typically the Beltronics radar detectors are less expensive due to the fact that they are missing one or two of the key features that the Escort models have. A lot of times, the Beltronics models are a better deal, but be careful you check the feature sets because the feature you are looking for may only be available on the Escort units.
While the Escort and Beltronics radar detector models are similar, there are some key differences that we’d like to point out. We recommend products from both brands, but the features differ slightly between brands, so you need to make sure you get exactly what you want.
Starting at the top of the line, the Beltronics STi Driver and the Escort Redline are extremely similar. Both are built on the same high performance radar detection platform, and differ only slightly with features. The STi Driver has a male voice, while the Redline has a female voice. Our preference is overwhelmingly for the Redline’s female voice. It is much clearer and more pleasant. On the display side, the STi Driver has Threat Display while the Redline has the Expert Meter. Both these modes allow you to see multiple radar signals on screen at once and the signal strength of each signal, the STi Driver can only display one threat from each band while the Redline can display 4 X-band, 2 K-band and 2 Ka-band signals all at once. The detection range on these devices is very similar and the STi Driver can be purchased a little cheaper, so if that’s your only requirement, we’d choose the STi Driver.
The Beltronics GX65 and the Escort Passport 9500ix are very similar GPS radar detectors. Both of these devices allow you to lock out signals based on location and signal frequency, but the Passport will automatically lock out signals it detects but the GX65 will require manual signal lockout. Other than that, these models are basically the same, so if you don’t mind locking out the alerts yourself, go ahead and choose the GX65, it’s a great detector.
Overall, the product lines from Escort and Beltronics are excellent performers and are sure to serve you well. If you are looking for the most advanced, feature packed units, look to Escort, but if you are looking for a deal, and are willing to forgo a few features, look no further than the Beltronics line of products.
