The Escort 9500ix has been the best overall windshield mounted radar detector for some time. The GPS antenna in the Escort 9500ix is used to give you advance notification of red light cameras, fixed speed cameras as well as known speed trap locations. The GPS antenna can also be used by the detector to mark and ignore false alerts by memorizing your GPS location and the frequency of the false alert. When you pass the same location in the future the detector will remain silent unless it see's new activity on a different frequency.
Now the new Beltronics PRO-500 can also do all of this, it offers the same radar performance and it is priced $100 less than the Escort 9500ix. So overall the Beltronics PRO-500 is an excellent value but there are some differences.
1. Auto Learn is a feature only available on the 9500ix. Auto Learn lets the Escort 9500ix automatically mark and ignore false alerts for you with no user interaction. Auto Learn stores every alert (GPS Location & Frequency) in its internal memory. When it see's you pass the same location 3 times and it detects the same frequency being used at the same GPS location it will automatically mark the location as a false. When you pass the location in the future it will automatically ignore the false alert.
This can be a great convenience but you also have to realize that there is a possibility that if you happen to pass a police officer that sits in the same location daily that you could possibly ignore a real threat. On the 9500ix you can use Auto Learn or you can mark your false alerts manually by pressing the mark button when you are in front of a known false alert.
The Beltronics PRO-500 does not have Auto Learn and you can only mark the false alerts manually.
2. Escort 9500ix comes with a carrying case and the Beltronics PRO-500 does not. We do have cases available for the PRO-500 but the current detector does not ship with one by default.
3. Escort 9500ix comes with a full coiled smartcord, The PRO-500 ships with a combo smartcord. A combo smartcord is part straight and part coiled. This puts lets strain on your radar detector if the detector is a distance away from your cigarette lighter.
4. Escort 9500ix comes with a blue or red display. The Beltronics PRO-500 only comes with a red display, There are no blue display options for the new Beltronics radar detectors.
For the most part Auto Learn is really the most important difference. If you want Auto Learn then you have to get the Escort 9500ix, If you do not mind pressing the mark button to manually ignore false alerts then you can save $100 and get the new PRO-500.