Escort 9500IX Radar Detector

I have had radar detectors since the Fuzz Buster. Ok, I just dated myself. My latest is the 9500iX from Escort. I am only somewhat impressed. In my other car lives a BEL STI Driver. It is an amazing detector, if not a little overzealous, so in an attempt to have a more pleasant driving experience and less falsing, I decided that a GPS enabled detector would be a great solution. Enter the 9500iX. It does what it’s advertised to do. It can indeed lock out a signal and learn a signal to be locked out with ease. The unit has a plastic housing not like the aluminum of the Bel. It has a coiled cord but at this price, no hard wire kit like the STI, and to get one is an additional $25 or so. Now with professional installation of the hard wire kit, the 9500iX laser warning alert goes off when I honk the horn; every time, without fail. So a brand new detector must now be sent back to the factory for a modification which is known and documented on the internet search engines. One might think that a company making detectors as long as Escort has should have found this circuit error in beta testing. You need to be the judge if spending $450 plus dollars, plus a hardwire kit, and a return trip to the factory is all worth it. It does detect radar.