Does the Solo S2 really stack up to the Escort 8500?

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great range, covers all bands, gives option of corded or cordless operation

Cons: At $329.00 it's a little pricey.

The Bottom Line: 
The Solo S2 gives you all the superior protection of the Passport 8500 and the option of going cordless or using the acclaimed 8500 power cord.

Author's Review
There seems to be a lot of debate as to whether or not the cordless Escort Solo S2 delivers the same degree of protection as the Escort 8500 or Valentine One.

(The debate between the Valentine One and 8500 rages on so I won't address that issue other than to say that currently the edge in reviews ,for good or bad reasons, seems to be going toward the 8500.)

The common consensus seems to be that the 8500 and S2 are identical products with the exception that the S2 can be used with or without cord. The power use in cordless mode has to come into play since low power can affect performance. As stated in an earlier review, the site RadarBusters.com does give the exact same graphs as the 8500. However, if you take a close look at the figures in that bar graph, you will notice that the S2 lags behind the 8500 just slightly in the first response to the K-band alert with the 8500 picking up at 2.2 miles and the S2 at 2.1 miles. The variance is so slight that I think the equal bars are warented.

What does not seem to get mentioned often is that the S2 can use the same power cord as the 8500 which should maximize efficiency and eliminate any low power concerns.