Never alone with this Solo S2!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Confident detection range; large, clear LCD display; ease of use; smart design; programmability; Escort pedigree

Cons: Pricey; audio alert volume could be louder. Not much to complain about here...

The Bottom Line: 
Solo S2 is yet another impressive gem from Escort’s long line of premium detectors. Smart and reliable for a cordless model; its performance rivals the best of the corded bunch.

Author's Review
I’ll admit it...I’m often guilty of coveting thy electronic store’s new things. Even if I already have a fairly new gadget I like and use, I’m green with envy about a new product I wasn’t warned about that’s much cooler and much better than the thing I was stuck with. I know that’s a ridiculous, materialistic vice but hey...I suppose it could be worse. I just wish it was cheaper.

Alas, not too long ago I get a card in the mail from Escort Incorporated, as I’m sure I now rate on their “Sucker List,” announcing that they’re running a little trade-in program to upgrade to either their Passport 8500--generally considered the “world’s best radar detector”--or the newly updated Solo S2 cordless...now they’ve got my attention, as the 8500 is cool, but the Solo S2 is the bomb. The S2 is one cool detector!

I just got the damn Solo RD-5510 a couple of years ago and have been pretty happy with the thing. Sure, I would’ve improved on a couple of things here and there, but performance-wise...I thought it was great. I did like the looks, features and performance promise of the then-new Passport 8500...but being a cordless fan and not liking the heavier price, I went with the older, cheaper Solo.

Happy I did...now I have both in the new Solo S2! This is by far the best radar detector I’ve ever owned. It has all the smartness that a cordless detector has to offer with the major added bonus of the improved detection range that seriously rivals the corded Passport 8500.

The new Solo S2 is a little larger than its predecessor but also seems a little more solid in its construction. Gone is the teeny red LED on black display that was nondescript and in its place is a swanky new large, easy to read high-resolution LCD display with smart blue LED backlight that can automatically dim/brighten based on ambient lighting conditions. The display alone is one of the most impressive improvements as alert information is clear and quick.

Also new are the high-level programmable options one can set. Although there are some 10 features you can customize with some sub-levels, the Solo S2 has factory settings that really make it ready to go out of the box, with batteries included--a nice touch, given the cash you plunk down to get one of these.

Once you install the 2 AA batteries the S2 runs on, you really are ready to go...just stick the suction-cup bracket to your windshield or dash, adjust the angle and that’s it. The manual warns not to mount the unit in front of windshield wipers/solid objects or at the dark tint level across the windshield, as it can obstruct the radar antenna or laser lens. Likewise, a few auto manufacturers (ie. Porsche) have a soft anti-lacerative coating that can be damaged by the suction cups...so pay attention if you have a fancy pants car.

Silly as it sounds, a clearly-marked separate power button that shuts the thing on and off is much appreciated, unlike the older model. But even if you’re too lazy to turn the thing on/off, the S2 has an Auto-on/Auto-off feature that will do just that all by itself. But to save the batteries, it’s best to shut it off on your own. Once, pushed, a Power on sequence beeps and chirps along with a short display to show you your suave new detector has all kinds of features that are locked and loaded. Once you’re bored with the show, you can change the setting to keep the Power-on sequence to a minimum and save battery power.

Also available on the unit is a sensitivity mode selector, which allows you to immediately switch between City, Highway and Automatic sensitivity. Auto-sensitivity will usually be sufficient for most driving conditions, as the computer interprets the incoming signals to determine how much is BS and how much is legit, thus...how sensitive it should be for the moment. If you find you’re running into a bunch of false X-band alerts, then it’s easy enough to press the Mode button and set it to City-mode. One nice feature of the S2 is that it now has 3 descending lights next the LCD display of different colors which serve 2 functions: first, each light represents the 3 sensitivity modes (Top/Green for Highway, Middle/Red for Auto, and Bottom/Yellow for City sensitivity) so you can quickly tell what mode the S2 is operating in. Secondly, whichever mode setting that is selected and lit will have that light slowly blink while the unit is in use to show that the radar detector is powered on. I’ll admit, the blinking can be annoying and I’d rather have the option to just have it steady on, but I guess the feature is set up to conserve the batteries. Likewise, to light up this new big, bad, beautiful LCD display, Escort looks to conserve batteries wherever it can.

As with the mode sensitivity, you can immediately hit the volume and mute buttons on the unit so that a loud, obnoxious alert can be completely silenced and a questionable quiet alert can be set louder. With loud music going on in the car, I still find the audio alert to be a little on the quiet side. However, with the big, bright blue LCD display, it gets your attention with an easy to read message...even if you couldn’t hear it at all, you’ll see the alert almost certainly.

So once out and about, the only visual signal given off is the discrete tiny blinking light showing the power on and what mode it’s operating in. Once a radar signal is picked up, a loud (or louder) audible alert is sounded that automatically mutes and the LCD display lights up, showing the band of radar detected, along with a bar graph showing how relatively strong/close the radar signal is. This is a major improvement as far as the visual alert...large, clear read-outs tell you exactly what’s going on, which is good if you’re booming out and the car stereo is up so loud you can barely hear the audible alert...which, unfortunately, is the case much of the time. But even with the programmable “extra-loud” alert setting....I find it still just isn’t loud enough.

Each radar band has it’s own audible alert, which makes for some quick decision-making and brake-slamming. However, as mentioned, even if you miss the audible alert due to Karen Carpenter crankin’ out, you can’t miss the visual alert now...so the brakes can still get slammed, if necessary. The visual alert is OK in bright sunlight but obviously better at night...I guess keep the stereo down in the daytime.

The S2’s included Safety Warning System has been nicely upgraded...this is yet another example of the usefulness of the impressive visual display. Before, a useless vague audible and visual alert was given off--if the system was even used in your area, which isn’t always the case, as it’s a relatively new thing. Now, instead of a random beep and visual sequence, the LCD display now will distinguish some 64 different warnings ranging in everything from Bridge Closed to Blinding Snow to Accident...clever system if it was widely used, which it isn’t. Information like this can only make driving better, so I hope the system is developed further. But the smart S2 LCD display now makes the SWS alerts meaningful vs. vague and useless.

Programmability is another one of the more improved features of the Solo S2 detector. As mentioned earlier, the factory settings which are mostly set to “Auto”, making the radar detector the one that decides how bright, loud, sensitive, etc... the S2 needs to be. But if you like, the Solo S2’s “E-Z Programming” options can customize the detector more to your liking or driving style. It’s great that you can customize everything from the display contrast, automatic power-on/power-off (and by either time or motion), short or long power-on sequence, standard or expert signal strength meter, automute feature, standard or loud audio tones, city mode sensitivity (which now you can shut the X-band sensitivity completely off, if desired or if necessary due to number of false alerts), LCD brightness, and finally, what bands are enabled...including the SWS and the VG2 radar detector-detector.

The only complaint I have about the “E-Z Programming” feature is that you can’t do it on the fly...it requires that 2 buttons be held down while powering on, which usually requires 2 hands.

Ease of use on the Solo S2 is much nicer...a large mute button sits on the top of the unit, making it very easy to quickly silence any audio alerts. Pressing this “mute” button at any other time will give you a segmented battery status icon, which also is presented each time you turn the radar detector on. Average use with the 2 AA batteries will give you around 50 continuous hours of use, which works out to a couple of months of average driving time. The power off and auto mute features help to conserve lots of battery power, which is nice. But let’s face it...AA’s are pretty cheap. Once your batteries reach about 25% of their capacity, both an audio and visual alert warn of the impending doom...which is nice because the older warning sounded just like any other radar alert, so you slammed your brakes, anyway.

The volume and mode buttons are easily ID’d and they’re just large enough to find quickly and press while driving...yet another improvement over the older Solo. Likewise, the large LCD display confirms your settings with large readouts...sounds silly but the older Solo made you feel pretty presbyopic.

The longer detection range on the new S2 Solo is much improved over its predecessor and the reason to buy it...it almost always detects the K, Ka and Laser bands well before I even see the cop car. However, with the newer Instant-on/Talon Ka bands being used by more and more police departments, it’s difficult for ANY detector to give you enough warning if you’re really speeding. Just part of the game where the police have an advantage. But I still like my chances with the Solo S2.

Newer Escort radar detectors have been incorporating an advanced feature in some of their detectors called the “Expert Meter”. Why should you care? Well, for you “experienced” detector users, you can simultaneously track up to 8 radar signals. Are you kidding me? If I wanted to look that closely at the LCD screen, I’d get a Play Station. Maybe this is useful/cool for other drivers, but I can do without it...

Also, while cordless radar detectors are better concealed and easier to move from car to car or even to hide, the corded Escort 8500 model simply has more juice and will do a better job of detecting as a result of its power source. The Solo S2 does have 2 optional 12-volt power cords...one is plugged into your lighter (duh) and the other is directly wired to the car’s electrical system. I have no idea if these $29 accessories will improve your detection ability, but it doesn't’ seem to make a great deal of sense to buy a cordless detector, only to also buy a cord. And, as I’ve said before...the cops see it.

Also included with your smart-looking Solo S2 is a very nice hard case that will hold the reasonably-sized manual, 2 extra AA batteries and an extra set of suction cups for the windshield mount. Speaking of the windshield mount, I’ve found it to be pretty sturdy...but when the weather is really cold or if the suction cups are less than clean, it can slip. The angle of the detector is changed easily at the windshield mount by holding down a button on top. Also, I think the visor clip option is gone...oh, well!

All in all, I’ve been very impressed with this new Solo S2, despite the upgraded price. I upgraded to the Solo S2 because of the smart trade-in offer by Escort, giving a $50 credit on my old Escort if I bought the S2...believe me, I couldn’t get $5 on E-Bay with my really old detector! They also offer an extended warranty for $39 that gives you the usual protections for 2 years, including upgrading any circuitry or computer parts that keep up with new advances in police radar...if that should happen in 2 years. I’m of the belief that these extended warranties are almost always bad deals and pure profit for the company. And just so you know...if police radar advances do outpace your Solo S2, you can send it in to the service department and they’ll upgrade whatever you need for about the same price. And that’s IF you need to...that’s a nicer option.

I’m very partial to Escort radar detectors and their protection/quality...this Solo S2 is now my 4th Escort radar detector I’ve had over 2 decades. And count ‘em...just ONE ticket that was just an instant-on turkey shoot in BFE Nevada that I doubt any radar detector could’ve alerted me to. Not a bad track record and the Solo S2’s detection is up to par.