Radar Detectors

Cobra XR-1050 Radar Detector Technical Details:xr1050 Key FeaturesDetection Mode:City / Highway modesDetection A...

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The Cobra XR-1050 is the third radar detector that I actually purchased. My first two are a Valentine One for myself, a Beltronics Vector 985 with my dad, and then finally I figured it would be nice to have something in my mom’s car. Since I don’t live at home, they have only one detector to use among themselves, and sometimes go out without protection, which I find unacceptable. I asked my mom if she wanted a Vector 985 like my dad, but she wanted something for around $100. I was going to most likely go with a Whistler, but then I did a little more of my homework. I decided to order a Cobra XR-1050 for her. Now some may think I hit my head on something hard since I have such hate for Cobra, but here’s what you should know about it.

-Price-

*The Cobra XR-1050 was introduced into the radar market at an MSRP of about $300. That put it directly against the Beltronics Vector 985 and more notably, the Escort Passport 8500. Both of these detectors offered more sensitivity and features. Well, that put it out of the running there, since it simply couldn’t compete with it’s lesser features. However, today, the Cobra XR-1050 sells for a fraction of the price for as little as $99, and for much more around the $200’s on some sites. But as for ~$100, it’s a steal. The Cobra ESD-Series detectors are piles of crap that belong in the toilet bowl, but the XR-Series is something different… At about $100, the Cobra XR-1050 competes in a completely different spectrum of detectors. It may not look as “cool” as some of the detectors offered in this range, Whistler and most notably Cobra. It has a more basic black design, which I think looks elegant versus very gimmicky. In comparison to any Whistler or other Cobra in the price range, the Cobra XR-1050 will dominate in sensitivity. I was very skeptical about it, since Cobra completely lost my respect with the Cobra ESD-Series. But they had something that gave them some hope… Just some.

-Performance-

*The Cobra ESD-Series detectors have proved themselves to being just about worthless. That made me lose any respect or trust with Cobra’s radar detectors. However, the Cobra XR-1050 does exceed any of them in performance. I was very excited about busting it out and borrowing a Whistler DE-1753 (Similar price) and then putting it up against my dad’s Beltronics Vector 985 (More expensive but same performance as cheaperBeltronics Vector 940). When it came to battling against the latest Whistler line-up, the Cobra XR-1050 showed great performance on K-Band. On a straight road, it picked up K-Band radar a bit before the Whistler DE-1753. Both radars showed K-Band with a ample amount of time to slow down, but the Cobra XR-1050 performed moreso like a higher-end detector. Then there was Ka-Band territory, and this shocked me. For the first time in my life, a Cobra was actually able to not just pick up Ka-Band radar, but also give a good amount of time to slow down before receiving a visual on the cop. The Whistler DE-1753 was once again a bit behind the Cobra XR-1050. Then came the Beltronics Vector 985. The Bel is considerably more exensive with the 985 model (About $215), however the Vector 940 which has less features can be purchased for around $160 online. When it came to K-Band performance, the Bel was ahead of the Cobra, but not by the considerable gap that you’d see with an Cobra ESD-Series. When it came to Ka-Band, the Bel was once again ahead of the Cobra. Yet again, the gap wasn’t too large between the two. As for X-Band, the Cobra XR-1050 did an excellent job at picking up a heavy X-Band source on IL-60 in Lake Forest. The X-Band performance is great, but almost any detector can give ample time to slow down. So if you live in an area with a lot of X-Band guns (Which I doubt you do), then the Cobra XR-1050 will perform beautifully. As for a $100-Range detector, the Cobra XR-1050 shouldn’t have any trouble at all with K or Ka band guns, and should easily out-perform a Whistler or other Cobra that you put up against it. When it comes to more considerably expensive detectors, the Cobra XR-1050 is formidable but still lagging slightly behind. However, due to its unpopularity in today’s market, most people would pick a Whistler or newer Cobra over the Cobra XR-1050.

-Features %26 Ease of Use-

*The Cobra XR-1050 does have some neat features that come with it. First off, the Cobra XR-1050 is a very handsome unit that some may either love the looks or think it’s hideous. The Cobra XR-1050 has a nice green text display, a pretty cool contrast compared to the red text displays that you commonly see. The text display is better than icon displays you may find on some of today’s detectors that are in the $100-Range. The Cobra XR-1050 is considered a 10-Band radar detector even though there are only 4-Bands that police use. However, it detects SWS and Strobe Alert. The Strobe Alert feature is great since that’s what’s used to change traffic lights and can be very effective in your safety. The Cobra XR-1050 also detects the different laser guns, but does it really make a damn difference as to which laser gun is being used? Lidar is Lidar. 904nm is 904nm. And once you’re hit, you’re almost always clocked anyway. Then the Cobra XR-1050 also has voice alerts, which many people find to be very useful if they don’t want to memorize tonal alerts or use mostly visuals for identifying radar bands. I can see why it never sold well at around $300, it lacks some other features that you can find with text displays. These include Smart Modes which will show you the exact frequency of the band which is mostly not useful unless you’re a techno-geek or know how to differentiate between a false Ka-Band alert versus a real one. Also some people like voltage meters, compass, and other such features that no one really needs. The Cobra XR-1050 doesn’t have these, but it has better sensitivity than the cheap detectors, or costs considerably less than the top units. As for using the actual thing, it uses the most basic of features such as Mute and City/Highway modes. If you’re not very experienced with detectors or are technologically-illiterate, then the Cobra XR-1050 is a good choice you.

-The Verdict-

*The Cobra XR-1050 isn’t a very good opponent in the $300 price range, but it can sure kick cop hiney when it’s around $100! The Cobra XR-1050 combines a nice handsome design with good sensitivity. It might not be as powerful as a Valentine One, but it’s much better than many gimmicky detectors you’d find in the $100 price range. Cobra might have produced some of the crappiest detectors in recent times, but the Cobra XR-1050 is a clear example that every company might have their top dog. The Cobra XR-1050 definitely doesn’t belong in the toilet bowl alongside its other Cobra buddies.

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Tags: 8500, Beltronics, cheap, Cobra, Escort, Valentine One, Whistler

Filed under: Radar Detectors Reviews