![]() ![]() Obviously if you hear any rattle when you shake the build then that is a sure sign of factory damage, and you should use your warranty, or other consumer protections. The plastic feels of high quality, and there is no rattle to the build, a flush radar detector is a key indicator of quality. It makes it feel more robust, better able to stand up to a few knocks, though knocks are few and far between in the world of radar detectors. There is some nice heft to the SPX 5300 as well, I like a bit of weight to my electronics, especially electrics that I intend to travel with. Cobra really knocked it out of the park that generation in terms of look. The overall look of the SPX 5300 might seem a little over-designed to a modern eye, and there is certainly some truth to that, but there is at least sleek lines and an easy to read display. You know what kind of signal is being picked up immediately. Not only doe sit look better, but it gives you more information at a glance as well. I don’t know why other firms didn’t go the same way, the simple choice to use more than one color of LED. One of the things that Cobra have always been good at is making their use of the same tech appear sleek and even modern. Older radar detectors tend to use that big LED display, with the red dots etc. One the the things I tend to harp on about with regards to the aesthetics of older radar detectors is how much they look like clock radios. Cobra SPX 5300 Radar Detector ConclusionĬobra SPX 5300 Radar Detector Design and Build Quality.Cobra SPX 5300 Radar Detector Legality and Pricing.Cobra SPX 5300 Radar Detector Design and Build Quality.The SPX 5300 might lack on board GPS and Bluetooth, but Cobra have one of the most advanced apps on the market, and it transforms this otherwise simple model into something well worth considering. A good radar app can turn even the cheapest build into a powerhouse, and I think we will see a lot of the in box enhancements that have been made over the last five years or so fall away in favor of cheaper community sourced app features. When you pay top dollar you are getting better filters, more advanced software, and of course other hardware jammed into the box, like GPS and Bluetooth. #COBRA ELECTRONICS IRAD 950 SOFTWARE#I maintain that it is true that hardware has somewhat stagnated, Valentines’ V1 is evidence of that, but the software and integrations in radar detectors has flourished. It did make me question a few things in the radar detector market though, namely the justification for the very high prices some firms are charging for their models. Granted, when I thought about it for a while it made sense, I mean radar waves haven’t changed since the dawn of light, so why change the hardware overmuch. I was shocked to find that the core hardware has remained pretty much the same for the last few decades. ![]() With radar detectors that is only true up to a point. With pretty much every other range I have reviewed there has been a natural progression of tech, a rich history to discover. I spend a few weeks looking into the industry, the consumer base and of course the technology on display. My standard practice when I review a product line is fairly set at this point. The SPX 5300 falls closer to the bare bones builds than the modern masterpieces, put Cobra have had a good design team for the last decade, so even older builds like this are stylish and feature packed. ![]() #COBRA ELECTRONICS IRAD 950 FULL#Cobra have made a name of themselves in my book, a look through their entire product range reveals a model for all customers, whether you are after the cream of the crop, chock full of features and integrations, or something low key, does the job for as little as possible. One of the best things about models like the SPX 5300 is the fact that due to being as old as they are the price per unit is incredibly low, while core function and consumer protections are still excellent. Today is another look at a legacy Cobra build. Granted, there is still the top ten to collate, but after that I’ll be back on the one offs, which are never as interesting to me. Only the one one radar detector review to write after this, and I will be sad to see the end of them. ![]()
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