During this video you’ll discover why Radar Roy rated the Cobra DSP 9200 BT as the BEST radar detector Cobra has ever made!
In June of 2015 the parent company of Escort Incorporated and Cobra Electronics merged both companies together under a new company called Cedar Electronics Holdings.
One of the main benefits of this merger was that the Cobra line of radar detectors would now have the benefit of Escort’s engineering and patents.
Cobra’s first radar detector to take advantage of this technology is the DSP 9200 BT radar detector making it the most advanced Cobra radar detector ever!
Overview of the Cobra 9200 BT Radar Detector
One of benefit for Cobra in the merger with Escort is that they are now able to integrate Escort’s patented digital signal processing (DSP) algorithm into their detectors.
The advantage of this digital technology is that you do away with a lot of electronic parts by using computer chips instead, which takes much less space on a circuit board.
The result enabled Cobra to pack a high performance radar detector into a small package while also enabling the detector to have better performance in identifying real police radar threats faster and further away, while also filtering out annoying false alerts.
Cobra DSP 9200 BT Radar Detector Review
During this review of the Cobra DSP 9200 BT we logged over 800 miles over a 2-week period, driving in both city and highway conditions.
We also tested the Cobra’s performance against both fixed and mobile photo radar cameras.
We then also compared the K and Ka-band instant on performance of the Cobra DSP 9200 BT to various other radar detectors including the the Passport Max2, the Radenso Pro and the REDLiNE.
Radar Performance of the DSP 9200 Radar Detector
We would rate the overall performance of the Cobra DSP 9200 BT as being in the 3-star radar detector having similar performance as the Escort Passport, the 9500ix and the Radenso.
Laser Performance of the DSP 9200 BT
When it comes to laser protection all radar detectors are basically ticket notifiers if your shot with a police laser gun and this is why we recommend supplementing your arsenal with a laser jammer.
However there is a problem when using a laser jammer with the Cobra DSP 9200 BT.
Because most laser jammers have parking sensor ability they are always transmitting.
Because of this when you have an object within 20 feet from the front of the laser sensors the Cobra DSP 9200 will go into constant alert.
Collision Avoidance Filtering Capabilities
One of the biggest challenges facing the radar detector industry today is the collision avoidance systems installed in new cars.
These devices operate on the same K-band radar frequency as police radar and because of this most radar detectors are overwhelmed by this interference.
To combat this problem Cobra utilizes a traffic safety rejection (TSR) filtering setting called QuiteDrive, which is somewhat effective.
iRadar Community
The Cobra DSP 9200 BT includes a Bluetooth chip set that enables the detector to interact with their social media app iRadar
When paired to the free iRadar app it enables the DSP 9200 to:
Share real time radar, laser and police spotted alerts with other iRadar users
Notify you of known speed trap alert areas
Notify you as you approach fixed photo enforcement cameras
Automatically adjust the sensitivity of the detector based upon your speed
There is one concern I have with the iRadar app when compared to Escort’s Live app. When iRadar receives a false K-band alert if you do not interact with the app and mark it as a false alert, it will automatically upload this alert to the iRadar community.
Because of this I have found that many areas are incorrectly listed as high alert speed trap areas.
OLED Display
However my chief concerns with the Cobra DSP 9200 BT is that the OLED display is difficult, if not impossible to see in bright sunlight.
When I brought up this concern with Cobra I was told that they were in the process of updating the lens so it would be easier to see.
Voice and Tone Alerts
The Cobra DSP 9200 BT clearly identifies the type and the strength of the threat by both voice and tone so you never need to take your eyes off of the road.
Spectre RDD Protection
Cobra’s spec sheet and their website claims that the Cobra DSP 9200 BT is undetectable to the Spectre 1, however I feel that there is a problem with this claim.
Although the Cobra 9200 BT may be immune to the Spectre 1, the manufacture, Stealth Micro Systems, offered a free upgrade to police departments a number of years ago to the Spectre 2.
And when I tested our Spectre IV it did alert to the Cobra 9200.
Because of this I would not recommend using this detector in the state of Virginia, the District of Columbia, or in any commercial vehicle weighing over 10,000 pounds, or in any territory or country where the use of radar detectors are illegal.
Accessories for the Cobra DSP 9200 BT
The Cobra DSP 9200 BT includes a windshield suction cup mount, 12-volt mini USB power cable, carrying case and manual
One concern however that there is no direct power cable offered by Cobra at this time to allow you to connect your detector to the fuse box.
Closing
I do congratulate Cobra with their release of the Cobra DSP 9200 BT because I truly feel that it is the best radar detector that they have ever made, however I do have a couple of suggestions.
One being that now that Escort, Beltronics and Cobra are now one company, I question their strategy in developing a radar detector that competes with their other detectors in the $399 price range.
I feel that instead that Cedar Holdings should follow the good, better, best model with Escort’s focus on the higher end models such as the Max2 and the Redline, that Beltronics focus on the mid priced models and update their Pro Series line and that Cobra focus should be on the entry models for the first time radar detector user.
Then last Cobra should consider rebranding the Escort Live interface and using it instead of their current iRadar platform.
This site is family owned and founded by "Radar Roy," a retired police officer and certified traffic radar instructor, who is considered a leading expert in the speed counter measurement industry.
To learn more about Roy, read our radar detector reviews, or download our free radar detector eBook click here.
This site is family owned and founded by "Radar Roy," a retired police officer and certified traffic radar instructor, who is considered a leading expert in the speed counter measurement industry.