I’ve tried the 9595 model and compared to my 8595 Activator (basically the 8995 360), the shave is no better. Plus, with the 9595 the sound is much louder. I do like the “hand grip” design, but… seriously, the 8595 design was just fine as it is. Probably not as ding/dent resistant, but I’ve never dropped it.

I once used a Philips Norelco triple head shaver and found that although it got to my neck hairs in fewer passes, the shave wasn’t as close with the Braun. After reading and hearing several testimonies of people who prefer Braun over Norelco, I decided to forgo getting the Norelco Arcitec and stick with Braun. Basically, I’m happy with it. In about 5 minutes, I’ve got a very nice clean and close shave. It’s not quite like a blade shave, but then I don’t risk any cuts. Plus, after about 2 hours from a blade shave, your whiskers are about on par with the electric shave. Not that big a difference.

The 9595 is expensive. An impressive design, but not worth the extra money. You can find discounted 8995 units for about half the cost, and they’ll deliver an excellent performance.

I understand the “geek within” craving a new gadget, but sometimes it’s better to stick with what works well. It’s now about a year and half later and you didn’t revisit your review. I do wonder if you’ve found it really much better than what you had before.