After the pop-up side-burn trimmer refused to push back down on my Remmington microscreen after only 1.5 years, I decided to go back to Braun. My previous Braun lasted 5 years and only needed to have the micro-screen replaced. The unit outlasted until the internal battery could no longer hold a charge.
XP II vs. Syncro.
This model is comparable to the Braun Syncro. I chose the XP II because I didn't think the 4-way pivoting head would benefit me much. Also, the Syncro is supposed to have chip-technology that will keep the battery in top condition by sensing when the battery needs to be charged automatically.
Charging and Cleaning
I've never had any luck with shavers that were washable under tap water. It seems the hair particles stick to the inside of the shaver and hot water never gets them out.
I've only used the cleaning system once at this point but I am very impressed. There is an LED light that indicates when the shaver thinks it needs to be cleaned. According to the manual, if you ignore this long enough, it will go out because it assumes you've cleaned the unit manually. The cleaning process took about 6 hours. The cleaning system runs the shaver and shoots the cleaning solution through it for about 5 minutes and uses the rest of the time to dry. When I inspected it after the cleaning, I couldn't find any hair particles anywhere. The cartridges are supposed to be good for 30 cleanings. I have thinner facial hair, so I won't be using the auto clean every day. New cartridges are about $12.95 from what I can see.
Performance
I didn't think the two-way pivoting head would be that great, but it really seemed to follow the contours of my face. The noise of the unit is quieter than my Remmington was. The side-burn trimmer didn't seem to work as well though. You have to hold it at an exact 90 deg. angle for it to work. The shaver did a great job on my neck hairs, which are stubborn for any electric shaver.
Summary
It was hard to fork over $109 for a shaver, but based on my past experience with Braun, I believe this product will last for a long time. The auto-clean technology will help the unit stay operational longer and looking nice. For a few extra bucks you can try the Syncro. But, if you can live with a 2-way pivoting head instead of four and a little less technology, the XP will do.
