Customer Reviews:
 Close, but no cigar (but a bit better now) August 8, 2005
Chris Knight (Pacific Tech, CA)
22 out of 24 found this review helpful
The good stuff:
- Voice quality is great.
- Range and RF signal quality are great.
- All the other basic phone functions are great.
- The answering machine works well and give better voice quality than most voice mail systems.
- The speakerphone-in-the-handset feature is a welcome addition to Panasonic's previous offerings of this type, and the reason I finally replaced my wired Panasonic two-line "business type" phones with this system.
The problems:
- For me, the headset jack was a major selling point. I am often on long calls and the headset lets me clip the phone handset to my waist and go hands-free as I walk around the house. Alas, when I use the headset jack, people at the other end of the calls report that my voice is too low. Yes, I have tried genuine Panasonic headsets, including a boom mic model that puts the mic right at the corner of my lips. It doesn't help enough. The mic level on the headset is just too low.
- The multiple handsets are not enough aware of each other -- it isn't enough of a "network." For example, you have to set ring tones individually on each handset. You have to use a manual procedure for sending a "phone book" from one handset to another. If I clear the "missed calls" list on one handset, the others still show "5 missed calls" or whatever. All ridiculous! All this stuff should be managed in the base unit, with the handsets just acting like remote terminals.
Ok, I grant that some people might like to have separate phone books in separate handsets, different ringtones in different handsets, and so on. But it ought to be possible to opt for "base unit manages all".
That's really about it. If I hadn't been *expecting* more of a "telephone system" with a common control point I wouldn't have been disappointed over that aspect. The low headset problem is still disappointing, though.
EDIT: Since reading R. Feeser's review above, I tried both of the headsets he mentioned. I can confirm that both the Panasonic KX-TCA60 and the AT&T EH530 (it is Echo Hotel five-three-zero, btw, not Echo Hotel Sierra three zero) DO indeed work with this phone, and provide sufficient volume to the other end. (The Panasonic headsets I'd tried previously were other models.)
The question remains -- why did Panasonic not make the headset jack on these compatible with the vast majority of headsets on the market? There is absolutely nothing about 5.8 GHz phones, as opposed to 900 MHz or 2.4 Ghz, or mobile phones for that matter, that should make them require a higher-output microphone in your headset! These just happen to, that's all.
 OK phone, lousy for headsets, speakerphone January 26, 2005
R. Shuri (Denver, CO)
21 out of 24 found this review helpful
I bought this phone to use for home and my home-based business. Everyone reviewed it very highly. Guess they don't use their phones in many different ways. Well, the phone works fine with several exceptions:
1. Once you start speakerphone on a call, you cannot turn the speakerphone off and go back to normal.
2. The headset feature is basically worthless and I have tried several headsets - some very expensive with volume controls, etc. People on the other end of the line report that I sound *much* software on a headset. And I'm amost yelling!
3. The caller ID is weak. If you answer on one extension, all the others report a missed call. Huh? And it rarely knows who the callers are.
More on the headset: I called Panasonic customer service, and of course, they told me my problem was that I wasn't using a Panasonic headset (it was Plantronics.) Well even with a Panasonic headset (purchased later,) the sound quality was poor. Don't you just hate lame Customer Service?
The Best 2-Line Cordless Phone Available May 6, 2005
Craig Taylor (New York, New York USA)
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
I have used 2-line cordless phones for years. This model is definitely the best 2-line cordless available in a small universe of 2-line cordless phones. No other model comes close. The positives are mentioned in other reviews. ie; clarity, ease of use, substantial quality, voice-enhancement feature, excellent redial (includes # 1 in the area code number you redial).)My previous V-techs did not ..
MINUS: (lose 1 star)
The DUMBEST design flaw of 2004 - When you answer on one handset, your other handsets register "missed call" ! Stupid, beyond belief -- Congrats to Panasonic engineering/design teams.
The caller ID is slow - Registers the incoming call on the second ring.
AS for Panasonic consumer products HELP that another reviewer mentioned; Correct ! Panasonic has always been, and still is egregious when it comes to this department. And, Panasonic "ain't" going to ever improve on this..Why ? Cause they don't care ! If you buy Panasonic anything - You go it alone !! (everyone should know this by now)....
This phone is excellent - You won't find a better model. Despite the few unmerited negative reviews. Some folks just have to complain !
Enjoy !!
 People have trouble hearing us May 30, 2005
Dan Blythe (Daly City, CA, USA)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
I've had the Panasonic 5.8 GHz wireless phone for about six months, with 4 handsets (max total). Overall I like the system, but have a few complaints. First, I had the Siemens wireless system and had 6 handsets (could have 8 total) so buying this system reduced having a phone in the garage, and living room, not a big deal though, as if I'm working in the garage I just take a handset in there. My second and main complaint is I don't understand the voice enhancer (VE). The manual says something about making your voice clearer etc. but when I turn the VE on, I get comments like "I'm having trouble hearing you." When I turn it off, people say "That's a little better." It seems that we get complaints about people having trouble hearing us unless we use the speaker option, or use a headset. The final thing I don't care for are the "missed calls" on the handsets that didn't answer the incoming call. I'm constantly clearing that message from handsets, sometimes a handset that is rarely used will say "34 missed calls." I see no reason for this feature, unless the call was actually not answered by any handset.
The things I like about the phone system are the lighted antennas when ringing, the backlight, the speaker phone on each handset, good battery life and intercom system. However, I don't like the fact that you can only page from the main station, not from the handsets.
Overall, it is a good phone system, would be an excellent system if my issues above could be resolved.
This phone bombs in my book January 19, 2005
J. B. Knowles (Blue River, WI USA)
19 out of 22 found this review helpful
Over the years I've made a policy of buying what I thought was the state-of-the-art phone for my personal use and business. From an early 900mhz 2-line Uniden (which was clunky and fabulous) to my new 2-line KBTG6502, I've had a lot of experience with them. I bought this phone to upgrade my 1-line Panasonic 2.4Ghz to two lines.
WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! This new phone I.D.'s only about half the time, while my older phone nails it on the first ring (side by side). A nice feature of the new phone is that you can share phonebook entries, but if you answer on one extension, the other phone will say "1 missed call." Seems the system should be a little smarter! I would never have written this review except that when I tried to contact Panasonic about the Caller I.D. not working or barely working, my e-mail was ignored. I love the lighted antenna when it rings, and it has some nice features already mentioned in reviews, but I will not be buying Panasonic phones anymore.
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