Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I junked my Motorola MD681 for this phone. I was skeptical about jumping into another wireless phone system, but I needed phones in some areas where there are typically no jacks (garage, attic). After doing some research, I decided to go with Panasonics' new phone system. Unlike Motorola, I see all types of older 2.4Ghz expandable Panasonic phones still available for purchase from the popular retailers. So, this new phone should be supported for some time. Anyway, into the details.
The Good
1. Handset : this phone feels good in the hand and on the ear. Though not overly heavy, it has a nice weight and doesn't creak or flex through normal use unlike some other less expensive handsets. Most of the color on the handset is protected by a clear acrylic, so it will retain its color for years. The LCD screen is very large, much larger than I am used to. It does show a great deal of information legibly. It has an orange backlight that illuminates the screen as well as all of the buttons. Most of the navigation is done with a 4-way joystick and 2 soft buttons which makes most things fairly intuitive.
2. The Base : It is small considering how many buttons and functions it performs. It is however missing a large display for showing callerID information. However, most of the time I will look to the phone to provide this info, and it leaves only one CID list to maintain. On my old system, the base would always show 50 new calls because I never went through the CID list on the base, so this is a plus for me.
3. Sound : Okay, this is a highly subjective area, but I like the sound of the Panasonic. The speakerphone, on the handset, is probably one of the best I have used. The mic is sensitive enough that we don't have to yell to be heard, and the speaker provides consistent volume and good clarity. There is a voice enhancement filter that you can turn on or off, or have the phone decide when to use it. I have it set to automatic, and I can't tell if it is on without looking at the display. It is never on for domestic calls, but for those overseas calls it activates and the calls sound like domestic calls with a wee bit of static. I have not done an A/B comparison to see how a long distance call sounds with it on and off, so this could be a gimmick. There are the standard beepy, computerized ringtones included, but you can record your own ringtones into the phone from any source you want. I haven't played with this yet, but the demos that are included with the phone sound as good as could be expected from a telephone. I guess I would put them above cell phone quality audio of the same type.
4. Convenience : The thing that I love about this phone is that you can check/delete/save your answering machine messages from any handset. If there is CID info, you can return the call immediately by pressing talk and the phone will dial the number. The other thing I love about this phone is the shared phonebook. No more looking for the phone with so-and-so's number on it, or having to program 4 phones with the same number, they will all have the same phonebook. This phone also has a distictive ring capacity. You can program anyone in your phonebook to flash the LED in one of three colors (blue/green/orange) as well as play a certain ring tone, including the user recorded types. Plus the standard intercom, call transfers, 3-way calling that is pretty much standard with these types of phones.
5. Extras : This system comes with a feature called CallerIQ. You have to signup with a 3rd party company openLCR. For $10 every 4 months, they will allow you to call them and download weather, stocks, sports scores, horoscopes and lottery results. Ringtones aren't included and cost extra and are of the downloaded cell phone ringtone sytle. You can also have your phonebook uploaded for safe keeping and reference while away from home. Not sure if this is a plus or minus, but getting the 1 to 3 days of weather on your phone is a nice little thing. I have not tried this myself.
6. Range : This phone covers my whole house with no static or dropouts. I have not attempted to walk down the street with it because I probably never will, but a walk to the mailbox proved its range to be adequate, especially with the base at the other end of the house. I have also not noticed any intereference with my wireless network, but truth be told you shouldn't with any 5.8ghz phone.
The Not So Good
1. The Phone : The buttons are small. Not very small, but noticeably smaller than normal. The Talk/Off/Speakerphone buttons and the Soft Buttons are tiny, and may be hard to hit for those people with big/wide fingers.
2. The Base : I would not suggest mounting this on your wall. The bracket supplied essentially holds the base horizontally as if it were laying on a table, so it just juts out into the room instead for hanging more or less flush. Needless to say, my base is resting upon a table now. The base also was not intended to be the primary source of input. The LCD panel is small, and only displays the number of calls on the answering machine. A small green light on the base will let you know if the line is being used. I wish there was more info displayed on the base, but the phone is your primary device for accessing the system, so I guess they're keeping it simple.
3. Sound : Other than the questionable effectiveness of the voice enhancer, I don't have much to complain about here.
4. Convenience : How hard is it to name the various phones? I don't want to have to tell people phone 2 is in the basement, or phone 3 is the guest room. Why can't we label phones or just pick from a list of common rooms when we associate a phone to the base? I deduct .5 stars for this because everything else is there, why not this? It seems like a total no brainer.
5. Extras : I'm not sure about the 3rd party site for CallerIQ. They mention on the site that it is a long distance call, but they don't say to where. So, you figure 30-90 seconds a day to download the information. That's quite a bit of long distance calling that you have to pay for on top of the service charge. No too sure about this one.
So, this turned out to be much longer than I had ever intended it to be. So, I'll attempt to summarize for those who don't want to slog through my rambling.
The Panasonic TG5571M is a solid phone with a good feature set and some very nice convenience features added in. It allows you to check the answering machine from any phone in the system, it also has one unified phonebook that is shared between all phones, and it has great sound and sufficient range. However, it is missing the capability to name the various satellite phones, the buttons on the phone are slightly smaller than normal and the wall mount projects the phone into the room. I'm giving it 5 stars, because I can't give 4.5.
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Panasonic GigaRange KX-TG5571M 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System and Talking Caller ID (Metallic Grey)The KX-TG5571M 5.8 GHz cordless phone system from Panasonic offers digital FHSS signal reception for clear, secure calls, plus lots of room to grow. An integrated digital answering system provides up to 21 minutes of recording time, remote operation, and an LCD message counter. The KX-TG5571M also features Call Waiting, Talking Caller ID and Caller IQ Plus compatibility. A light-up antenna alerts you to new calls silently, if you choose, while versatile ringer options let you choose from three sound patterns, four melodies, or even customized ring tones that you can record yourself.
Additional features include base and handset speakerphone capabilities, four-way conferencing (requires additional handsets), and an intercom system that allows communication between handsets and between the base unit and individual handsets. Mute, hold, flash, redial (last number dialed from the base, last five numbers from the handset), and dual keypad and display round out the feature set.
The system includes a single, metallic grey handset (model KX-TGA552M) that can be expanded to a total of eight (compatible handset models include KX-TGA552M, KX-TGA551M, and KX-TGA550M). Accessory handsets do not require separate phone jacks--just plug the charging cradle into a power outlet, and the handset will automatically configure itself to the base system.
What's in the BoxKX-TG5571M base and one handset, AC power adapter, battery pack, battery cover, phone line cord, belt clip, user guide and setup information, warranty information
Click here for more information about Panasonic GigaRange KX-TG5571M 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System and Talking Caller ID (Metallic Grey)
