My first Panasonic phone was over 15 years ago based on 49MHz.Never had an issue with that unit until my roommate ran over it after forgetting it was sitting on the roof of the car.So my review is going to be based on how Panasonic used to make their phones as well as the more recent KX-TG2386 model I just bought for my parents.
First, if you're coming from old Panasonic phones of 10+ years ago, you'll find these new models are significantly smaller and lighter.I suppose the trend is for all handsets to be small since we've been forced to deal with small cellphones all these years already.At one time it would be nicer to have a larger handset which you can cradle on your shoulder while you keep your hands free to do other things, but since the KX-TG6072B offers built in speakerphone capability, this is really not an issue anymore.
To cut to the chase - it sounds good and the range is great.This is being used in a 2 story house with a 802.11G WAP on the 2nd floor and this Panasonic base unit on the 1st floor.Not one bit of interference when using the handset next to the WAP on the 2nd floor, but that is the reason I got a 5.8GHz phone in the first place.
My last experience having been with the analog 49MHz FM Panasonic, the lack of any noise is great on this KX-TG6072B... but that should be expected with any FHSS unit.The only comment I can make is compared to a old-fashioned corded desktop phone, the microphone audio on this Panasonic sounds a little muffled but then again so does my parents' new KX-TG2386 which is also FHSS but on 2.4GHz.I'm guessing this must be how digital cordless phones (at least Panasonic) will sound.
This microphone audio quality is carried over to speakerphone operation as well, but here the speakerphone mic sensitivity is pretty good.You can pick up voices from across the room (with echo caused by the room of course) but it is still intelligible.On the speaker side, the speakerphone audio is pretty good and clear (more fidelity than the microphone audio it seems) but it is probably not loud enough to use if you're outside with the lawnmower running nearby.
As for features, well the digital cordless phones definitely have a lot of features.They were all new to me but probably to the seasoned Panasonic user, they will be familiar.Having setup my parents' KX-TG2386 unit just a couple weeks before I got the KX-TG6072B, I can tell you the menu operation from the handset is nearly identical so Panasonic is at least sticking with a common mode of handset operation.
Now having just setup a KX-TG2386 for my parents, I can tell you some things I wish the KX-TG6072B did. One thing the KX-TG6072B does not do is 'one-touch' dialing.I suppose that is an oversight on my part because the description no where says it does one-touch.But considering the KX-TG6072B is from Panasonic's *newest* series just released in March 2007, I would have thought it had all the bell-n-whistles.The other thing the KX-TG6072B does not have that the KX-TG2386 does is a digital count display of messages unplayed in the answering machine.Again, a minor nit-pick since the KX-TG6072B will tell you by synthesized voice when hitting the play button how many messages are waiting.It's just a convenience factor to come home and visually see if only 1 or *10* messages came in while you were gone.
A final nit-pick (which I feel is justifiable) is the speed of the Phone Book Dialer.By speed, I mean how fast the phone number is automatically dialed for you.Since you have to hit a soft-button to access the Phone Book dialer, then "scroll" for your desired person and finally hit "Talk"... it can actually be several button pushes before you finally get the phone to dial the person you want (hence my wish this phone had one-touch dialing).But to add insult, when the phone starts dialing, it only does 2 touch-tones (e.g. digits) every second.In that regard, it can almost take 5 seconds for the phone to dial 1-A/C-xxx-xxxx.
Now I don't know about your other phones, but my corded phones from Sony and Sharp do their auto-dial speeds at nearly 5 digits a second so even a full 10-digit phone # only takes a couple seconds.Also if you're pretty nimble on your phone's keypad, you too can probably manually dial your favorite phone #'s pretty quickly from memory faster than this Panasonic will.Hence my use for the Phone Book has quickly diminished to dialing less frequently called people that I haven't memorized their phone #'s.With the elaborate handset menu capability of this phone, I'm surprised Panasonic does not allow selectable auto-dial touch-tone speed settings.
All in all I give it 4 stars only shy 1 star from 5 because of the audio quality and the auto-dial speed.I would have thought by now all the digital phones would sound as good as a corded phone but I guess that may be expecting too much.Also if you're expecting to dial anybody in a hurry, I don't suggest using the Phone Book as you will probably be able to dial it faster by hand.
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Panasonic KX-TG6072B 5.8 GHz Expandable Digital Cordless Answering System with 2 HandsetsProduct Description: The Phone That TalksWhen a call comes in, this phone doesn't just let you see who's calling, it actually tells you who's calling with Talking Caller ID
1,2. Using text-to-speech technology, the caller's name is announced between rings if name/number Caller ID
1 information is available.
Can You Repeat That?With SlowTalk message playback, you'll never miss important information again. You can slow down the playback speed of recorded messages by 30 percent at the touch of a button. And with this system's all-digital answering system, those messages will already be crystal clear and easy to retrieve, with up to 18 minutes of recording time.
Voices Come Through Loud and ClearBy simulating a band signal above and below the normal bandwidth limitations, Voice Enhancer Technology helps clarify and improve sound reception creating a natural-sounding voice that is easy to hear and understand.
Turn the Ringer Off... Don't miss important calls when the ringer is off. The Light-Up Indicator at the base of the antenna will flash quickly to show that you have an incoming call, and it will flash slowly to let you know you have a new message. You can also choose up to three different light-up indicator colors to link to your pre-programmed phonebook data. Light-Up ID
1,4 requires corresponding Caller ID information to be received from an incoming call.
...Or Keep the Ringer OnWith Ringer ID
1, you can choose from a downloaded or selectable ringer to link to your pre-programmed phonebook data, which also requires corresponding Caller ID information to be received from an incoming call.
Let the Kids Join the ConversationWith a Digital Duplex Speakerphone on the back of each handset, you can enjoy convenient, high-quality, hands-free conversations from any room in the house. So let the kids join in on the conversation with Grandma and Grandpa, or paint your nails while you chat with your best friend. The base unit also features a dual keypad, which lets you dial without having to use the handset.
Features of the KX-TG6072B include:
Talking Caller ID
White Backlit Display
SlowTalk
Voice Enhancer Technology
Light-Up Indicator with Ringer (3 colors)/ Message Alert
Voice Enhancer Technology
Dual Keypads and Digital Speakerphone on Base Unit and Handset
Ringer ID
Light-Up ID
Intercom between Handsets3
Spanish LCD and Voice Prompt
Expandable Up to 4 Handsets3
Up to 4-Way Conference Capability3
Pure 5.8 GHz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) Digital Technology
Wireless Network Friendly
Phonebook Sharing3
Built-In Clock with Alarm on Handset
Ni-MH Battery Included5
Call Waiting Caller ID1
50-Station Phonebook and Dialer
18-Minute All-Digital Answering System
Headset Jack
Wall-Mountable
Two Handsets Included (1 Base and 1 Charger)
1. Requires subscription to name-and-number Caller ID, call waiting and/or voice mail services offered by certain local telephone companies for a fee.
2. Name pronunciation may vary. Name pronunciation quality is based on names most commonly used in the United States.
3. Requires optional accessory handset sold separately.
4. Requires name registration in phonebook function.
5. Ni-MH batteries have an advantage over Ni-Cd batteries in that they have high resistance to memory effect and are cadmium-free. What's in the box Two handsets (1 Base and 1 Charger), AC adaptor for base unit, telephone line cord, wall mounting adaptor, two batteries, two handset covers, Charger, AC adaptor for charger
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Bought this for a visually impaired family member. It only announces the number, not name.Only real drawback.Decent price.Has worked without incident for about 4 months.Very happy with this product.
