Customer Reviews

AT&T DECT 6.0 Black/Silver Digital Corded/Cordless Answering System (CL84109)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wanted a corded/cordless phone system, with answering machine and expandability. After researching phones and reading reviews, I decided on the AT&T 6.0 corded/cordless system with two cordless phones; I then added two additional cordless phones. Described in reviews I read before purchasing, I was disappointed that the base unit did not have a blinking light to indicate a message. HOWEVER, when setting up the system, I read that you could program the base unit to beep, signaling a message. This has worked perfectly -- even better than a blinking light, since you don't even have to look at the machine to know you have a message. [You can stop the beeping by pressing the mute button.] I absolutely love this system!! Best features: speaker/hands-free on all units, all buttons clearly marked and intuitive, mute button also stops phone from ringing/beeping, easily programmed/great step-by-step directions, convenient intercom/transfer functions, dial a number from caller ID by adding a "1" and then pressing "send," battery holds charge (out of the recharger) for several days, excellent range, and, finally, I was able to go from five different phones to one standardized system. My only need/wish not met (a minor one) is that there is no clip on the cordless units -- all my old phones had clips, so I was used to clipping it my belt or a pocket and heading to another room or outside. Although I haven't tried it yet, I found an inexpensive clip at Best Buy that can be mounted to the back of the phone. After 3 months, I was so happy with this system that I bought the same one for my elderly in-laws; they also find it easy to see and use, and like the features & standardization (they had three different phones). A great product/value, so far....

I've been using this phone for a few weeks and am very happy with it. I don't use the answering machine as I have one as part of my phone service. The cordless has great reception and amazing strength. I was able to walk to a neighbor 4 houses down and still make a phone call. The speaker phone is very loud and is more than enough for my needs. No, there is not a headset jack, but I don't use one as I prefer the excellent speaker phone over a headset.

I wish it had lighted base keys and/or lighted keys in the base handset; therefore, I use the cordless remote since it is lighted (good idea for in the dark), and one can access the many features, including speaker phone and playing msgs, located in the base. Energy saver turns orange-colored lighting off when not in use - 'calls answered' light stays on but will turn off when 'calls not answered' is selected. Remote handset power light stays on when in cradle. Does not have external volume control on remote handset - access the program thru the handset to set volume and select one of nine ring tones. Does not "chain" store, and is difficult retrieving the second stored number (pin) used for long distance card calling (I use Verizon 2.9 cents/minute card at home requiring two main numbers, and a couple single digits which I key in manually). Hopefully, I will find the best way to access the pin or store the two numbers. Overall good looks (matches my stainless and black fridge) and is a quality-built unit. Voice is crisp - I hear no static. Follow instruction manual to set-up the many features, such as program to beep or not-to-beep for stored messages. Good corded phone to have during power failures. The AT&T toll-free help line people are readily available. Proprietary 'plug-in' 2 NiMH AAA batteries (provided) are used in the remote handset when AT&T could have used off-the-shelf rechargeable batteries (marketing to get consumers to purchase their batteries at a premium). I will cut the plastic covering and replace with two higher output 1000 mAh batteries when the time comes. The base uses 3 off-the-shelf AAA batteries (at your expense), but one can use rechargeables.

This phone seems to be good quality. When answering, sometimes I get feedback, then it's good and clear a second or two later. I thought this would be a good choice to have a corded/cordless phone all in one. The main thing I hate about this phone...You can't set the answering machine from the base! You have to use the cordless handset to record the outgoing message. If the cordless handset ever goes bad, the answering machine is useless. I can't believe they would design a phone with this flaw and would exchange it if it wasn't such a pain.

Phone functions exactly as advertised. Remote phone works well throughout the house. Haven't tested remote range outdoors. Good instruction manual with one exception, screens for recording a voice message differ from the manual. Highly recommend this phone if you want a corded phone with remote units

I purchased the AT&T DECT 6.0 (CL84109) phone system to replace a GE DECT cordless phone (GE had poor sound quality and the handsets were malfunctioning after about a year). I would have been most happy to find a system like this with multiple mailbox capability, but no vendor seems to make such an animal. I use an AT&T digital Answering Machine that has 4 mailboxes as my primary answering machine, so I am not using the built-in answering machine with the CL84109. The system is working well so far, with a few quirks. The built-in directory is automatically shared between the base and all registered handsets, no matter where directory information is entered. This is good. Directory entries are kept in order of entry; no sorting by name or number. That's not so great. Cordless sound quality is ok. I'm having a problem with dead silences; I'm not sure whether that is due to my Verizon FIOS phone service or the AT&T CL84109; Cisco licked problems like this with "comfort noise" generation in their VOIP phones. The cordless range is ok. I can walk around the house, but getting outside my garage (60 feet of house between me and the base) leads to some signal loss. Going into my backyard with a line of sight to the base works fine. I bought an AT&T DECT headset that pairs with the base; it works great. Its nice to be able to use a headset without a wire connecting me to a cordless handset. Having said that, its too bad that the handsets don't have a jack to plug in a headset in case you don't want to spring the $$ to get the cordless DECT headset. If I liked using Verizon's Home VoiceMail (HVM) service, I would like the fact that the base unit and the handsets all have a signal to let me know that I have new voicemail in my VVM box. However, Verizon's HVM won't clear the "new mail" signal even though I don't have any new mail, so I have a) a stutter dialtone every time I make a call, and b) a "new voicemail" light flashing at me on the base and a "New voicemail" signal on every handset. I'm planning on having Verizon drop HVM from my service to end this annoyance. That hits my highlights. Your want and needs may differ from mine, so be sure to read the manual.

There are a few minor complaints I have about this phone such as not being able to configure the answering machine from the base unit. Also, deleting messages after listening to them is tricky since the playback goes immediately to the next message and you sometimes find yourself deleting the next message rather than the one you just listened to.

Nevertheless, I can happily live with its few flaws since the sound quality is so good that you literally cannot distinguish it from a corded phone. I guess this is because it is a digital signal. In the past I was happy with a cordless phone if the call quality was mediocre and not totally horrible. This phone is in a different league. I've never experienced any static or noise. Also, my paranoid wife likes it since the signal encryption prevents eavesdroppers with scanners listening in to your phone calls.

I bought this phone based upon web based reviews (given best in class). It works pretty good, except that I just found out that the batteries in the base do not back up any features on the base, like the time and date. This is pretty lame. I'm OK, as I use a UPS for my critical office equipment, but if you don't, every time you experience a power failure, you will have to reprogram the phone

This phone system, with remote units, permits you to talk and listen clearly all over the house at a decent sound volume so it performs its basic functions quite adequately. Still there are some annoying drawbacks. The remote hand sets seem quite flimsy and aren't particularly well designed. Although I'm accustomed to all kinds of computer and device menues, the ones on the handsets aren't as intuitive or user friendly as they should be. For example, to find someone in your directory, you can only go to the first letter of the person's name. Then you have to scroll down until you find the name you want. On my old, cheap, pre-paid cell phone, I can also seek names by succeeding letters - second, third, etc. I still have a hard time distinguishing between my directory (the numbers I have stored) and my incoming call log. The same goes for the clear and delete buttons. I'm sure I'll eventually get the hang of it but the controls should be more intuitive. The user manual, like so many others, is comprehensive but feature based, not function based. While it's essential to know what every button does and what every symbol means, I would love to see a branching manual that starts with set-up, then lets you choose between making and receiving calls, entering names and numbers into your directory, setting up your answering system, reviewing your incoming call log, etc. Finally, my pet peeve. Sometimes I need to sleep late and silence all in-coming calls. Shouldn't you be able to do that from one hand set? Not with this system. Instead you have to silence each unit separately - base and remotes. Not something a tired person looks forward to doing.

Love the phone system - very nice, easy to use. Great to have the stored numbers available to all handsets. I'd rate it 5 stars, but it has one deficiency - you cannot have different rings for the intercom and for phone calls, something other systems do have. Other than that, great unit.