Casio Phonemate TA140 Digital Answering Machine

by Casio

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 9 x 2.8 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00000J58K
• Item model number: TA140
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #61 in Electronics > Office Electronics > Telephones & Accessories > Answering Devices
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Why settle for just an answering machine when you can also have caller ID and a speakerphone in the same unit? The Casio TA-140 also offers all-digital recording with permanent memory, voice-guided operation, and two greetings.

To set up the TA-140, we plugged in the AC adapter and connected the phone line. Without consulting the instructions, we correctly recorded the outgoing greeting by pressing Greeting Record, speaking our message, and pressing Greeting Record again to stop recording. We set the clock by pressing Time and then the up and down arrows, and we set the remote code by pressing Code and the up and down arrows. We followed similar steps to set the ringer (the unit has its own ringer) and the number of rings before answering (between two and nine or set to toll saver).

The TA-140 lets you turn the call waiting/caller ID feature on or off. You can also set the TA-140 to immediately answer calls that don't have caller ID information (caller ID-blocked calls) and set the local area code for caller ID. Unfortunately, the TA-140 supports only one local area code, making the auto-dialing feature less useful in cities with multiple area codes.

To test the TA-140, we recorded and played several messages. Its sound quality was good but not excellent, which is typical for most digital answering devices and is usually due to data compression. We especially liked the handy variable-speed playback feature that lets you slow down or speed up messages as you review them. The unit is rated to record for up to 14 minutes, but in our tests we were able to record only 8 minutes and 35 seconds before getting an out-of-memory error. The longest single message we could record was five minutes. The TA-140's memory is permanent until you press the Erase button, so you won't have to worry about losing your messages to power failures.

Overall, we think setting up the TA-140 was easy, especially with the helpful voice prompts to guide us. The speakerphone and caller ID features make it especially desirable.

Pros:

• Easy to set up and use
• Adjustable playback speed
• Functions as speakerphone
• Displays date and time even when there are no new calls

Cons:

• Can't hear your prerecorded greeting unless you call the unit
• Does not permit multiple local area codes
• Recording time is less than 9 minutes

Product Description

Caller ID w/message link, display/dial caller ID, advanced message management, permanent memory protection, remote operation w/voice menu, voice assisted operation, voice time/day stamp, caller ID call block, two greetings, year 2000 compliant

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly Surprised, August 4, 2000

By 

Jill U. "Jill U." (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Casio Phonemate TA140 Digital Answering Machine (Office Product)

I bought this answering maching without researching other models. I suppose in a way, I lucked out! I needed an answering machine, and this one does everything fairly well. The recordings of my greetings are relatively clear. The machine is very easy to use. I like the fact that it is digital and I don't have to mess with cassette tapes. It keeps the time and the date, and stamps it to every message. Another good feature is that it has a large caller id screen, which of course helps in screening calls!

I thought the price was very reasonable. Overall I am very satisfied with this product.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its a winner, October 11, 2000

By 

mister_t42 (Andover, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Casio Phonemate TA140 Digital Answering Machine (Office Product)

This machine, which is an exact duplication of the TA-145 except for case color, serves both as an full frills answering machine and a caller-id box. Plus both functions are integrated, so you can see the caller's phone number while playing back messages.

Voice quality is about as good as they come, though you get better greeting quality by calling in from a phone rather than recording with the built-in microphone.

In terms of features, I can't imagine what is missing. There is a feature to direct telemarketers (identified by their "unknown number" id) immediately to voice mail, another one that allows you to have different greetings based on distinctive ring, you can record conversations, record a memo, use it as a speakerphone, skip and replay messages, and a bunch more...

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you need in an answering machine and more..., October 13, 2000

By 

L. Long "Lisa K" (Maricopa AZ, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Casio Phonemate TA140 Digital Answering Machine (Office Product)

I really like this answering machine. The main reason I bought it was because it has the caller ID / call waiting feature on it. I needed a caller ID box and an answering machine, but didn't want the clutter of having two things on my counter. This unit has it all in one and is half the price of other units that do the same thing. The speakerphone really comes in handy when you are dialing from the caller ID list. There is a check button that lets you check your greeting after you make it. It actually has two out going messages that you can store. It has a ringer on the unit that you can adjust. It also has a hold button. The sound quality was a typical digital sound that was pretty good but not excellent. The only thing that I didn't like was the manual did not come in book form. It came like a folded up map. So refolding it was a pain and finding functions that you wanted to do was also difficult. But that would not deter me from buying this product because it is truly a breeze to set up. Over all I'm really glad I bought this Casio answering machine and would highly recomend it. And the price is certainly very attractive.