Customer Reviews

Panasonic KX-TG6502B 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable 2-Line Cordless Phone with Dual Handsets (Black)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I've been researching the different phones quite heavily. Some of the more profound findings were from on the floor sales staff at major office supply stores. The first store, he mentioned that the Panasonic was the best, and that Uniden, and V tech were junk. The second store I went to, he was a lot more specific, and really knew his stuff. He said that Unidens were the best voice and transmission quality, but didn't hold up. He also said the V techs were junk. His comment about the Panasonics was, I am not going to lie to you, they last forever, and have excellent overall quality, but you are going to pay more for that. He was emphatic about explaining that, his comment was intended for the full size Panasonic 5.8s, not the new little tiny 5.8 Panasonics, that are having problems, more like the V-techs.
A friend of mine has the Vtech 5.8, and has already had to return two handsets due to malfunctions. He also mentioned that when he presses a number to dial, it doesn't always register, and he has to press it again. I speak with him on the phone though, and even though he is outside his house, the quality is great.
My personal comments on the Panasonic 5.8 6502B is that I love the whole system. The quality is great. I get absolutely no static, or noise, even when my head is practically inside the microwave. (Which is the first thing I wanted to check after using my 2.4 and 900 megahertz that way and got so much noise I had to leave the room) Going outside of the stone house, I went all the way past my neighbor's front yard, before I got noise, and that is about 100 feet. I can go anywhere in the house, which is a 60 foot house, meaning that 40 feet is the max distance from the base unit, and everything is crystal clear, no matter what floor I am on. I have the base unit sitting on top of a major subwoofer.
I am a Panasonic fan, because I have a 900Mghz dual line, and a 2.4Ghz single line cordless, both of them Panasonics, and I have owned them for 10 years or more, and they both work perfectly. I had to buy replacement batteries for the older 900, which is the one that is over 10 years old. I bought replacements-aftermarket from eBay and they work great. My 2.4 is still running off of the original batteries. Not a glitch with either of those phones. That is reliability.
Now I want to talk about headsets. The dream from way back was to be able to walk around cordless, and better yet, hands free. I can go out in the garage, out in the yard, (go to the bathroom) get something to drink, or whatever I want, without being tied to the cord, and just as important, not having to bend my neck to hold the phone up, or use up a hand. Total freedom is great. The problem is that my headsets for the 900 or 2.4 don't work properly with the 5.8Ghz. I tried the Plantronics 25 or 29-dollar model, and it was so quiet, when I left a message on the answering machine, it would hang up. I tried my old headset, and it did the same thing. So their is something about 5.8 systems that require more volume. The reviews on the Panasonic headsets were many, but not many on the 5.8 volume problem. Those that were happy didn't report what they were using them on.
Once again, my Staples expert, the rare sales person who really knows what they are talking about, pointed me away from Plantronics, and aimed me directly at the AT&T Executive headset model number EHS30 for only $19.95. He said they were loud, and when hearing, you have to turn down the volume. The Plantronics he stated were for business use, when you don't want the caller hearing ten other conversations going on in the background. On the AT&T headset pack, they say," Designed for the HOME office professional" Anyhow, I took it home, plugged it in, and it WORKS GREAT FOR THE 5.8. I sent a message to another answering machine in the house and the volume was greater than when using the regular phone, and without any distortion. It had great sound quality, and plenty of it. The AT&T has enough boom length, to get in front of your mouth. On the Plantronics, in frustration, I took the headset off, and spoke directly into the mic, but although I got more volume, there was distortion.
This paragraph is an edit to my original review. I have since received the Panasonic KX-TCA60 headset that everyone raves about, but others commented that they do not work with the 5.8s. Well they do. It does say on the cardboard plackett that the headset comes on, that they were meant for 900Mghz, and 2.4s but leaves out the 5.8s. BUT the owners manual for the 6502 says that headset works fine, and it does. The boom mic is crystal clear, just like the AT&T, and the volume on the ear piece is just the right volume. The AT&T goes above the normal volume, but gives you an adjustable volume knob to tweak it just right. The Panasonic TCA60 does not have a volume knob but is set at just the right volume already. The speaker on the AT&T is the same outside diameter cushion, but the actual speaker opening is twice the size of the Panasonic. That may help in part as to why the volume on the AT&T is greater. If you were in a really loud room, the AT&T has a higher volume adjustability. Both were perfect quality, sound and plenty of it. You can't go wrong with either one. The AT&T is twice the price of the Panasonic but is built a little more substantially. Hey get both, you have a lot of stations with the 6502.
One last comment is on looks. The picture of the individual handsets, the Panasonic 650 is more like the real look of the phone. If you look at the 6502B picture, it looks like pure black, which it is not. I prefer the pearl black metallic/off charcoal gray look, which it shows you in the 650 handset only picture here at Amazon, which is what it all is and has a black back. Also the LCD color they show in that picture is not accurate; it is more like a goldish yellow instead.
Overall, I find the 6502B or 6500 with a single handset, which are full size Panasonics, to be the best looking, most functional, and most reliable units out there. I have absolutely no complaints at all. Pertaining to the comments about the calls missed showing up on all of the handsets; when you have multiple people using the same system, everyone has a chance to review all of the incoming calls, and with the caller ID, they show up with the sending phone number and time of the call. If someone else like a brother or sister, erased your message at the base, or from their handset, you know what calls came in, and who to holler at :-)
Get the Panasonic 6502B or 6500, and get the AT&T headset EH530, which also works in your cell phone with the same 2.5mm plug. Buy it, you won't be sorry. I seriously feel a pang of love when I walk past the handset stations, especially, when I consider all of the old problems this new system solves.
Oh, one more thing, I have the primary line set up on my Lingo line, that I learned about here at Amazon. It's the new VOIP and costs me only $19.95 a month for unlimited long distance all over the US, Canada, and 17 countries in Western Europe. The included premium call services including Caller ID all work beautifully with the Panasonic system. I guess you could say, "I'm phone happy" Hope this helps.

When my existing cordless phone bit the dust, I didn't rush to purchase a replacement and took my time researching all available options. When it came right down to it, Panasonic's KX-TG6502B fit the bill. If there's a feature this 5.8 GHz system doesn't have, please tell me. I guess that's why Consumer Reports gave it such a high rating.

The DSS signal is strong and secure, the range exceptional and I have never experienced any interference -- a concern for me due to my wireless home computer network. Two lines were a must with teenagers in the house and there aren't too many product choices available today if that's a requirement for you, too. All the usual two-line functions are included like flash and hold ... as well as the standard phone basics like call waiting, caller ID, etc.

I have absolutely no regrets. I don't know why other reviewers experienced problems, but not me. Not once. Never.

One of the best features is that everything is accessible through each individual handset, especially the digital answering system. No longer do I need to walk across the house to play back my messages. And I don't have to worry about missing any -- even with the ringer turned off -- because of the small blinking light at the top of the antennae. Oh, and the blinking light also alerts me to an incoming call. Kind of like a "silent" mode.

The system can be expanded up to four lightweight handsets in all and it's an easy, two-button process to add additional units to your existing system. You don't even need a phone jack to place a handset anywhere in the house -- just a power outlet for the small, inobstrusive base.

A good measure of any purchase is the pleasant surprises you discover once you have it in hand and this phone has a few worth noting: A backlit handset LCD that makes it easy to operate in the dark, the speakerphones in each handset, the fact you can take the phones with you away from the home for use as an emergency walkie-talkie system, and the ease of use in transferring up to one 50-call directory from one handset to another. And those are only the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

If I had a complaint, it would be the limited ringer options -- four in all -- none of which is particularly appealing. I can live with that.

I have to admit that when I first received this system, it didn't exactly knock my socks off in terms of a "wow" factor. But the longer I've owned it -- close to a year now (updated review Nov. 2005) and counting -- the more I appreciate it for it's clean, elegant design and problem-free operation. I have also added two more handsets to it since my original purchase.

After struggling for years with Siemens Gigaset 2420 system....Got the Panasonic. I am pleased and the most important and demanding user in the home (spouse) is happy.

Voice quality: very very good, but a bit too low with headset. Speakerphone feature works well. Caller-ID, voicemail, remote operation all work very well. Intercom works great. Have had no problems with any interfernce, static, or range problems. I am using the system with Vonage VoIP service.

First of all, here are some tips: For the base unit, Panasonic sells a backup power supply for around $20 that plugs right into the 9V power jack on the base unit. Rated for 5 hours standby on six rechargeable AA batteries. (model KX-TCA200).

Here is another tip:

Undocumented feature.. There is an annoyance in that each handset 'remembers' missed calls for some odd reason. So you pick up the extension and it says '12 missed calls'. To clear this quickly, hit the down-button, then the right-menu button turns into 'ERASE'...hit it and you're clear. So just a quick two buttons and it's clear.

One minor annoyance for those with poor vision...when playing back remote voicemails, the erase command (*4 Erase message) can be hard to read. (until you memorize it)

Couple of interface and other product wishes:
1) Why not put date and time up on blank display?
2) Would be nice to be able to label intercom extensions like on my old siemens 2420. (Display would show "#1 Office" on office extension and also on base station.
3) Get rid of stupid 'xxx missed calls' feature.
4) Voice quality of ans machine outgoing message is OK, but not great, even in 'high quality mode'.
5) While display is lit, and so are numbers, the talk and off buttons are not. You learn them by feel after awhile, but it would be nice....
6) I wish up or down arrow took you to call directory, not caller id list. (to hit call directory you hit right menu twice, then scroll up/down with arrow button)
7) If you're using it with only one phone line, it would be nice to disable line 2 selection (like on Siemens). Also it would be nice to specify preferred L1/L2 inbound/outbound per extension.

Couple of things that are cool:

1) phone list replication between phones works great and is easy
2) lightup antenna for call or message is cool and handy (esp when ringer is off in bedroom)
3) Phone book entry as well as caller-id auto-edit features are cool and save time.
4) Musical ringtones sound very nice.
5) Ans machine is easy to use and fairly logical.
6) Phone picks up cleanly when ans machine gets it every time.
7) Backlight works well.
8) This is a silly thing, but the phone will stand up by itself on a table so speakerphone can work the best.
9) Belt clip seems sturdy so far,
10) Buttons have very positive action and so far never 'bounce' or 'miss'.

I love this phone! The price is great. The sound quality is great. The range is great. The handset speakerphone is better than great (way useful and the sound quality is very good). The battery life is great. Playing messages back from the handset is great.

This is the best phone I've ever owned. It does everything I wanted it to, plus some other nice things I never thought of. I don't have a single complaint with this phone after more than a month of constant use (I work from home and this is my primary phone). I liked the phone so much, I bought one for my mom, and she likes hers just as well.

With regards to complaints from others:
1)There is no issue with switching to/from the speakerphone on the handset. If you're on speakerphone and want to use the handset in the normal way, just press talk.
2) I wall mounted my phone and it works just fine. I prefer the keys facing up so I don't have to stoop down to see the button I'm pressing like the last phone I wall mounted.
3) I don't have caller ID, so I can't comment on the complaint that the number does not show up on the handset.
4) I have no idea how good/bad/ugly Panasonic tech support is, I've never had to call.

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 is a very good phone system. There are many descriptions here so I will despense with these and move on to a review. I am comparing it to a Siemen's Gigaset 2420.

The Panasonic KX-TG6500B/6502B is a small step back from the 2420, but at about half the cost, is a very good value. One significant step back from the 2420 involves the configuration allowed with respect to what line is automatically selected when making and receiving a call. I used to receive calls on line 1 and made calls (and fax) on line 2. There was no option for this on the Panasonic, and I had to switch lines (receive calls on 2 and make calls/fax on 1) to get the auto select to work. Now it only auto selects the wrong line when calling from the CallerID list.

Other smaller step back from the 2420 involves the CallerID list. On the 2420 it was stored with the Base unit and was therefore synchronized on all handsets. On the Panasonic the CallerID lists are independent to each handset so even if a call is accepted on one handset it is labeled as missed on the others. Furthermore, deletions only affect the handset it is deleted on and not the others. This can obviously lead to confusion and requires more CallerID list maintenance (lucky I only have two handsets).

Another small step back involves the lack of a Fax/Modem port on the Panasonic and conveniently available on 2420.

Perhaps the largest step back is the fact that the antenna is internal on the 2420. This was quite convenient and will be a sorely missed feature.

The Panasonic does work quite well, however, and has good reception and sound. The Answering machine works well, though it only sounds only fair (there is a mode to enhance this slightly), and the backlighting and Flash button on the handset are a very welcome change. The biggest advantage to the Panasonic is the inclusion of a very nice speaker phones in each handset. (Note: it was mentioned here that once the speaker was on, the Panasonic handsets could not be switched to private listening; this is incorrect: just press the Talk button.)

For the money this is a very good phone system. You can pay a lot more for a better Siemen's model (which has been updated since the 2420 and now includes speaker phones on the handsets), but this should satisfy most home, home office and perhaps some small businesses (though the independent CallerID lists may be troublesome here).

UPDATE: I very quickly developed a problem with the handsets or base. Just about every call over a minute would drop out for a few moments, in the same room with the base about 15 feet away. If I move in front of the base, it clears up. I thought of just exchanging for a new TG6500B, since this problem is not commonly mentioned by other reviewers, but I decided to get a Uniden TRU8866 system instead. No answering machine, but it has all the other necessary features. And the antenna is internal (like the Siemens-which is what really swayed me). I will write a review after more use.

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 !!

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.

My first 2-Line wired/wireless phone system was the Siemen's 2420. It was sleek, elegant and the interface was clean and intuitive. Although I was happy, the sound quality was always bad. People said I sounded like I was in a barrel when speaking on the cordless units. The electronics were terrible and it literally began to disintegrate, piece by piece, beginning with the readouts.

I then purchased the AT&T E2562 2.4 GHz DSS 2-Line Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System and Corded Base. I'm old enough to still have blind faith in the 'AT&T' name. The phone system was ugly. The interface was non-intuitive and frustrating. The sound quality was mediocre. The answering system periodically garbled messages and cut people off. It was terrible and I was unhappy.

My current phone system is the Panasonic KX-TG6500 with two satelite units. It is not elegant, but the design is fun in a 'high-tech' way. The desired features are there and logically accessible. It has a solid feel. The sound quality is excellent. It is a good phone system and I am happy again.

You would think that, with the increasing number of home-based businesses and home offices, one of the telephone manufacturers would come out with a top quality phone system that hit every item on a business user's wishlist. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. We did a lot of research before we purchased this Panasonic two-line cordless phone, and it's surprising how few options there are. And, of those options, most seem to get dreadful reviews.

We've had this phone for about a year. I think it's okay -- but given the alternatives, "okay" may be the best one can hope for.

Note that I haven't used the built-in answering machine (I find the phone company's service to be easier for my purposes) so I can't give you advice about that function.

Also, it was important to me to choose a 5.8GHz system. I have a computer network that runs primarily on wireless, and I wanted to ensure there was no conflict between the computers and the phone.

The plusses:

* Audio quality is fine. Nothing to shout about, but I can hear the other person and he can hear me. I keep wishing the volume would go higher.
* The wireless range is fine. We haven't tried to stretch it at all, but one of the cordless units is at the other end of the house, probably 100 feet from the base station (which is in my office), and I haven't had any cut-outs.
* The unique ring is a feature I'd never have sought out, but I appreciate; this way, I can tell when the home line is ringing verus the business line.

The minuses:
* It can be hard to read the screens; that can be a problem when you're trying to read the caller-ID information. I wish there were a backlight.
* The base unit doesn't have caller ID displayed; you have to pick up the handheld unit to see it or, for that matter, to scroll through the calls that were missed. The only display on the base unit is for the answering machine.
* Speaking of missed calls: oddly, the "missed call list" is separate for each handset. If I answer a call in my office, the other three handsets list the number as though nobody picked up the phone. It's a minor annoyance to have to clear these individually.
* The speakerphone is borderline. It works, but -- perhaps because there are three computers on my desk -- I have the impression that the audio quality on my correspondent's side isn't that great. I usually wind up picking up the handset to talk; my husband uses a earbud plugged into his handset.
* The handset user interface takes a bit of getting used to. Even after a year, I have to search for the hold button.

The products that you grow to love always offer a little more than you expected. The Panasonic doesn't. It does the job. It's been reliable (which is more than I could say about the 5-year-old Siemens system it replaced) and it fulfills the basic phone requirements. But I wouldn't go out of my way to say "Buy this one" -- except that I've never seen a system that I thought would be better.

Personally (in case any of the manufacturers are listening) I wouldn't mind spending MORE for a two-line phone system if it was truly professional grade. Alas, nobody seems to give me that opportunity.