Customer Reviews

Panasonic KX-TG6545B DECT 6.0 PLUS Expandable Digital Cordless Phone with Answering System, Black, 5 Handsets

5 star:		(226)
4 star:		(77)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

Panasonic KX-TG6545B DECT 6.0 PLUS Expandable Digital Cordless Answering System with 5 Handsets

Just to qualify - I rely HEAVILY on my phones for constant daily use in work / business calls and I use the headset feature a lot as well as speakerphone. I've been using similar types of phones for about 5 years now and have owned Uniden TRU8885, Uniden TRU9485, Uniden DECT2085-3, and Panasonic KX-TG1033S.

I've been using this new set of Panasonic KX-TG6545B DECT 6.0 for about 32 days (as of the time of this review) and so far these are the best out of the bunch.

LIKES:
- Handsets are lightweight and comfortable
- VERY EASY TO SET UP AND GET RUNNING
- Sound is clear on handset AND HEADSET (optional separate purchase), the latter of which is really important to me
- Almost no crackling noise when I accidentally shift the headset connector around
- Talking Caller ID actually works! It's not perfect at pronouncing some words, but you definitely know who is calling without looking
- Very full array of features!
- Buttons are big enough for people like me with big hands, and the spacing between the buttons really helps avoid wrong presses
- Battery life is excellent AND they take standard NiMH AAA rechargeables, so NO MORE PROPRIETARY BATTERY REPLACEMENT HASSLES! BIG PLUS!
- Lots of redial and caller ID memory
- Phonebook groups for easy lookup and dial quickly
- AUTOMATICALLY copies your phonebooks to all handsets just by saving an entry on one handset
- Intercom feature lets you page / talk to other handsets and base
- The wall chargers stay completely cool when phones are charged, and only get slightly warm when actually charging
- (Aug. 2011 update) The buttons and navigation are still like new even after year of heavy use
- (Aug. 2011 update) Still using the original batteries and the battery life is incredible, no sign of degradation

DISLIKES:
- The speaker phone on the handsets is a tiny bit too susceptible to background noise, but still acceptable
- Still, as with all others like these, on rare occasion the sound drops out or phone says no signal even 2-feet away from base. (HOWEVER, this problem occurs less than with any of the other 4 or 5 brands/models I've tried)
- Intercom feature is buried in the menu navigation instead of simple button on the face
- There is some lag (delay) when answering a new call or flashing to another incoming call. Have to wait a couple seconds for the other party to hear you pick up.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
I'm much more satisfied with this set than any of the others I've tried in this price-range. It's not perfect, but definitely 4-Star worthy and I would recommend trying this set if you need a multi-handest DECT 6 solution to cover the whole house.

UPDATE - MARCH 7, 2011
I've now been using this KX-TG6545B set daily for over 6 months, and I still love it. It is undoubtedly better (in my opinion) then all of the other sets I tried and listed in the beginning of my review. The headset jacks on the handsets still sound perfectly clean with no crackling (whereas almost all the other sets had headset jack noise issues) and the phones hold a charge for far longer than I expected. The features are fantastic and easy to customize. And even on 3 different floors of the house including the basement I can only recall losing signal / range twice since I wrote the original review. Best in class, in my opinion, and I would definitely recommend this set over any of the others I mentioned! If you depend on your phones daily for heavy use and important calls, but you don't have a thousand bucks to spend, this set is affordable, reliable, easy, and feature-rich.

UPDATE - AUGUST 10, 2011
It's been a year now since I wrote this review, and these phones are still incredible. Under heavy constant use (work from home) the battery life is still incredible (never have to switch phones even on the longest days of use) the buttons and navigation sensitivity is still like new, and I still consider this to be the best phone set in it's class / price range. Very happy! Can't go wrong with these!

The Panasonic KX-TG6545B set is our second such system. We've been wanting to replace our approximately 5 year old 5.8 GHz Motorola system due to extreme aggravation with that product's battery replacement costs after the first few years. It took me a long time to commit to a new phone system because of one feature that the old system had--the ability to select a custom ringtone for individual callers from one's phone book.

The Panasonic KX-TG6545B does not, alas, perfectly replicate that function of my Motorola units. It does, however, allow one to create up to 9 subsets called "Groups" within the system's phonebook, and each Group can be assigned a unique ringtone. This lets my young children continue to have the privilege of answering the telephone themselves, but only if they recognize the ringtone as the one I've assigned to family members. Some (my husband) would argue that the talking caller ID replaces this functionality, but I still prefer the unique ringtone concept. 1) The ringer sounds a few seconds before the caller ID starts talking. 2) Phonebook entries are written as first and last names, but the children would better recognize "grandma" over "Jane Doe cell." 3) The talking caller ID does mangle some otherwise well-known family friends' names, and I don't want to rely upon the kids' figuring out what the digital voice is saying. I was prepared for this negative as I've been researching a new phone system for well over a year, but I mention it because it is a minor bummer every single day.

The only other missing feature my old system had was a baby monitor option, which this Panasonic set does not have. I used it occasionally, but don't really miss it.

The only other significant drawback I've found over my old set was the ability to customize for each handset what action to take when using the system's intercom. On my Motorolas, I could set the Kitchen and Dining Room handsets to auto-answer an incoming intercom call, thus letting me answer hands-free. I always made the Bedroom set require physically pushing a button before the handset would pick up, for privacy. The Panasonic KX-TG6545B system treats the intercom function just as an incoming phone call--you have to "answer" an intercom page. With no settings to change, this is the obvious default choice, but it was fantastic to have the option to make some "public" rooms capable of auto-answering a page.

Features the Panasonic KX-TG6545B includes that are important to me are:
* Ability to assign a name to each handset instead of just sequential numbers. (Yes, sometimes the handsets move around, but eventually they go back where they belong, and the intercom is useless without this feature.)

* Shared phonebook between all sets. (This is much easier than our old system where I had to program each handset, though a family with older kids or teens might enjoy each having their own 50 phonebook slots to populate individually.)

* Handset design. (These are much lighter and the bases are smaller, too.)

* Batteries are rechargeable AAA, easily replaceable. (Opinions seem to differ on this, but our old set used proprietary batteries that cost $16 each at our local big-chain electronics store. I never successfully ordered the correct replacement battery online, either. The original batteries lasted a few years, but replacement batteries seemed to die within a few months.)

* Speakerphone and dial pad in the base unit. (I didn't have this before, and can live without it, but my husband leaves the handsets all over the house, so this is one location I can run to and know for a fact I can answer the phone. Effectively, it is like getting seven phones instead of just six.)

* Expandability to 6 (six) handsets. (I ordered one extra handset at the same time I got this set because I always meant to do so with my last set and didn't get around to it until that model became hard to find. Since you only need an electrical socket, it is really easy to find one more place to put a handset, especially nice since it adds an "intercom" to inconvenient spots like the attic or basement, even if just in my pocket while working up/down there.)

* Easy to set up additional handset. (My extra--purchased separately that same day on Amazon--handset arrived here a day before the set. I plugged it in and charged it overnight, as instructed, before the other parts arrived. Next day, after unpacking and plugging in all the parts of the Panasonic KX-TG6545B set, I followed the trivially easy instructions and paired the 6th handset to the base unit. I am technically adept, but no skills were needed for this process beyond reading a sentence on the instruction card and following the simple instructions.)

* Base unit is wall-mountable with no extra parts to buy. (I find the wall mount a little loose, but it is in a protected location above a counter in the kitchen, and I am happy to have those square inches of kitchen counter space back.)

* Screen readability is just okay. (My Motorola had a brighter display, and I could hit a button while the phone was on its charger and it would light up so I could read the time. The Panasonic handsets display "Please lift up and try again" for several seconds if I push a button to illuminate the screen, though after that long-feeling pause I can see the time before it goes dark again.)

* Silent Mode is handy. (The Panasonic system allows you to set specific hours during which a given handset will be in Silent Mode. That handset won't ring and the keys don't beep either. This is nice for a handset near the kids' sleep area.)

I have never had a call reception or home Wifi interference problem with these phones, but neither did the 5.8 GHz Motorola set or the several individual old cordless phones before that. Making phone calls and receiving them worked just fine in all cases. As long as I keep a landline phone, I will continue to use an expandable-from-one-base system in our old house with minimal phone jacks, but I encourage new buyers to really research the calling and phonebook features on these phone sets because that is where the differences really are. My mother's highest priority was a set that would play Christmas carols for a ringtone. My in-laws needed to research which set had a screen light/bright enough for them to read. For me, incoming call ringtones and naming the handsets are top priorities. What matters most to you?

When I need a cordless telephone, I only look at one brand: "Panasonic". I've tried many brands and was never completely satisfied like I am with a Panasonic. In fact I have returned every other brand of cordless phone that I have ever purchased. They're just not as good as Panasonic.

The sound quality is outstanding and the ease of use is unbelievable. The only thing that I am dissatisfied with in this newest handset design is that Panasonic changed the "message waiting indicator light" on the top of the handset. The light no longer wraps around to the front and back of the phone. It is now mounted flush on the top of the handset. If you are at eye level with the phone you cannot see that the message waiting light is flashing. A very poor design. The handset does however display that a voice message is waiting on the front LCD screen, but it does not attract your attention like a flashing light.

Speaking of the LCD screen, this has got to be the best LCD screen that I have ever seen in my entire life. The print is very large and super easy to read. The white back-lighting is phenomenal with a very high contrast. You will love it!

The illuminated keypad is one of the main reason I purchased this phone. I had an older Panasonic that still works like a champ, but I wanted the illuminated keypad feature which my old unit did not have.

Talking caller ID is another big selling point. It's so nice not to get up to read the information off of the screen when the phone rings. All of the handsets plus the base unit announce who is calling in a very clear and easy to hear and understand voice. Nice job Panasonic!

This phone was so easy to set up that I did not even open the instruction manual. Everything was intuitive.

Lastly, when you buy Panasonic, you know you are going to get a quality product. I own their Plasma TV's, Technics Turntables, Electric Razors just to name a few. All state of the art technology and quality!

I really love these phones. Although it had more handsets than I thought we needed, I quickly found that it was a convenience to have cordless phones where we previously had none, such as in the basement. No more running upstairs to answer the phone when I'm doing laundry only to find that it's a sales call! Yippee!

One of the more interesting features it has is the "silent mode", which I turn on certain phones to make sure my husband is not disturbed when he's gone to bed at night. He gets up obnoxiously early for work so this is super convenient. BTW, the phone still lights up and says who's calling on the display, even though there's no sound. So if for some reason you are standing there, you can still see that it's receiving a call even with the silent mode on. You can set the silent mode like a timer: we have two handsets programmed for silent mode from 6pm to 6am. The handsets where I'm at still ring and I can choose to answer the call or let it go to the answering machine. Very convenient. On the flip side, we can turn the silent mode off, such as days that he does not have to work the next day. When I turn it back on, the times are still programmed.

I love the selectable ringers. It's so pleasant to have classical music playing instead of a nasty sounding ring. Not a big deal, but it's nice to hear the phone ring and it doesn't sound like "noise".

I LIKE the call block feature. Now. I bought these new phones for that feature, because you can literally block people you've had it with. Awesome. But people like family will tell you: "I heard a weird beeping" - it's a busy signal. I wish this feature simply sent them directly to the answering machine instead of the busy signal, because you don't want to clue them in that we've done something to effect their calls- but for those who you don't care what they know or think, it's still a wonderful feature, because not only will it not ring, it will not let them leave a message either. Which is fine if you want to completely avoid someone. But for knucklehead family members, you'll just have to say, "Hm, I guess there's something wrong with my phone. Sorry." And leave it at that.

I love the range on these handsets. When I initially bought this set, I thought I might have to buy the range extender, since it implies that I might need one by the fact that it exists. Nope. These work just as well as our old Panasonic phones. Anywhere in the house (two floors plus basement) or outside in the yard or garage, these handsets are crystal clear with no complaints from anyone that we don't sound clear. I have yet to get "out of range" with any call on a panasonic phone. Sweet.

I love the talking caller ID. If you hear the phone ring, you just wait a second, and as soon as the caller ID info comes across the lines, it announces who is actually calling. If you've got your hands full or are in the middle of dinner, this is a super great feature. You can decide to take the call or ignore it without even being close to the phone.

I love the universal phone book feature. With 5 handsets, it would be a pain to have to go to each handset and update it every time you added someone's number to it. Let's face it, that's not happening. So I just put them in once, and boom, they're all updated. Love it. This is a feature my old one didn't have.

I love the handset name feature. If you walk around with your phones (duh) they invariably end up willy nilly all over the place. No worries as to where that handset goes, it shows right on the display at all times. So I don't have to worry - is this one of the silent mode handsets, does this phone go in the kitchen or the basement? Each phone literally says "kitchen" "office" "bedroom" etc. You can program each one to say whatever you want. So if you want a handset for your "dragon lair" or "oval office" (toilet) you can name it that. Neat.

I love that the display is large and backlit with a white background. If your peepers aren't as good as they used to be... It's easy to see and pretty self-explanatory. So even my husband can use the features!

In short I think these phones are great because they work with you and the way you live today. I simply can't say enough about panasonic phones, I love them! I expect these to last for years just like the last set.

I ordered this set of phones after testing the 2-handset version, the Panasonic KX-TG6512. I put a more detailed review on that product page so I won't repeat much of that here. The short version is that I was hoping to find a DECT 6.0 phone that had all the features that our old 5.8 GHz Uniden system had. The batteries in that old system were dying, and it didn't seem cost-effective to replace them. After a lot of searching I decided to "settle" for the Panasonic TG6500 series, but now that I've actually used it I'm much happier than I thought I would be. It has virtually all the features of our old system, including the option to put custom banners on the individual handsets, which we really liked. The speaker phone quality is at least as good as the Uniden, it has a better handset display, and at least one extra feature the Uniden didn't have: talking caller ID. At first we didn't think we'd like that, but after using it a few times it seems like it might be pretty handy. The one feature we gave up was a display on the base unit, but since there's always a handset sitting on it we can use that display for any necessary information.

In short, this is a great phone system!

We've had a number of cordless phones over the years -- Uniden, VTech, and Panasonic. Of the three, the Panasonic phones have been the most reliable and trouble-free. Recently, we purchased the Panasonic KX-TG6545B DECT 6.0 PLUS. Ours is a five phone set with voicemail base. I had read the reviews prior to buying; but still was a little hesitant. The Uniden set we currently had was okay, but that's about it. The screens weren't that good, even though they are lighted. Also, they were difficult to set up. Hard to read screens and convoluted setup equal mediocre rating in my book.

The Panasonic Panasonic KX-TG6545B arrived just a couple days after I ordered it. Opening the box, I thought, "Oh no, another day of setup." But I was wrong -- very wrong. It took less than 30 minutes to get them out of the box and hook them up. One thing I like about these phones (and a leading reason for purchasing them) is that you have only one base unit and connection to your phone line. The satellite units require an AC outlet only. All units communicate through the base unit. The DECT circuitry, which enhances clarity by minimizing interference from other sources (e.g., wireless routers are a major cause of interference), works very well in our 2500 sq. ft. split level. So far, we have had no problems with the satellites communicating through the base unit.

There are a couple features I especially like. For one thing, you do not have to re-enter numbers into the directory for each handset. All the numbers are stored in the base unit. So, whenever you enter a number into the directory, it is available to all the handsets. Also, it is very easy to enter numbers into the directory. I also like the brightness of the screen -- very easy to see and read, off-white lighting with large black numbers and letters -- and the orange backlit keys. It's a pleasing combination. And unlike so many phones, the screen is uncluttered with indecipherable symbols and abbreviations. I won't say that it's the best that exists; but it's certainly the best I've seen. Another nifty feature is that you can access voicemail through any handset, not just at the base unit itself.

One thing that makes this phone desirable above others is that it is designed with westerners in mind. Over the years, I have found that Panasonic, more than other Asian manufacturesr, seems to have a better grasp of how people in the West think, that is, the nature of western logic. (And there is a difference between East and West.) Many Asian manufacturers of electronics of all kinds, not just telephones, build products whose features and access to those features seem convoluted westerners. As a result, many people just give up and either don't use the device or use only the most basic features -- never accessing the many benefits that may be built into the device. Panasonic has been different over the years. It has been able to create products, including phones, that seem more logical to people in the West. And I find that to be true as well with the Panasonic KX-TG6545B.

I give the Panasonic Panasonic KX-TG6545B cordless set high ratings. In a market saturated with competing products of all kinds and claims, this phone stands out for ease of use, quality of engineering, and overall design obtainable at a reasonable price.

Our 8 year old Panasonic Cordless Answering System base unit finally bit the dust last week. We had been living with the speaker phone not working but in the past week it started dropping calls and handsets would fail to connect. So it was time to retire it.

There were some things I was unhappy about with the old system. There was no call screening on the handsets. If a phone number was added on one handset it had to be transmitted to all the other phones. The caller ID wasn't consistent across handsets and took two rings to display. But the biggest problem was the batteries. They didn't have very long lives and were expensive to replace.

This new system solves all those issues. The phones share a single directory so a number added on one is reflected on all the other handsets instantly. Caller ID pops right up after the first ring. Call screening works great. And the handsets use regular AAA NiMh rechargeable batteries. They aren't the greatest (only 550mah) but at least they can be obtained cheaply when they need replacing. No more $13 battery packs. I can get 10 1000mah batteries for about $19.

Setup was very easy. Most of the stuff that has to be configured is related to the base unit (number of rings, remote code, greeting, etc). Once that's done all you have to do to add a new handset is charge it up, name it (Andys Office or Bedroom) and you are good to go. The defaults are good enough to get started.

Call quality seems really good coming from a 2.4Ghz system which went out if you stood too close to the microwave. I have had no issues with being able to hear the ringer. They are pretty loud actually. There are 10 different ringers to select from and you can assign different ringers to each group. And you can have 9 groups like Household, Family, Work, Friends, etc. My only complaint here is that there is no way to turn the ringer off for a group. Might be handy to kill off the family group while leaving work turned on (or the other way around :) ).

The handsets are small and light but sturdy feeling and the screens are a huge improvement over our old system. They are very bright and clear. Lighted keypad is a huge plus.

I'm not wacky that you have to go in to the menu to put a call on hold or forward it. Our old system had dedicated buttons. It would have been nice to retain dedicated buttons for those functions. Mute is there which is almost as good just to keep them from hearing you talk. Transferring a call is easier with a dedicated button on the screen.

I like that the system can monitor my phone company voice mail. Too many times calls end up in there because we don't answer an incoming call while on another call and they get lost and forgotten. No more. And with the voice mail access number and password set in the phone the voice mail system is a button away. That's good for the wife who hates pushing buttons.

The talking caller ID is weird but useful. I can only do so much but it's usually enough to let you know if you should run to the phone or not.

Negatives?
1) Batteries are cheap but can be easily replaced with high capacity. They will probably be adequate but I will definitely upgrade capacity when they need replacing.
2) No way to turn off ringer for a group while leaving other groups on. There is a silent mode that can be set for each handset but it turns off the ringer completely allowing no calls through.
3) 50 number phone directory? Come on guys. This is 2010. Even my 3 year old cell phone handles 500 entries with 4 numbers per entry.

This system is definitely a step up from my old system. I was surprised I could get a 5 handset system for so cheap compared to what I paid 8 years ago for a 4 handset system. I've only had it a couple days but at this point I would not hesitate to recommend it to someone looking for this type of system.

The Panasonic Dect 6.0 digital cordless phone is everything stated.It by far surpasses any other phone I've had to date.The battery life lasts 5-7 days
without a charge.The voice clarity is excellent.The number block system is
perfect for unwanted telemarketer calls.When names are programmed into the
memory system it announces the caller after the second ring.I am totally
satisfied with this purchase.[[ASIN:B003HE35BW Panasonic KX-TG6545B]

Panasonic cordless phones used to be good.

For the last several years my quality expectation for cordless phones has become very low, and this one didn't meet those very low expectations.

Others have noted the volume is too low even set at maximum, you better have exceptionally good hearing or you will be annoyed.

A great feature set is pretty useless if the phone doesn't accomplish the primary function of allowing you to comfortably hold a conversation.

Also, the phones I received were not brand new. Apparently, someone else didn't like this telephone either since they sent it back and then Amazon sold it to me.

I cannot recommend this phone for purchase.

This is our second multi-handset cordless phone system. We knew the options that were important to us and here's what we love. Having (5) handsets is great, they can be placed all over the house and the chances of having one nearby is pretty good. (each has it's own charging base, 4 plus the base station) Second, the base station/charger has a keypad with numbers and a speaker phone so you can dial out from there if necessary. Our old system didn't have that option (keypad) and it would have been nice at times; now we have it. The handsets can be named. Not sure why I like this but I guess it makes me feel better to know my handset (DAD) is mine. Here are a couple of neat features. The "do not disturb" feature. You can hit a single button and none of the handsets will ring. You can even program this feature to come on at the same time every day for a specified amount of time. It's really convenient when you need some time without being disturbed. Second, you can "block" certain callers. There unfortunately is a limit, (30) I think. If they call, they just get a busy signal and the phone never rings to bother you. Helps stop those annoying pesky telemarketers, or irritating relatives. (joking about the relatives...not) The talking caller ID is OK. I thought it would be easier to understand. It's adequate but I don't think a selling point. The batteries are now universal (AAA) rechargeable so you don't have to find some specialty store or spend a fortune to replace them. Handsets are lighter too, that's also nice. Last thing, "BIG" easy to read display. Bottom line, I like it and it was a great value for the money. So many other things that it does well. I have my own handset, I can see or hear who is calling, I can block people I don't want to call me. Yippee!