Panasonic KX-TSC55B 2-Line Conferencing Phone with Jog Dial and Caller ID

by Panasonic

Product Details

Product Manual [1.24mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000J3VW
• Item model number: KX-TSC55-B
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Designed for individual or home-office use, Panasonic's KX-TSC55 two- line caller ID phone is distinguished by its strong handling of numbers stored in memory. It's equipped with a 50-number phone directory and a 30-number caller ID history to satisfy the memory dialing needs of demanding users.

Instead of accessing stored numbers with speed-dial buttons, Panasonic opted for a jog dial to provide quick and easy access to the KX-TSC55's phone directory, obviating the need to remember whether your mother is number 2 or 14 on your speed dial. You enter numbers by pressing the Directory Program button, then use the keypad to enter the name and phone number (use the jog dial to insert a space). Once the numbers are stored in memory, you simply turn the jog dial to find a number, then press Send/Set to dial the number. You can also edit directory entries via the Function/Edit button. Our only complaint is that you can't delete blocks of directory items; you must remove each entry individually.

The KX-TSC55's caller ID/call waiting feature displays the number of an incoming call even while you're in the middle of another call. You can set two different tones to indicate a call is coming through on the second line. The unit also allows you to set private ring tones for numbers stored in the directory, so even if you don't have caller ID, you'll be able to identify certain callers based on whether you've given them a private ring. Other features include call conferencing, a voice-mail message-waiting indicator, and a headset jack.

Overall, the phone is easy to set up and use, provides very good sound quality, and doesn't suffer from an excess of unneeded features. If you need to store a lot of numbers into speed-dial memory, consider the Panasonic KX-TSC55. --John Frederick Moore

Pros:

• Generous 50-number directory
• Convenient jog dial to access numbers

Cons:

• Must delete directory entries individually

Amazon.com Product Description

The Panasonic KX-TSC55 two-line jog-dial phone is a corded phone equipped with caller ID/call waiting and three-way calling. The speakerphone allows you to answer a call without the handset and lets others in the room join the conversation. The 50-number phone directory with jog dial provides quick and easy access to the stored phone directory.

The Panasonic KX-TSC55 offers caller ID/call waiting (requires caller ID and call waiting services from your phone company), a feature that displays the name and phone number of an incoming call, even when you're on another call. A voice mail message-waiting indicator (FSK and stutter compatible) lights up when new messages are waiting (requires voice message service).

The headset jack supports an optional headset, while a data port provides easy hookup of a computer, modem, fax, or answering machine.

Other features include a multifunction 4-line LCD, handset volume control, hold/flash/redial, separate ringers with three-step volume control, switchable tone/pulse control, and capability of being mounted on a wall.

This phone comes with a 1-year warranty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superior sound quality, great for headset, but no mute?!, January 30, 2002

By 

Christopher Janicki (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic KX-TSC55B 2-Line Conferencing Phone with Jog Dial and Caller ID (Office Product)

I got this phone for my home office; I bought a quality "Hello Direct" headset (and 6' extension) to go with it. It's really worked out great. I've had many phones, both personal and PBX-quality, but this one is the best. My previous home business phone was a $99 AT&T model... it was nowhere near the quality of this Panasonic model. Both the handset and speakerphone are "hi-fi" compared to other phones.

It really shines with it's headset capability (such a beautiful thing when you work at a keyboard for a living). Also, there's no need for an external amplifier, like some phones. (Although I do work in a quiet home office, so a loud environment would probably require the amp... I often have the volume at max, which works fine for me.)

Using it to store numbers, review caller ID calls, redials, etc. is a little tricky, but no worse than any other business phone.

It handles 2 lines well, with all the business features you'd expect. For example, it has a voice mail light that indicates when your voice mail (purchased from your local phone company) has new messages. You can program that button to automatically dial your voice mail, and even type in your password (adding some "pause" spacers after your voice mail access number). It's really convenient to press one button, then pick up the line (or hit speakerphone) and get your messages.

My biggest complain (and it cost a star!) is that there's no mute button. There is a "hold" button, but this also cuts your audio so you can't listen, so I never use it. The problem has made some conference calls a little awkward, especially when my wife is yelling for me from across the house. :-(
If I ever get the time I may try taking apart the phone to add a toggle switch to cut out the microphone when on speaker... but obviously that's not a fun project, or something Panasonic should expect of a consumer.

In case you didn't realize, this phone has to be plugged into an electrical outlet too (with a usual clumbsy AC adapter). Luckily the phone remembers all settings and phone numbers if you lose power, and it still works as a plain phone while power is out. No batteries.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Phone, But One Flaw, November 13, 2000

By 

J. J. Prats (Springfield, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic KX-TSC55B 2-Line Conferencing Phone with Jog Dial and Caller ID (Office Product)

The designers added a lot of human-engineered common sense features such as auto-selecting the ringing line when you pick up the handset. Also, when one line is in use elsewhere and you pick up the handset, the phone selects the unused line. The buttons are large and well-labeled. The Voice Mail lamp works well.

Caller ID has a quirk, though. Ocassionally, when the first ring is brief, it does not display the Caller ID. I have to go to another (different brand) phone I have in another room to look at the Caller ID. The Caller ID was in fact received; you can find it in the log. However, you can't get to the log via the Jog Dial while the phone is still ringing.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nice, but lack of 'Mute' button is serious flaw., December 18, 2001

By 

davidco "davidco" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic KX-TSC55B 2-Line Conferencing Phone with Jog Dial and Caller ID (Office Product)

As others have noted this phone has many well thought-out features.

I particularly like the flashing light/button that announces whether our phone-company supplied voice-mail has any new messages and can dial directly in to pick up our messages.

I find the display is hard to read - it really does need a back-light, and I need to have fairly strong office lighting on in order to read it.

However, the most significant day-to-day problem is that (as the technical-details link shows) the speaker-phone does not have a Mute feature.

This makes using the speaker phone problematic.
Most of the speaker-phone scenarios that I run into require an easily accessed mute function.

Finally, there are 8 levels of speaker-phone volume, but the 4 highest levels are too way too loud - the entire plastic housing buzzes and vibrates with the dial-tone.

If only Panasonic had made the lowest volume setting into 'Mute' they wouldn't have needed to add an additional button and they could have done away with the (useless) highest volume setting.

If I was going to do it again, I'd buy a different desk/speaker phone.