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162 of 163 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Cordless Phone, June 21, 2006
I bought this phone and two additional handsets to replace a 2.4 GHz AT&T that was causing interference on that popular frequency. Panasonic has a great reputation regarding their phones and this one hasn't disappointed.
Pros:
* Reception is crystal clear - to my ears just about equivalent to a corded unit. Also, I experience no distortion - no buzzing, hissing, line noise or digital artifacts. A Uniden CLX-485 I auditioned would fade in and out for no reason - an example of a phone system which looked awesome did everything beautifully, except for the most important thing.
* Range is quite far for a 5.8Ghz phone, better than an AT&T EP5995 I also tried and the Uniden.
* The handset is wider than this model's predecessor, the KX-TG5576M - important for people with larger hands. Additionally, the tactile feel is good - not as slick-feeling and the buttons have a nice touch. Holding the phone for long periods feels okay; it's not a strain.
* Talk time is excellent. For example, after two hours of both conventional and speaker phone use the battery meter didn't budge. I keep the phones in their chargers so can't speak about standby-time.
* Speakerphones on both handset and base work very well (although I don't believe they're full duplex), and the answering machine works fine. The outgoing message clarity, recorded through the base only, is adequate and incoming message clarity is acceptable.
* The handset menu, which controls many system functions, is easy to use and easy to see, thanks to the bright, nicely colored display.
* "Auto Talk": Can answer the phone by taking the handset out of its base - instead of pressing "talk" - and can hang up by putting it back. Note: Does not have an "Any Key" answer feature, which lets you answer the phone by pressing...any key.
* I like the look: The handset display stays lighted - although dim - while being charged, unlike any other color display unit I've seen. In addition, there's no protruding handset antenna (the base's "goal posts" antennas remain, though), which doesn't seem to affect range. It all looks pretty sleek just sitting there, I gotta say.
* Side tone is good: Some phones produce an echo when you talk; others prevent you from hearing your own voice, like you're deaf in that ear, which is highly uncomfortable (the AT&T was like that). This one's about right.
* Unlike other phones and previous Panasonic models, when you miss a call and view the Caller ID (CID), all handsets acknowledge that fact - no more "Missed Call" on additional handsets. However, the extra handsets continue to say "Missed Call" until the CID is checked - even after answering the phone.
* The handset phonebook can be sent to any other handset, obviating the need to set up each one independently.
* The included software is easy to set up and use (on a Windows PC), and makes available a few more pics, allowing further customization. You can also add your own pictures.
* Handset answering machine functions are good, and remote access is simplified via decent voice prompts.
* Handset sits securely in its base - contact is as good as or better than other phones I've tried.
* The default ringer on "low" is fine; not great, but okay (and I really hate the other choices). You can, though, use your own ring tones or music, instead.
* Also a plus in my book is that when the ringer is turned off on the base, so is the outgoing message. It plays for the caller, of course, but what you hear during a call is a pause after it picks up and then the caller leaving the message. Consequently, you don't have to listen to your own voice (if you're screening calls) or (most of the time) hang ups and dial tones - things that aren't recorded anyway. One caveat: Turning off the ringer on the base or handsets will also defeat talking CID on those componants.
Cons:
* Panasonic still doesn't have a volume control on the side of their handset. To adjust the volume you have to move the center joystick up or down, which is kind of up against your face. That said, it's not a major annoyance, since you can do that without adjusting the phone position too much. But but still...
* The base does not have battery backup, which is used in order to make calls during a power outage. Aside from cost (worth paying for, I think), I don't get it, unless they assume everyone would be using their cell phones during a blackout. The base does have a flash memory, however, which keeps your outgoing and incoming messages intact.
* There seems to be some cost cutting involved. That is, the base feels a bit lighter than the KX-TG5576M, although the features seem to be the same. Also, there's no belt clip included; that's sold separately. Not a big deal to me, but it might be to others. Cost seems to have been driven into the handset, perhaps appropriate given that the handset is theoretically used more often than the base.
* "Talk" and "Off" aren't lighted, I imagine because they're used more than other keys and might, therefore, burn out or malfunction with extended use. Again, not a huge deal to me, and they're easy enough to find in a darkened room.
* You can't record the outgoing answering machine message through the handset. While not bad, message quality would no doubt be improved if this function were included. Like nearly all phones these days, the mic is under a gap in the base, instead of on the surface (perhaps to avoid dust and grit getting in?).
* Time is set via CID; that's good. But the phonebook isn't referenced the same way. Although a "1" is preceded by the area code and number when someone calls - just as it's entered into the phonebook - the phone company's CID name will show (and be announced), instead of how it's customized in the phonebook. Saving and redialing the entry, though, is easy.
That's about all I can think of. I haven't transferred calls between handsets, played with the intercom, or really punished or tweaked the system to death; I'll leave that to others. But overall this is a really nice - and nice looking - system. Definitely recommended.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Bees Knees, October 21, 2006
This phone is the bees knees. The clarity and the range are far out. I can take the phone out the front door and down the street two houses and still talk.
The phone is set up like a cell phone so setting it up is fairly easy. You can download photos, ringtones, and your address book. The color screen is great if you have problems with your eyes as I do.
The software is easy to use. It comes with quite few photos and picture IDs that can be used or you can make your own. You just select your own picture and it converts it.
***CONS***
There is no display that shows the number you are dialing on the base unit.
The Panasonic software requires that your address book be converted to CSV which is easy. However, after you convert your address book to CSV and import it into the software, you will need to do some finesseing with some of the names and numbers. It only lets you choose either first or last name and not both. That aggravated me to no end. I spent 30 minutes fixing names and numbers before I downloaded them to the handset. However, the transfer process wasn't bad and it only took seconds. I downloaded my address book to both handset rather than using the handset address copy feature. It's nice that Panasonic has the copy address to handset features tho.
I have Cox Cable Telephone and the CID database used is out of date. The Talking CID says what the phone line displays. However, it would be nice if the CID looked in your address book like your cell phone does.
They didn't included the belt clip. Which is no big deal but for the price one pays for this phone, it would be nice if Panasonic included it.
**I saw a report on the news about CID. If your phone company doesn't update its databases you will get a lot of messages that read out of service, long distance, or out of state readings. I heard it doesn't cost much for the phone companies to update these databases. They choose or are too cheap to spend the money to update their CID databases.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Panasonic KX-TG5776S ROCKS!, April 26, 2007
We bought this phone almost a year ago and I have to say that it is the best phone we have ever owned. The reception is clear as a bell.
The speakerphone is great on both the handset and the base, half the time people do not even know that I have them on speaker.
Some of the people we talk to often are very hard to hear and they come through loud and clear even in the lowest of the volume settings.
The color display lacks luster, but a phone is for talking on not looking at. The nice thing is that you can put a picture of the person with their name and number so that when they call it comes up on the screen. I like this for cell phones especially because they usually just say cellular call on the ID.
The answering machine is perfect. It never records hangups including callers that wait till the end of the greeting and then decide to hang up. It too is loud and clear making it easy to hear the messages whether at home or away. Another thing it does that is nice is when you have it set to screen calls it does not play your greeting out loud. It goes quite until the person begins to record their message. The date and time stamp comes after the message so that you do not even have to listen to it if you do not want to.
There are plenty of ringer options that range from ear busting to soft and barely audible.
The buttons are sturdy and glow when it rings or you press them so they are easy to read in dim lighting.
When you clear the caller ID from one handset it deletes them from all handsets.
And the phonebooks can be both private to that handset and shared among all handsets.
The talking caller ID is more amusing than anything else as it has a hard time with pronunciation, but it does make it somewhat possible to not have to run and look at the phone to see who is calling, nice if you are busy and cannot get to where you can see the phone. Since it only announces twice per call it keeps from being annoying.
This is a great phone and I have recommended it to many people I know who are looking for a good cordless.
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