21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent Phone System - Great Buy
Let me start my review with the "bad." After 7 months of use the only (very minor) complaint I have is that occasionally the talking caller ID will "speak" unintelligible names. This is a very minor problem and is easily fixable. If that party with the unpronounceable caller ID name calls on a regular basis and you want to change the way the phone announces the call,...
54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
Many great features but too many foibles
When I bought this set, it replaced a clunky Motorola cordless 2.4 GHz set that too often got interference or fade out. I liked the look, feel, and sound clarity of this set.
But my wife started complaining of strange dropped calls. She would be in the middle of the call, and if she tried to put the caller on the speaker phone option, or if she got another...
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
When I bought this set, it replaced a clunky Motorola cordless 2.4 GHz set that too often got interference or fade out. I liked the look, feel, and sound clarity of this set.
But my wife started complaining of strange dropped calls. She would be in the middle of the call, and if she tried to put the caller on the speaker phone option, or if she got another call and wanted to "flash" the call, the phone would stop transmitting. The info-screen says "phone not registered to base." Pick up one of the extensions and there's your caller, blithely talking away--nothing has happened on their end.
I ignored her complaints--it never happened to me. Then I saw it happen to her and it started happening to me, too.
With three phones and only two of us in the house, you wouldn't think it would be hard to "register" the phones to their locations. So I did it, and took the step of putting a nail-polished 1, 2, and 3 on phones & bases.
Nice try, but no cigar. The drops still happen. And recently, talking to a friend in Chicago, the phone sounded dead on my side. I was about to hang up when my friend came back on the line. He said, "sorry, I just got these new Panasonic 6.0 phones and I keep getting a "phone not registered to base" error that acts like it drops the call.
Yeah, I know.
Oh, they have a ton of great features, especially that you can program the extensions not to ring at night, and the call clarity is excellent. But when they make the phones too much smarter than the users, they've lost me.
I'm headed to the store (or through Amazon) to pick out some new cordless phones. And no, they won't be Panasonic.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
Let me start my review with the "bad." After 7 months of use the only (very minor) complaint I have is that occasionally the talking caller ID will "speak" unintelligible names. This is a very minor problem and is easily fixable. If that party with the unpronounceable caller ID name calls on a regular basis and you want to change the way the phone announces the call, simply store that number with any name you desire. The phone will then announce the stored name with that incoming number. Simply replace the names that are problematic to simpler, easier to pronounce names in the memory of the phone.
This can be a lot of fun too! For example, a friend of mine who happens to be prone to auto accidents and breaking things has the last name "Ashby." I saved his number on the Panasonic 6433 with the nickname "Smashby" now whenever he calls I hear "Call from Smashby!" I get to chuckle whenever he calls.
Panasonic hit a home run with this phone, great range, excellent feature set, great sound quality and problem free after 7 months. This system offers superb sound quality on both normal and speakerphone calls, excellent features, durability/reliability (see below), great range and light weight (in a pinch I can pop the phone into my shirt pocket or clip to my belt) so I highly recommend this phone. For much of my life I was in the telecom/interconnect business so I've had the opportunity to try all major brands of cordless phones and have been a fan of Panasonic telephone products since 1977. They seem to be industry leaders in quality and innovation. They did however hit a foul ball with the (KX-TG9333T) model however. That system was prone to dropped calls and other issues.
My wife has "butterfingers" and frequently drops all sorts of things, especially our cordless phones. To achieve domestic tranquility we agreed that she would be assigned a specific handset to limit her possible impact damage to only one handset. Her handset (#3) has been dropped numerous times on hard floors including concrete. So far, no problems. This is what I would call torture testing the phone. It passes with flying colors.
To conclude, I highly recommend this system.
Note: I actually received the 6433 system as a replacement for the KX-TG9333T which was riddled with problems which were apparently unfixable by Panasonic. I had sent the 9333 back to Panasonic twice for exchange but each replacement 9333 had the same problem. They finally sent me this system, the KX-TG6433M as a replacement. The 6433 has no such problems and works exactly as advertised.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
The caller ID talks. Yes, I know I can turn it off, but where's the fun in that? "Call from Flor-ID-ah." Now let me see, is that my brother or those folks who are worried that my car warranty might have expired without my noticing it. The phone is much better, actually once I learned to speak Panasonic. I put a ringer code on my brother's number and solved that problem. The missus likes the 30 slots for numbers to block, and so do I, but I suspect that 30 will be a mere drop in the bucket. On the other hand, it blocks ALL those "unknown name...unknown number" calls. Overall, a good unit, easy to install and easy to use. Reasonably priced. No need to spend the the extra 10$ for buttons on the base unit, as you'll probably never use it to make calls. You'll like it, especially if you can speak Panasonic.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
I've been using this phone for about a month now, and i have nothing to complain about. The handsets themselves are light, the bases are small and take up only a little space on the counter, the displays are clear. And I love how I can access the voicemails via the handsets (i have to go to the main base station to do that on my old phone). A good buy, and personally, i don't think you can ever go wrong with a panasonic phone.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
This review covers the KX-TGA641 handset used by the KX-TG6431, KX-TG6432, KX-TG6433, KX-TG6434, KX-TG6441, KX-TG6442, KX-TG6443, KX-TG6444 and KX-TG6445 cordless phone sets. The KX-TG644x "keypad/speaker phone" base is not discussed here.
DECT Security Breach: as of this June 6, 2009 writing, it remains unclear how secure is the Panasonic KX-TG64xx series - specifically the KX-TGA641 handset. Poorly designed DECT hardware is at risk of being eavesdropped . An updated DECT standard uses CAT-iq which may enhance security. On May 8, I emailed Panasonic support asking if this product set is subject to the "DECT hack" discussed throughout Internet forums and if CAT-iq is implemented. On the 18th I sent another and this time I received a case number: 26512122. On June 1st I inquired as to when I might expect an answer. The silence is deafening. (June 9 UPDATE: this is their reply... "The KX-TG6433 is using Panasonic unique DECT protocol for the communication between the base unit and the handset. This unit has higher protection against eavesdropping than standard DECT even without CAT-iq protocol.") And this is Panasonic's "Security Code Statement" on the FCC Web site: "This cordless telephone system has more than 1,000 billion combinations that are provided by the following means: Provided with 128 bits for security codes. When shipped from the factory, the security code is decided by the manufacture. It is memorized in a memory IC. Base and Handset knows each other's security code information." The "DECT hack" requires a modified VOIP card and a laptop running Linux and in some cases the use of a back-end PBX server - most of which is beyond the means and reach of your usual wannabe snoop. I conclude this phone is quite secure enough for average personal and business use. Regardless of the make, model and technology of the cordless phone(s) you own, privacy critical conversations should be done on a hard wired set.
The Review: To begin, the manual is awful. Useful feature information is buried in verbose paragraphs instead of outlined bullet points. A highlighter pen is required! The most egregious instructions are for Programmable Settings which are done via either of two methods, the nice scrolling menus or "Direct Commands." The latter is keyed in at the main menu as a pound followed by three digits, such as #302 to record a greeting. Quoting page 20: "Direct command is the main method used in these operating instructions." So, twenty seven pages of instructions for direct commands and two pages for the menus. Now, where are the scrolling menus? On the handset. In your hand. All the time. From now on. Where is the manual with the three page chart of direct commands? Hmmmm. I cannot fathom this idiotic bass-ackwards scheme. On the bright side, once you've scrolled through the 35 or so menu screens enough times, you'll be more than well versed in their usage. Note: the "Initial Settings" menu contains sub-menus for much more than settings that are, well, initial.
One of the big selling points for me is the use of regular old AAA NiMH batteries. My triple handset KX-TG6433 replaces three stand-alone sets that used different, proprietary and expensive battery "packs." No more! However, one caveat... discussed further on.
The LCD screen is informative, big and bright with large, easy to read fonts. The keypad is quite nicely illuminated although lighting of the three soft keys is absent. You can choose any color back light for the screen as long as it's blue.
The handset ear piece audio is crisp and clean, free of digital artifacts while listeners on the other end can hear me well. The speaker audio for the handsets and base is dinky but usable in a quiet environment. For extended hands-free conversations I use the KX-TCA60 headset. This is also one of the few phones I've ever used that I can cram between my neck and ear without jamming any buttons.
The KX-TG64xx series is loaded with all the usual bells and whistles and lacks for nothing in my experience. Most everything I became used to in all the phones I've had over the ages is here, and then some, all fully integrated. (If I had to quibble, I would want a flashing LED on the base to indicate the presence of messages listened to but not deleted.) All the fancy schmancy services you pay extra for at the phone company are recognized and operate well. Answering System messages can be accessed and manipulated from any handset and from outside phones using a three digit remote access code. Most settings migrate across all handsets meaning that if you change/add/delete something on one, it's done on all. Others, like rings tones and volume, affect only the individual ones. Now that I'm past the "return for exchange" period, I decided to buy a fourth handset.
Finally, this phone talks. My favorite is Talking Caller ID. When the phone rings, I don't even have to raise my head from my recliner pillow to look at it. Now that's living! On the down side, the KX-TGA641 handset strongly resembles my Logitech Harmony 550 universal remote. I often find myself shouting "Hello" into the remote. Or trying to change channels with the phone. When did life get sooooo complicated??
From the "Why on Earth did they do that?" department: the charger does not recognize fully charged batteries. When I first unboxed my KX-TG6433, I took the six 650 mAh AAA batteries and ran them through my MAHA C401FS charger. This would not only save time and effect a nice conditioned charge, but the MAHA diagnostics would warn of defects. Imagine my surprise when all three handsets alerted with a flashing battery icon and a "charge for 7 hours" message. With fully charged batteries! Similarly, if at some point you remove the batteries in a handset to read the label in there (serial number, FCC ID number, etc.) or for whatever reason, you are greeted by the same scenario. And even though fully charged, the batteries will be COOKED for several hours to the degree the handset becomes... too hot to hold! So, here's a hot tip (heh heh) - don't pre-charge the AAAs and don't remove them unless they need to be replaced.
That and the manual aside, this is a good looking, feature rich, convenient and affordable cordless phone system. Now that I'm beyond the menu system learning curve, I'm expecting years of comfortable and easy use.
Rating looses two stars for crap-o-la tech support, dopey manual, inferior charger. (June 9 UPDATE: bumped up one star for tech support.)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
Previous to the Panasonic phone system, I had another Dect 6.0 phone which was pretty good for several years until the display started fading out. Since it was time for a new system I decided to find the best instead of just replacing the old phone with a newer model from the same company. I did the research, read the reviews and finally decided on the Panasonic Dect 6.0 system with answering machine. Boy was that a good choice. Perfect, perfect, perfect. Great sound quality, great connectivity, answering machine easy to use, clear sound, all phones function flawlessly with big and bright display, intercom works great and the phones look fantastic too. Volume is high, you can have different ringers for different people, you can store numbers and the speakerphone is the best. I highly recommend this system and the price was right also.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
We purchased this phone to replace a different brand that was having charging issues. It was a great choice. We love the larger and bolder screen on the handsets. I personally really appreciate the "talking caller ID." It makes it much easier when in the middle of doing something,I don't have to run to the phone to see who's calling, the phone tells ya!! Love it. My next favorite feature is that once you have you "phonebook" together, the caller ID tells ya who's calling according to what was put in the phonebook. I personnally can't remember everyones cell number, so now it tells me the callers name, instead of something generic like "wireless caller" and the number.....that doesn't tell me a thing. LOL. Its a great phone, easy to use and program as you see fit. It can be expanded if more handsets are needed. Great for the price!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
This was somewhat of an experiment, since I was interested in having a phone on each floor of my home, as well as in the detached garage -- which is about 125 feet from the base station -- without having to do wiring. I am very pleased with the results. The phone in the garage has excellent reception. Aside from the speaker phone feature, everything can be accessed from any of the three units. I.e., you can add a number to memory, listen to voice mail messages, etc. from any of the handsets. I have found battery life to be fine, but have to admit that I seldom have a handset off its base for more than an hour or two, so I haven't pushed the limits there. I've had no problems whatsoever in the 8 or 9 months I've had these phones. One word of advice, however. The manual is INVALUABLE in accessing the various set-up features. It contains a chart which provides very handy three-digit codes to go directly to the set-up for each custom feature, and I found that far easier than trying to navigate manually through the different set-up menus.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
Love the many features of this phone. The ability to use Verizon's voice mail service without having to check for messages and entering the security pin numbers was a big draw for us. We use the sleep feature for our bedroom phone so we don't get disturbed. Found call blocking useful. Experienced no problems with these phones at all. Best phone we have owned to date; would buy again.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Panasonic Dect 6.0 Dark Grey Cordless Phone with Answering Machine (KX-TG6433M) (Electronics)
We are quite satisfied with all aspects of the Panasonic KX-TG6433M, including the price paid at Amazon.com. The sound quality is good and we have experienced no interference. The range of the remote instruments is excellent allowing us to have a phone with us while working in the backyard. Having three remotes allows us keep an instrument in the areas we primarily spend our time. Would like to have an indicator showing how many messages have been saved, but this is not available on this system, only a flashing light indicating we have a new message.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
(
Saving...
