Still The Champ
Aug 24 '00
About ten years ago I purchased my first Panasonic phone. For five years it performed like a charm and, save for two battery replacements, it never failed me. Time and technology marched forward and about three years ago I decided it was time to purchase a new cordless phone.
My first inclination was, naturally, to see what Panasonic had to offer. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to meet all my needs and I eventually settled on another manufacturer entirely. The apple of my eye at that time was a Sony 900Mhz Digital Spread Spectrum cordless.
This phone was a techno-geek's dream with outstanding range and stunning voice quality. Too bad that, as has been said, "You pays your money, you takes your chances", for it wasn't long before the phone's shortcomings became all too apparent.
There were two or three really major problems with this phone. Not the least of them was that the handset volume was extremely low, even at it's highest setting. Another huge problem was the low-battery alert. I'm convinced the engineers who designed the phone regarded it as a joke, because the phone died about 10 seconds after the first 'beep.'
Pride in the technology and self-denial that I had picked a loser phone forced me to keep it long after I had decided it had more shortcomings than virtues. Two months ago, after being cut off one-too-many times during a conversation, I decided to purchase a new cordless.
Not surprisingly, Panasonic was at the top of my list. My previous experience with Panasonic weighed heavily in my decision and, to be truthful, in light of my Sony debacle, I scarcely considered anything else.
When all was said and done, I wound up purchasing the Panasonic KX-T1731b 900Mhz cordless phone with digital answering machine. My confidence in Panasonic turned out to be well-founded. The new phone is a pleasure to use and addresses all the complaints I had with the old one.
The most noticeable improvement I immediately saw was that the battery life is outstanding. Panasonic rates this phone with up to 8 hours of talk time or up to 21 days of standby with only a 4-hour charging cycle. Outstanding! My usage tends to confirm these claims as completely accurate. I generally leave the phone off the charger for four or five days at a time and speak for 1-2 hours per day. By the end of that time the well-placed battery indicator will still show one or two bars out of the original three. Moreover, if the phone gets to the point where it really needs to be charged, a periodic beeping sound can be heard. Of course, I haven't ever gotten to this point, but it is good to know that the feature is in there.
Voice quality and handset volume are another issue that concerned me. In both cases I've been extremely pleased. While this phone is not a pure digital device like my previous Sony unit, the voice quality is, nevertheless, outstanding. The handset volume is adjustable from very low to very LOUD. No one has any problems hearing anyone else, which might seem silly until you've used a phone that doesn't work as well.
An important point to be addressed is that, as I mentioned, this unit is not completely digital. As such, the phone transmission is accomplished via traditional analog means and is potentially susceptable to interference. I've not had this problem yet, but you can switch 'channels' if this is a problem in your area. Hi-rise dwellers may wish to find a digital Panasonic model, since those types of buildings tend to have lots of phone and, thus, lots of interference.
The answering machine component of this phone is quite good. In fact, the voice quality of the recordings is far better than other units I've used in the past. In short, one can actually understand what the message is without having to replay it more than once. By default a pre-recorded voice will answer your phone for you if you don't record your own message.
Also important is that this phone uses flash memory to store your messages. That means when the power goes out you don't lose everything. This is a big plus, because you don't have to worry about changing backup-power batteries.
One of the more important features I always look for is caller ID and, to a lesser extend, call-waiting ID. This phone has them both and the backlit LCD is easy to read and informative.
The one sore spot with this phone, and other models from Panasonic, I suspect, is that programming it is somewhat annoying. Fortunately, you only have to do it once. However, I wouldn't recommend losing the user's guide, because without it you may find that programming the phone is out of the question.
Available in black or white, as are all the other Panasonic models I looked at, I chose black because it doesn't get dirty as quickly. Of course, the best part about this phone is the price. I purchased mine locally at Target for $89. When you consider the features offered and the quality it is truly a bargain.
In general Panasonic phones share many of these virtues. I strongly recommend you consider this brand when purchasing a new cordless phone. I doubt you'll be disappointed.
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Epinions.com ID:
mikej165
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Member: Michael Johnston
Location: Long Island, New York
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 8 members
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