Gigarange? Yes, indeed! Elite? Well.......
Written: Mar 08 '01 (Updated Mar 08 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: small size, extremely long reception, high-tech looks, crystal clear sound under normal conditions
Cons: no hold or mute on handset, constantly conflicts with other 2.4GHz devices, flimsy antenna
The Bottom Line: If you have any other 2.4GHz devices in your house, by all means avoid this phone. Otherwise, the Panasonic KX-TG2670N's clarity and it's range is hard to beat.
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| darktopaz's Full Review: Panasonic KX TG2670 2.4 GHz 1-Line Cordless Phone |
I will admit up front I'm a sucker for high-tech gadgetry, something you may already know if you read my reviews. *smile* If it is a shiny bauble and has an on/off or power switch, chances are I will see if I can buy it, even if I don't have any need for it. In my house, I have a few 900 MHz phones as well as the Siemens Gigaset 2.4GHz phone system (I have a review on that phone as well, which is part of the reason why I looked for another phone in the first place) so I really did not truly need this Panasonic Elite Gigarange telephone. I have a total of three lines in my house, so a single line phone really doesn't help me all that much. However, since I can find this phone for a relatively low price, I thought that perhaps if this phone would perform better than my Siemens, I would eventually sell it and the Siemens on EBay, and then maybe sometime later I would perhaps buy the more expensive 2 line or 4 line Panasonic Gigarange cordless phones. So, you could say the Panasonic KX-TG2670N is an experiment or a trial run for yet more gadgety Panasonic goodies. Yeah, I know, it is a twisted way of thinking, but that's life as a gadgeteer for ya, sometimes we don't think in linear ways.
At any rate, as I was saying, since I was looking for a replacement for my Siemens, I found I still wanted the range of the 2.4GHz system without the buzzing and humming noises that my Siemens has had. I looked at the new VTech systems, but noticed that they resembled the Siemens in many ways so I avoided them. AT&T also has a 2.4GHz phone system, but I have found that not many retail stores carry this system, so I nix that unit as well. Uniden, Southwestern Bell and Toshiba also make 2.4GHz phones but none of the above have dial pads on their base, so those phones were out as well. That left me with very few selections, most of which were Panasonic: the KX-TG2560 is a 2.4GHz phone, but it isn't a true digital phone, and it is a bit bulkier than most of the phones I had mentioned, so it was out. Both the KX-TG2650N and the KX-TG2670N were suitable for my needs, but the KX-TG2670N also had the built-in digital answering machine, something that I really don't need at the moment, but I might need later on in the future. Couple that with the fact that I could get the unit for a relatively cheap price of $179 and I was sold on the KX-TG2670N.
When I first got the unit, the one thing I had noticed is that it is very small. The handset is about the size of my Nokia 6185 cell phone, in fact when you look at the both of them side-by-side, both of them have similar key layouts and look a lot alike. You can obviously tell what the Panasonic engineers had in mind when they made this phone. Unlike the Nokia, the Panasonic's antenna extends, much like some of the old Motorola Star Tec phones. The unfortunate thing is, it would not take much to snap the antenna off while it is extended. The Panasonic lads would been better off making it a fixed antenna instead. Also, since I am griping, there is no mute or hold key on handset, either of which is handy for a handset. The base unit however does have a hold key, but I still think the handset needs it much more than the base unit. Speaking of the base unit, again it is a very small piece of equipment. Both the handset and base unit have a nice silvery face on them, which is a nice look sitting on my desk. The handset also incorporates the option of changing the face, which once again makes me believe that the Panasonic boys had visions of Nokia on their minds.
But, enough about the looks, I'm sure most of you are wondering the most important question; just how well does it work? The manual that comes with it is very straightforward, and it tells you what options you have, in regards to desktop placement, or wall installation, so even beginners will have no problem with this phone. I will admit, setting up some of the phone's features does take some getting used to. (ie. setting some of the answering machine's options requires both the handset and the base, in a kind of wierd electronic meeting of the minds) After charging the handset for the required 8 hours (a much shorter time than the typical 12 to 16 hours I'm use to) I proceeded to dial up my mother's number, and immediately noticed a harsh clicking sound as well as a distant intermittent signal or tone, and that was before I even heard her voice. Once she answered the phone, even she heard and commented on all of the " interesting little noises " on my line. In the past, I have had very good luck with the Panasonic 900MHz phones, so needless to say, I wasn't pleased with this sort of quality, or the lack thereof, coming from Panasonic. After a few more phone calls of the same nature, I was finally at my wit's end and torn between sending the unit back from whence it came and using it for target practice. Then I remembered that I had two other 2.4GHz systems, (the Siemens Gigaset telephone system and the Symphony wireless network system) running in my house and I came to conclusion that even though all of these systems should be running on different frequencies there could be some serious conflicts. I figured, the only way I can be sure this phone is not defective is to eliminate all of the other components using the 2.4GHz frequency.
First I shut the Symphony network down (which consists of three computers and the cordless modem, all of which are spread out throughout the house) and then I pulled the plug on the Siemens telephone (which consists of the base unit and two satellite handsets, both of which covered the basement and upstairs) then I proceeded to call a fellow TechnoGeek friend of mine and when he answered the phone it was like talking on a corded phone. There were no buzzing, humming, clicks or pops, all I heard was my friend's voice and nothing else. Since everthing seemed to be working properly, and I had a friend who doesn't mind me testing my equipment out on him, I decided to check out the range of the Gigarange Elite. I soon found out that the Panasonic has a much better range than any phone I have ever owned. I found that I could walk least 100 ft. further from the base with this phone then I could with the Siemens, so I'm very impressed the range, and even at the furthest range my friend's voice was still crystal clear. I then proceeded to plug-in the Symphony cordless modem and clicking began once again. (culprit # 1, probably due to the spread hopping signal that the Symphony system incorporates) I turned off the modem once again, and plugged in the Siemens, and sure enough the humming returned. (culprit #2, the Siemens is probably not directly on the exact same frequency as the Panasonic but it is close enough to cause minor interference) Furthermore, I decided to try the microwave oven test (microwaves are notorious for wreaking havoc on 2.4GHz systems) and as soon as I pushed the start button what once was a clear voice of my friend soon became a garbled, incoherent form of noises. Not good, on all counts. You would think that these companies would isolate the signals of their products from other similar products much better in this, but I guess they don't.
So, in conclusion, I will recommend the Panasonic KX-TG2670N but I can only recommend the unit if certain conditions are met. If you don't own any other 2.4GHz equipment (which includes other Panasonic Gigarange and the Gigarange Elite phones by the way) chances are this phone will work really well for you. If you don't mind not having the convenience of a mute or hold button on the handset, chances are you'll love this phone. If you need a long range phone with unique features, such as a full duplex speakerphone on the handset, a headset jack on both handset and base for other hands free options, and caller ID displays on both handset and base which you can configure to change color when friends call you, then by all means buy this phone. If, on the other hand, none of the fore mentioned features appeal to you, or you do own 2.4GHz doodads, or even if you use the microwave oven a lot, you might want to look elsewhere for your next phone.
Recommended:
Yes
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darktopaz
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Member: Tony A.
Location: Denver, Colorado USA
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