Pros: After all the noise problems I've had, there is nothing nice to say.
Cons: Problems with noise, reliability, noise, reliability, noise, reliability
The Bottom Line: Although V-Tech is good about replacing failed units, because of the noise problems, I can't recommend the EV2625. Three out of four sets I've had became intolerably noisy.
cartan's Full Review: Vtech v2625 2.4 GHz 1-Line Cordless Phone
Since a previous reviewer has done a superb job in explaining the features and functionality of this phone, I would prefer to focus on the problems that I encountered with the EV2625. I have been through many (did I say MANY) cordless phones over the years, and when I first saw this dual phone set at WalMart about a year ago, with so many features for $68, I was impressed and bought a set. It wasn't long after my purchase that I saw many of these phones on eBay and found out that the sellers had purchased the phones at a substantial discount plus a rebate, requiring them to submit the UPC from the box. Thus, many of the descriptions of the eBay auctions for this phone included the fact that the phone was new in the box with only the UPC cut out. I started to realize that these phones were being deeply discounted and suspect that there might be some technical problems with the phones, considering the rebates ($30) and discounts so soon after coming on the market. However, that didn't stop me from bidding and winning a second set of EV2625s on eBay for less than $30 including S&H.
My main concern was that these 2.4 GHz phones would not interfere with my wireless router, which is also in the 2.4 GHz spectrum. The EV 2625s claim to be "802.11 friendly". They are. One cordless phone sits about 12 inches from my router antenna, and there is absolutely no interference whatsoever. Another concern was a problem of one pair of EV2625s interfering with another pair. They don't. Each pair work completely independent of the other pair.
A great feature of this phone is the fact that each unit uses three rechargeable AAA batteries. Have you ever tried to find the right battery pack for your cordless phone? For the price of that specific battery pack with the proper connector, you could purchase an entry level cordless phone. By using rechargeable AAAs, replacing the batteries will be a lot easier and less expensive.
One of the disappointing feature of this phone is that one cannot "auto-dial" two consecutive phone numbers. We use a "dial around" long distance service where first we dial a local access number, and then dial the number we wish to call. With our old, reliable Casio 900 MHz DSS phone, we hit auto dial for the local access number, and then auto dial for our daughter in CO or our brother in VA. There is no way to auto dial the local access number and then another number, and we must tax our feeble memory to manually dial the second number on the Vtech EV 2625.
A slight annoyance with all of the EV2625 phones is that there must be some sort of automatic volume level control which is noticed during a phone conversation; if there is a period of silence, there is a hissing noise, which disappears when someone speaks. Other cordless phones I have used don't exhibit this problem.
Power went out in the house for a short period of time, and when it was restored, one of the EV2625 sets became intolerably noisy. Following the instructions in the user manual, I disconnected power to the base, and removed the batteries from both phones. (The stored numbers in the phone book are saved). After waiting the prescribed time, I reconnected the power, phone line and reinstalled the batteries. Still, the phones were noisy to the extend that one could not be understood by a caller. Suspecting that the other EV2625 set might somehow be causing interference, I disconnected power and phone lines and batteries to all the V-Tech phones, waited, and reconnected. Now ALL the phones were noisy and unuseable.
I called customer support for V-Tech (on my reliable old Casio phone), describing the problems with both sets of phones. I was told to send the phones in and replacements would be sent out immediately. A day later, just before getting the phones ready to ship, I hooked everything up and tested them one more time. While the set that originally became noisy was still unuseable, the second set had found a clear channel and was working satisfactorily. So, not to be phone deprived, I just sent in the bad set with a note describing the problems. Within a week, V-Tech had sent me TWO sets of EV2625s.
I installed one of the sets, and put the other aside, expecting to get a letter from V-Tech asking me to return it. I already spent $10 to ship the failed set back to them and wasn't about to send another unless they paid shipping. But it wasn't long before the original set developed problems. When I dialed a number from the phone book, I would no longer "hear" the number being dialed. There would just be this dead silence, and all of a sudden, I was connected to the number I called. Although the phone "worked" and I could still make and receive calls, the absence of the dialing sound was disturbing. I was glad V-Tech had sent me the extra set.
With a well made, reliable cordless phone, I don't think I should have to do much more than replace batteries every couple of years. But having problems with noise, severe in some cases, slightly annoying at other times, having to unpower and reconnect to attempt to solve malfunctions in the phone, this is all too frustrating. As much as I like the looks of these phones, I find them unreliable and unsatisfactory. When they die, as many cordless phones I have had in the past do, I will replace then with something other than V-Techs.
UPDATE Nov 14, 2005 Another set died today. It became intolerably noisy, and the procedure outlined in the instruction manual (removing batteries, disconnecting power and phone line, waiting 15 minutes, reconnecting everything) failed to bring the set back to clarity. A previous noisy set that I had stored in an old shoebox was taken to my son's house where I tried to see if it would work without the presence of a 2.4 GHz noise source. It was still noisy. This last set dying, the third of four sets I have had in a year and a half, (two purchased, two replaced by warranty) was the last straw. It will be replaced by something other than a V-tech product.
2.4GHz Cordless Phone, Single Line Operation, Caller ID / Call Waiting, Handset Speakerphone, 3-Line Backlit LCD Display, 50 Station Name / Number Cal...More at 101phones.com
2.4GHz Cordless Phone, Single Line Operation, Caller ID / Call Waiting, Handset Speakerphone, 3-Line Backlit LCD Display, 50 Station Name / Number Cal...More at FactoryOutletStore
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