Motorola E33 MD761 5.8 GHz 1-Line Cordless Phone

Pros: Handset-to-handset intercom is nice and a lot of little extra features.
Cons: Battery life is ridiculous, to many issues with the answering machine and base.

I purchased this phone a little less than 2 years ago on sale at Office Max for a low price of $69.99. The phone got the job done but, with some major issues and annoyances. This phone is not the main phone of the house any more but, does get some use ...

Pros: It looks like a phone, and claims to be 5.8 GHZ
Cons: Terrible Sound, drop outs, background hum, can barely hear the caller at highest setting.

I made the mistake of purchasing this phone from New Egg. New Egg maintains the policy that the manufacturer will back up their phones/products - almost right! Motorola will only send you a replacement - you cannot get a refund. I'll never again buy a ...

Pros: Comfortable, easy to use, clear reception, good range, ability to use intercom between handsets.
Cons: None that I can think of.

I purchased the MD761 and 4 spare handsets to replace 2 other brands of cordless phones I was previously using. I have had these phones for almost a year, and have had NO problems with them! I keep them on the base units for the most part, as it is easier to find them when the phone rings. I don't have problems with static or dropped calls/conversations. The phones sound great. My husband has used them for work conference calls using a headset, and even when the call lasted over an hour he didn't have any issues. The volume is easily adjusted. The answering machine is clear, and I have no problems being able to access my messages remotely. I really like the numerous options I have for the ringtones too. Another thing I like is that only the base station needs a phone line access, the rest just need an electrical outlet. That has allowed me to put a phone in a room that does not have a phone line access. Instructions were easy to use.

Pros: Features
Cons: Static makes it unusable.

Big, clunky handset. Lots of static. I expected better from Motorola. Read the reviews at Amazon.com for details. (I wish I had read them before I purchased this phone.)

Pros: Unlike some of the other reviewers, I thought the sound quality was ok.
Cons: This phone is not worth it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I have had this phone for about 1 year and the battery life is incredibly short. The phone is awkward to hold and the plastic piece holding the batteries in is always falling off -- then the batteries fall out and your call is disconnected.

Pros: Solid feel, looks nice
Cons: Battery life, disconnects calls, terrible sound, Motorola's support.

I went for the look and feel, and the fact that this phone is supposed to co-exist with wireless networks. But the battery life is poor, Motorola's support is poor, and the phone disconnects at will. Why go on with features when it can't do the basics? This is a true piece of junk. Look at the Consumer Reports reviews....no wonder there isn't a decent Motorola phone in the article.

Pros: Nice feature's, kinda hip and unique retro-tech look.
Cons: Very bad sound... Echoes, thin annoying quality, poor volume on the speaker phone.

I was very disappointed by this phone. We purchased it because if its features and interesting retro-tech look. Buck Rogers as opposed to the Logan's Run look of other current phones. Most are so ugly, I was drawn to the purposefully ugly look of this one.

I really enjoyed setting it up and quickly discovered it was easy to work with... Then the phone rang. Ugh, I don't know if its just that people are now so used to the sound quality of cell phones and maybe I'm just picky but this thing sounded BAD. We will be returning the base and extra handset we purchased.

I am really wondering if you can even buy a good sounding phone now. Looking closely at the GE phone we where replacing it struck me that they have almost all the exact same controls just in different places and are essentially about the same size and shape both base and handset. since they are both manufactured in China I strongly suspect they are made in the same factory and share common electronics. I begin to wonder if any of these systems are really unique.

Pros: Nice looking and sleek.
Cons: Awful reception and static. One has to strain to hear on this phone.

I have owned this phone for a year and the battery will not last for more than a 30 minute phone conversation. I wish I would've returned it before. What a disappointment. All looks and no functionality. Words drop off when the person on the other end talks softly. Full of static. My cell phone sounds better than this. Bad reception. Looks can be deceiving. I really would expect more from a reputable company like Motorola.

Pros: Comfortable handsets: feel good in the hand. Good sound & reception: Honest! Easy to use.
Cons: None. OK: small glitch setting up handsets. Usual poor instructions. Phoned Helpline - very helpful!

Well, I am definitely swimming against the tide here, but my husband and I are delighted with our new Motorola MD761 cordless telephone and answering machine, plus the additional handset MD 71 we bought to go with it. We bought this 5.8 GHz system to replace a 2.4 GHz system that was interfering with our laptop wireless signal. We had been pretty dissatisfied with our previous system - tacky units, hard to use and downright annoying features.

Given that experience, we are really delighted with this phone & its accessories. Nice "Flash Gordon" retro look - OK maybe that's not your thing. We quite like it! Easy to use - I enjoy answering the phone!!

Pros: None that I can think of.
Cons: Static and background hum. The volume control on the Answering Machine. Clunky Handsets.

I expected better form Motorola. This base phone and all the handsets I bought are unusable due to the static and background noise.

Pros: Nice retro style. Good feature set, good intercom.
Cons: Awful sound quality.

This is a horrible phone. I would definitely not recommend it. The sound quality is awful, very staticky and I have to strain to hear the person on the other end. It drops words or parts of words, as if there was some background-noise suppression thing going on (although not suppressing the static) that occasionally cuts off the person speaking if they talk softly or quickly.

The design is nice, it feels kind of 40s retro with the cool Motorola logo and the black and silver design. The handset has rubberized grips, which feel nice. I also like the way it lights up, and the intercom system is pretty cool.

But the poor sound quality overshadows all of the aesthetic things that I like. It's an attractive $100 paperweight.

24 hours after purchasing it, we are returning it.

Pros: None really to speak of.
Cons: VERY low volume earpiece with VERY poor sound quality

I have had this phone for a year and I am about to finally replace it. It is nearly impossible to hear the person you are talking to due to the poor performance of the earpiece. I am sick and tired of saying, "I can't hear you...what?...still can't hear you." Horrible, horrible phone. The only reason I have not replaced the phone for the past year is that we use our cell phones 90% of the time. Today, if I can find another phone with good reviews, this piece of junk is going in the trash.

Pros: None apparent
Cons: Poor battery life, indifferent sound quality

Motorola provided me with a MD761 in exchange for a non-functional MD681. The sound quality is fair to good, but battery life is only 10 minutes after having used the phone for only 8 months. The quality and features of the MD761 are poor relative to the price. Because of my dissatisfaction with the MD761, I bought 2 Uniden model TRU8860-2 phones from Costco for $70, which appear to be top quality in every respect.

Pros: Ergonomically comfortable. Does a fine job as a paperweight.
Cons: Terrible volume / sound quality. Hard-to-use address book.

I bought this phone and two expansion handsets (with no research) thinking that my good experiences with Motorola cell phones meant that their cordless phones would yield similar results. Boy, was I wrong! The sound quality is TERRIBLE! I can barely hear people, even at maximum volume. The stored address book is clunky to access and poorly organized.

Pros: The MD761 has a good battery life and the answering machine works well.
Cons: Both MD761 volume levels are too low. Its range and sound quality are poor.

I acquired the MD761 with one additional handset to use as my work phone. As per my usual practice, I wanted to support an American manufacturer. I had heard good things about Motorola's cell phones, so I expected their cordless phones to be of similar quality. Unfortunately the MD761 neither receives nor transmits with adequate volume. It has a receiving volume control, but does not amplify the incoming signal enough to make it possible to hear callers well. I replaced a Vtech phone because of our wireless LAN. The Motorola does not have as great a range as the Vtech did. Using the second handset introduced transmission static into an already difficult listening process. My coworkers complain that they can barely hear me, and often I cannot hear them at all. Overall, this phone is disappointing. I do not recommend it.