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Plantronics CT12 2.4 GHz DSS Cordless Headset Phone with Caller ID

Plantronics CT12 2.4 GHz DSS Cordless Headset Phone with Caller ID

List Price: $159.95
Your Price: $73.63
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: best cordless headset around
Review: I use several kinds of headset phones where I work, both cordless and with a cord, and this is one of the best. Clear reception on both ends, comfortable headset for long periods of time, easy to use, many features. It may be a little pricey, but you won't go wrong.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: No more shoulder and neck pain!!
Review: I wanted a cordless headset for my home office and I couldn't be happier! The sound is very clear and the headset is so comfortable. I don't find it to be cumbersome as others who have reviewed this item. When I first used it, I asked callers how the sound quality was. They all replied "very good". I have not had any interferrence or static and I use it mostly on the lower level of my home and the base is on the main floor.
The only thing I have a problem with is "dialing". When the unit is clipped on to my waist, I have to dial upside down and the numbers on the keypad are small. Obviously something I have to get used to. I'd rather the unit be small, than to have a full sized phone clipped to me! Ouch!


Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Mobile but Not Quality
Review: I was happy to find a phone with a mute button after my GE crapped out. This was a great phone for 2 to 3 weeks until the cord that attached the headphones starting to make a crackling noise. Also, the WiFi network card I used interferred with the phone everytime, rendering it useless while using my laptop.

I so badly wanted this phone to work and work well. All other aspects were superb: large reception area, too many Caller Id stored numbers to count, great features and compact, PLUS a mute button for when one must do laundry on long conference calls from home.

This phone is wonderful in theory, not so hot on actual function.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Bad execution of a great idea
Review: I've been using the CT-12 for over a year. It seemed like the perfect home office phone...portable; hands-free, allowing the user to type and talk; compact and comfortable. It's caller ID-ready, has good noise reduction and has a speed dial function and mute button. In addition, Plantronics has one of the best warranties I've ever experienced. I simply called when my first phone stopped working and they sent a new one within a couple of days, no hassle, no paperwork. So why only two stars?

First, the belt clip is inadequate (especially for those of us who never wear belts.) The clip is too weak to clip to jeans, so I always have to wear a shirt with a pocket in order to have a place to put the phone. This is a serious flaw, as I discovered the clip's weakness only after the phone fell off my pants and onto the floor the first few times I tried it.

Second, the number pad is frustratingly small. It is easy to misdial with keys the size of a pencil eraser.

Third, and most important, the unit's phone jack seems to have a design flaw. I am on my second phone within one year and each one has, over several months, started crackling and cutting out. At first I thought it was the headset, since holding the cord a certain way would eliminate the crackling sound. On a hunch, I bought a new headset from another manufacturer, plugged it in, and immediately started getting the crackling noise. Now that my warranty has expired, I will not be buying a replacement phone, but looking for a new manufacturer altogether. A real pity, I loved this phone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Happy with it
Review: I've had mine for a week or two now. It's one of the best things I've ever bought. It sounds clear and no one has any trouble hearing me. I haven't had an opportunity to test its range yet. I do have a few qualms with it. Really they are more like suggestions for the next version of this headset.

They need to come up with a better way of attaching the headset cord to the control box. I first tried just plugging in the cord straight into the control box like the diagram shows. Unfortunately the first time I accidentally knocked the unit off my belt and the control box reached the end of the slack in the cord the headset plug popped out of the jack in the control box. After that I started looping the slack through under the belt clip. That way the connector is pulled down into the jack rather than up and out of the jack. That helped. I don't knock if off very often. There's probably a slick way of engineering better cable management. I just can't think of if at the moment.

I also wish I could set the microphone sensitivity. The mic picks up my breathing from time to time. I've tried placing the mic below my chin and even up as high as my nose. It's not catching actual wind. Instead it's actually picking up the sound of my breathing. Being able to adjust the sensitivity would be nice.

The only suggestion I can think of is for the engineers to make it easier to blindly find more of the important buttons. Only the "5" button has a raised dot in the button surface to tell the user where his finger is. It would be nice if the Talk and End buttons also had something unique on each to guide the ever blind finger. Mute is also likely to be used blindly. It wouldn't hurt to give that button a texture as well.

Other than that I'm really happy with this unit. I've wondered if I could use a 802.11b access point in bridging mode to extend the range of this unit. It's possible I suppose...

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't buy if you use a wireless router
Review: If you use a wireless router, this is NOT the product for you. The security feature built into the phone allows it to automatically adjust channels. Invariably, the phone will switch to a channel that will interefere with your wireless signal.


Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An excellent cordless headset
Review: This is a great phone, with all the features that I wanted in a cordless headset, and I am very satisfied with it. I recommend it very much.

Unlike another reviewer, this phone has caused no problem with my wireless network, and I also use a Lynksys router. However, it does seem to be sensitve to metal objects. I had the CT12 placed next to a metal lamp, which caused no problem with my previous wireless phone. However, when the CT12 was placed next to a metal object, the signal was weak. Relocating the phone to the other side of my desk helped tremendously. Now, my only complaint is that on occasion, perhaps 1 out of 4 calls lasting more than 30 minutes, a certain buzz develops on the phone. Fortunately, switching channels always clears the problem.

A nice feature about this phone is the convertible headset. I was used to an over-the-head model, but wanted to try an over-the-ear model. Having the option of both reassured me that if I did not like the over-the-ear model, I could always switch back. Turns out that sticking through some pain on the top of my ear for the first two weaks was well worth it. Now, my ear is perfectly confortable with the over-the-ear model and I could wear it all day.

This phone gives me the ability to walk around the house and even all around my yard with no significant reduction in signal quality. The fact that the phone wears on the hip makes the head set light and confortable. The belt clip could be of better quality though. My phone has fallen out of my belt or pocket a few times. On the positive side, the phone is very robust and can handle some amount of abuse!

As other reviewers pointed out, the keys are small, but that is of no bother to me.

Last minor complaint: the amplifier is never quite sufficient to boost up the volume of soft-spoken callers, but to be honest, I have not yet seen another cordless phone which is better in that area... Perhaps in phones to come this will be improved!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Great phone - serious WiFi problems
Review: This is a great phone: clear sound, great range, convenient form factor and very comfortable. It works very well with Lucent and Avaya office phone systems, greatly extending the usefulness of those systems.

However, it is horrible in an environment where any 802.11 wireless network (WiFi) is being used. It appears that it has 4 channels, and 3 of them interfere with the WiFi network to the point that it drops all connections off the access point for all users in the vicinity. This makes it pretty much unusable in a networked office environment. No amount of fiddling with the WiFi channels solves this problem. I note that Panasonic phones have this same issue, but VTech 2.4GHz phones do not.

Too bad, but the one big disadvantage outweighs all the others for me.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Wireless Hell
Review: This is an excellent cordless hands-free phone as long as you do not have any other wireless devices at home. I have been using this phone for several months now and I have a wireless G network at home. This phone completely shuts down my entire wireless network. I have tried everything from changing the channel on the wireless network to changing the channel on the phone but the problem is resolved only temporarily. It somehow changes its own channel to the same one that my wireless network is running resulting is total disruption of all computers and laptops. Not only does it interfere with my wireless network, it is also affected by microwave oven. If you are talking in the kitchen and using microwave at the same time, this phone will pick up the waves from your microwave creating so much noise that you can barely talk. I have used other cordless phones before and none of them created this kind of wireless hell that this device does. After using it for several months, the disadvantages outweigh its advantages and I am looking for a substitute.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great for home office
Review: When in my home office, I am on the phone 5-7 hours a day. I have tried many combinations of phones and headsets and have never been satisfied with the voice quality. I also run a wireless network and have had problems in the past with 2.4 Ghz phones causing interference. The Plantronics CT12 is the answer to all my problems:

* portable - small belt unit is light, offers great battery life and includes all the features I need
* great headset - sound quality is equal to that of a handset (people do not know you are on a headset); comfortable with two fit options, Firefly function is nice bonus
* Caller-ID - included on belt unit, works as expected
* 2.4 Ghz - range is good, does not cause interference with my wireless network (previous phones from Panasonic and others have)

Only negative is that you cannot answer or otherwise use the phone while it is charging (must remove the belt unit from the charger). All in all, highly recommended.


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