Panasonic KX-TG6502B 5.8Ghz 2-Line Cordless Phone System w/ Additional Handset (Black)

Rating:
Summary: SUCKERS of the world, unite!
Review: ...Give me a break!

Just out of curiousity, I bought a 5.8 GHz cordless at a local store and compared it to my trusty, twenty-dollar 900MHz Uniden.

Guess what?

The two phones sounded PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, in fact the 900MHz one was actually a little clearer in some parts of the house.

I will say though, the 5.8GHz phone does sound better than the disastrous 2.4GHz Uniden I bought and returned last year. But this one's going back too...why pay more for what is basically the same performance?

Again: DON'T BELIEVE THE ADVERTISING B.S. !!!!

I'm giving this phone 1 star not for its actual performance, but for the absolutely shameless advertising HYPE around it.

(This is kind of like a 3.0GHz PC compared to a 1.2GHz PC: with 90% of commonly used applications, their performance is virtually identical...only you'll pay a lot more for the bigger number GHz.)

Rating:
Summary: Avoid if you plan to wall mount!
Review: Both panasonic.com and amazon.com merely say this unit is "wall mountable." They fail to say or show how. This unit will *not* wall mount flat to the wall, with the keys and display facing out. The bracket included in the packaging mounts the base unit at a right angle to the wall, with the keys and display facing up. This means the unit not only protrudes quite a distance from the wall, but for anyone with a wall jack 60" or above (like me), the keys and display will be impossible to see and awkward to use. A secondary complaint is that, once the speakerphone mode is activated, you can't go back to a more private handset use. Both of these proved to be fatal design flaws for our home.

Rating:
Summary: OK phone, lousy for headsets, speakerphone
Review: I bought this phone to use for home and my home-based business. Everyone reviewed it very highly. Guess they don't use their phones in many different ways. Well, the phone works fine with several exceptions:

1. Once you start speakerphone on a call, you cannot turn the speakerphone off and go back to normal.

2. The headset feature is basically worthless and I have tried several headsets - some very expensive with volume controls, etc. People on the other end of the line report that I sound *much* software on a headset. And I'm amost yelling!

3. The caller ID is weak. If you answer on one extension, all the others report a missed call. Huh? And it rarely knows who the callers are.

More on the headset: I called Panasonic customer service, and of course, they told me my problem was that I wasn't using a Panasonic headset (it was Plantronics.) Well even with a Panasonic headset (purchased later,) the sound quality was poor. Don't you just hate lame Customer Service?

Rating:
Summary: Great Phone
Review: I love this phone! The price is great. The sound quality is great. The range is great. The handset speakerphone is better than great (way useful and the sound quality is very good). The battery life is great. Playing messages back from the handset is great.

This is the best phone I've ever owned. It does everything I wanted it to, plus some other nice things I never thought of. I don't have a single complaint with this phone after more than a month of constant use (I work from home and this is my primary phone). I liked the phone so much, I bought one for my mom, and she likes hers just as well.

With regards to complaints from others:
1)There is no issue with switching to/from the speakerphone on the handset. If you're on speakerphone and want to use the handset in the normal way, just press talk.
2) I wall mounted my phone and it works just fine. I prefer the keys facing up so I don't have to stoop down to see the button I'm pressing like the last phone I wall mounted.
3) I don't have caller ID, so I can't comment on the complaint that the number does not show up on the handset.
4) I have no idea how good/bad/ugly Panasonic tech support is, I've never had to call.

Rating:
Summary: This System is Terrible
Review: I spent a significant amount of money on this system based on the recommendations of a 3rd party supplier. There is severe static and I can barely hear people. By the time I determined it was NOT my local phone company (we were new to the area,) my year warranty was up. We have gotten zero satisfaction from Panasonic and the supplier also finds himself in the same boat. I would absolutely not recommend this system!!!

Rating:
Summary: This phone bombs in my book
Review: Over the years I've made a policy of buying what I thought was the state-of-the-art phone for my personal use and business. From an early 900mhz 2-line Uniden (which was clunky and fabulous) to my new 2-line KBTG6502, I've had a lot of experience with them. I bought this phone to upgrade my 1-line Panasonic 2.4Ghz to two lines.
WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! This new phone I.D.'s only about half the time, while my older phone nails it on the first ring (side by side). A nice feature of the new phone is that you can share phonebook entries, but if you answer on one extension, the other phone will say "1 missed call." Seems the system should be a little smarter! I would never have written this review except that when I tried to contact Panasonic about the Caller I.D. not working or barely working, my e-mail was ignored. I love the lighted antenna when it rings, and it has some nice features already mentioned in reviews, but I will not be buying Panasonic phones anymore.

Rating:
Summary: No great leap forward
Review: see item B0002VMDIY, the TG-6500B, for my comments on the system. In brief, not impressive; have since returned it and purchased the Uniden TRU8866 (item B0002EZUYK), which I'm quite happy with.


Rating:
Summary: Why only 4 handsets?
Review: They advertise you can put in the kids room, the garage, etc...

If I'm counting right you won't have any phones left to put in the living room, bedrooms, office, etc...

They had 8 with the 2.4 version, what moron decided 4 was the number?

Rating:
Summary: This is a very good phone system
Review: This is a very good phone system. There are many descriptions here so I will despense with these and move on to a review. I am comparing it to a Siemen's Gigaset 2420.

The Panasonic KX-TG6500B/6502B is a small step back from the 2420, but at about half the cost, is a very good value. One significant step back from the 2420 involves the configuration allowed with respect to what line is automatically selected when making and receiving a call. I used to receive calls on line 1 and made calls (and fax) on line 2. There was no option for this on the Panasonic, and I had to switch lines (receive calls on 2 and make calls/fax on 1) to get the auto select to work. Now it only auto selects the wrong line when calling from the CallerID list.

Other smaller step back from the 2420 involves the CallerID list. On the 2420 it was stored with the Base unit and was therefore synchronized on all handsets. On the Panasonic the CallerID lists are independent to each handset so even if a call is accepted on one handset it is labeled as missed on the others. Furthermore, deletions only affect the handset it is deleted on and not the others. This can obviously lead to confusion and requires more CallerID list maintenance (lucky I only have two handsets).

Another small step back involves the lack of a Fax/Modem port on the Panasonic and conveniently available on 2420.

Perhaps the largest step back is the fact that the antenna is internal on the 2420. This was quite convenient and will be a sorely missed feature.

The Panasonic does work quite well, however, and has good reception and sound. The Answering machine works well, though it only sounds only fair (there is a mode to enhance this slightly), and the backlighting and Flash button on the handset are a very welcome change. The biggest advantage to the Panasonic is the inclusion of a very nice speaker phones in each handset. (Note: it was mentioned here that once the speaker was on, the Panasonic handsets could not be switched to private listening; this is incorrect: just press the Talk button.)

For the money this is a very good phone system. You can pay a lot more for a better Siemen's model (which has been updated since the 2420 and now includes speaker phones on the handsets), but this should satisfy most home, home office and perhaps some small businesses (though the independent CallerID lists may be troublesome here).

UPDATE: I very quickly developed a problem with the handsets or base. Just about every call over a minute would drop out for a few moments, in the same room with the base about 15 feet away. If I move in front of the base, it clears up. I thought of just exchanging for a new TG6500B, since this problem is not commonly mentioned by other reviewers, but I decided to get a Uniden TRU8866 system instead. No answering machine, but it has all the other necessary features. And the antenna is internal (like the Siemens-which is what really swayed me). I will write a review after more use.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding phone system, the complete package
Review: When my existing cordless phone bit the dust, I didn't rush to purchase a replacement and took my time researching all available options. When it came right down to it, Panasonic's KX-TG6502B fit the bill. If there's a feature this 5.8 GHz system doesn't have, please tell me. I guess that's why Consumer Reports gave it such a high rating.

The DSS signal is strong and secure, the range exceptional and I have never experienced any interference -- a concern for me due to my wireless home computer network. Two lines were a must with teenagers in the house and there aren't too many product choices available today if that's a requirement for you, too. All the usual two-line functions are included like flash and hold ... as well as the standard phone basics like call waiting, caller ID, etc.

I have absolutely no regrets. I don't know why other reviewers experienced problems, but not me. Not once. Never.

One of the best features is that everything is accessible through each individual handset, especially the digital answering system. No longer do I need to walk across the house to play back my messages. And I don't have to worry about missing any -- even with the ringer turned off -- because of the small blinking light at the top of the antennae. Oh, and the blinking light also alerts me to an incoming call. Kind of like a "silent" mode.

The system can be expanded up to four lightweight handsets in all and it's an easy, two-button process to add additional units to your existing system. You don't even need a phone jack to place a handset anywhere in the house -- just a power outlet for the small, inobstrusive base.

A good measure of any purchase is the pleasant surprises you discover once you have it in hand and this phone has a few worth noting: A backlit handset LCD that makes it easy to operate in the dark, the speakerphones in each handset, the fact you can take the phones with you away from the home for use as an emergency walkie-talkie system, and the ease of use in transferring up to one 50-call directory from one handset to another. And those are only the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

If I had a complaint, it would be the limited ringer options -- four in all -- none of which is particularly appealing. I can live with that.

I have to admit that when I first received this system, it didn't exactly knock my socks off in terms of a "wow" factor. But the longer I've owned it -- three months and counting -- the more I appreciate it for it's clean, elegant design and problem-free operation.