Rating: Summary: Great price, poor sound Review: I used this phone with my VoIP line and had problems with the sound quality. Everything sounded great on your end, but there was constant static on the other end of the phone. Changing locations of the base unti made no difference, and my old 900 Mhz cordless sounded fine.
Rating: Summary: The clearest of any phone in the 'GHz family' I've used Review: I've been through several cordless phones over the years, from 900MHz analog to 2.4GHz digital spread spectrum....Panasonic, GE, VTech, Uniden, Siemens, etc. In fact, I recently returned 2 Panasonic 2.4GHz phones because of consistent complaints from people on the other end that some of my words and even complete sentences were getting cut off. I also got a lot of voice echoing with the Panasonics, a trait of every Panasonic digital I've owned or tried. The Uniden EXI 5160 so far has never had these problems and is hands-down the clearest cordless phone in the 'GHz family' I've used. Very natural sounding, unlike the 'digitized' incoming voices of many other phones. I live in a large 2-story home with the base unit upstairs in my office, and it's crystal clear throughout the house, garage and greenhouse. Never a hint of clicking, static, or interference of any kind. Venturing away from the house outside will produce slight interference now and then, but I don't make it a habit of using my cordless phones for conversations 2 bocks away, so it's not a concern. That's what cell phones are for. Unlike 2.4GHz phones that are affected by microwave ovens in use, the 5160 is not affected at all. Handset volume is good, and easily adjusted via convenient buttons on the handset. Battery life (talk time/standby time) seems to be excellent, although I haven't pushed either to the limits...but have had the handset off the base for 5 days at a time with plenty of talk time to spare. Comfortable handset design, easy to hold and easy on the ear. Controls are well placed and the display is easy to read. The 5160's features are basic....no bells and whistles....and include:~Tone/Pulse dialing ~Hearing aid compatible ~Page/Find handset ~Caller ID with menu/30-name storage and memory dial ~3-Line display ~32 Digit redial ~Rocket dial, which stores one number that's used most and accessed by pressing one button ~Flash (accessed via Talk button) ~Redial ~Channel select ~Pause ~Headset jack ~Handset volume controls conveniently located (3 levels) ~Ringer volume/tone control (5 levels) ~Hearing aid compatible ~Low battery alert ~Wall mountable ~10-name/number memory for personal contacts, which can be scrolled through by pressing the Memory button, then using the volume Up/Down buttons. Charging battery for first time requires 15-20 hrs. NOTE: Memory dialing can store up to 15 characters and 20 digits per entry, which means any of the "10-10" numbers can be easily programmed in. Complaints? (1) No battery life indicator in display (2) Limited memory for storing personal contacts...only 10 names/numbers, although another phone number can be programmed into the 'rocket dial' feature (3) No mute If you need to store more than 10 personal contacts or looking for a lot of bells and whistles, this phone isn't for you. But if you want an extremely clear, no-nonsense cordless that excels at communication performance, comfort and battery life, the 5160 may be what you're looking for. Please keep in mind that cordless phones can perform quite differently depending on the area where you live, interference from outside sources, base placement, etc. My observations are based on my particular conditions and location. I paid $65 at Target, but watch for deals during the holidays. I noticed in our Sunday paper today that Best Buy has the 5160 for $59.99, so plan to head back to Target and do a little price shopping....get a few more bucks back.
Rating: Summary: Best-value 5.8 phone on Amazon Review: If you already have voice-mail from your telephone company, I think this is the best deal you can get on Amazon for a 5.8 GHz cordless phone.
Things I like:
- Very robust, ergonomic and good-looking phone.
- Excellent sound quality and range. I live in an apartment so I can't comment about performance in larger houses, but for my space its clarity and range is excellent.
- Very little to none interference from other home electronics. I have a 802.11g wireless network at home creating all kinds of noise on a 900 MHz Panasonic phone - no interference on the Uniden though.
- No distortion from the DSL filters I'm connected to (compared to the 900 MHz phone, where the voice sounds "digital" because of the DSL filter)
- Price (most of all...)
Things I do not like (hence the 4 stars):
- No mute button.
- Ringer is only on the receiver, not the base. The phone comes with 5 preset volume/tone combinations to pick from, but even with the loudest tone you may miss a call if you're in another room. Not recommended if you have any hearing problems.
- Voice-mail indicator does not work for the vmail I have from Verizon.
Rating: Summary: Excellent!!! Review: Looking to replace my old cordless, I first purchased a $100 Motorola. That phone went straight back as the sound quality was not very good. There was a constant mmmmmm sound and a little static. As an alternative, I found this Uniden, the exact same one/model (EXI 5160), with a digital voice mail for ONLY $64.95 at Walmart. The phone has 3 different volumes and a caller ID. The voice quality and sound is crystal clear. You cannot beat this phone price and quality. It even looks great sitting on my night stand. Just the right size.
Rating: Summary: big let down Review: Phone has very poor range.
Rating: Summary: Nice phone but careful walking with it... Review: Phone works well for me with one exception. I am disabled and have to keep the phone with me at all times. The buttons are super-sensitive to touch. I usually carry it with me and have to be extremely careful how I hold it.
Rating: Summary: Lose reception beyond 10' Review: The EXI 5160 5.8 GHz has very poor reception beyond 10' from the base. When you are within a few feet of the base the calls are clear. This replaced a ten-year-old Toshiba cordless, that allowed calls up to 50'. I would not recommend buying this cordless. I will repair my old Toshiba and throw this one out.
Rating: Summary: Fantastic Audio Quality Review: The Uniden EXI 5160 is by far the best sounding phone we've ever owned, and that includes corded phones. We have all the troublemakers in our house: A computer, microwave oven, refrigerator motor, fluorescent lights, you name it...no problems whatsoever. No interference, no static, no clicking, no tinniness, no echo...nothing. We can't speak to the reliability of the phone, but the sound quality is excellent.
Rating: Summary: Hey 'Huntsville!' How much were you paid to write that? Review: These Amazon reviews are getting less and less reliable. The earlier review titled -- "The clearest of any phone in the 'GHz family' I've used, December 7, 2003" Was a rather obvious paid endorsement. No one takes time to write our 20 bullet-points in a product review. I urge everyone to ignore Huntsville and be VERY skeptical of positive Amazon reviews.
Rating: Summary: Hey 'Huntsville!' How much were you paid to write that? Review: These Amazon reviews are getting less and less reliable. The earlier review titled -- "The clearest of any phone in the 'GHz family' I've used, December 7, 2003" Was a rather obvious paid endorsement. No one takes time to write our 20 bullet-points in a product review. I urge everyone to ignore Huntsville and be VERY skeptical of positive Amazon reviews.
|