Accessories

Maybe Not Perfect -- But What Is?
Having just bought and installed the TG6700B after hours of research, I thought my preliminary take might be helpful to others.

Where I'm coming from: I've owned cordless phones almost as long as they've been around. I was looking to replace a VTech model, bought just a few months ago, that truly sucks.

My needs: are pretty basic. Two-line service plus an answering machine, two extensions. I don't use Caller ID, Conference Calling, Call Waiting or any of the dozens of other advanced features of modern telecommunications, and I'm too polite ever to put someone on hold to answer the other line!

In the past, I've always met my needs with a three-box solution: two separate cordless phone systems plus a dedicated A/M. The TG6700B is what you might call a 1 1/2-box solution: a main base unit and A/M in one under its own handset, plus an extension handset that relies on the same base unit. I had reservations about going with an expandable system: I was afraid the integral A/M would be second-rate compared to a dedicated machine, and I was worried that the extension handset, not having its own hardwired connection to the phone lines but relying on the radio signal from the main base quite a distance away, wouldn't work well.

I didn't even know there were expandable systems until I did this research. I learned that there isn't a huge choice, these days, in 2-line cordless phones -- less choice than ever, it seems to me -- and that there isn't any one system that users are wildly enthusiastic about. I also discovered that RCA has just launched the first 2-line DECT phone, but I didn't consider it for long -- I'm not convinced DECT is the answer to cordless prayers that it's hyped to be. I know that, in countries that have had DECT a while, health concerns are beginning to emerge regarding the technology; I also know that the sound quality, incoming and outgoing, of the DECT phone my mom has had for a year or so is horrible.

In the end I went for the TG6700B because it seemed, overall, to be earning better online user reviews than most other models. Also, I've owned Panasonics in the past and found them reliable.

The TG6700B has a sleek, compact design and a digital A/M with 60 minutes of recording time, which is pretty much state-of-the-art. The A/M does NOT have multiple mailboxes. A year ago, when I bought my last A/M, I would have considered that a big disadvantage -- I live in a 3-person household, and also work from home. But in fact we'd found that most callers didn't understand -- or were too lazy to use -- the discrete mailboxes we'd set up on our AT&T machine, and that it was no big deal for any of us either way.

What the TG6700B DOES have is a sound quality that is the best I've ever experienced, both on the A/M (incoming messages and the computer-voice instructions) and on the handsets -- even the extension handset, which is parked on a different floor and about 30 feet away from the main base, and is typically 40-45 feet away from the main base in use. Assuming that holds up, it makes the TG6700B a winner in my book.

Finally, a few words about the typical criticisms of the TG6700B you'll find on the web:

"You can't turn the handset volume up high enough": I've had no trouble hearing callers at the default volume (i.e. without turning it up at all). Maybe the critics have hearing difficulties.

"The construction is cheesy": It's true that the base and handsets are compact compared to earlier cordless phones -- that's the trend in consumer electronics. But they're not unattractive, and they don't seem to me to be particularly fragile or prone to breaking. I have no trouble working the buttons on the handset, and no one has ever accused me of having dainty fingers.

"Setup could be easier": Perhaps. I can't speak about setting up the bells-and-whistles features; as I've said, I don't use them. There are one or two ways basic setup could be more user-friendly, but in the end the difference is between spending 5 minutes and 10 minutes on a onetime activity.

"The user manual needs improving": True. I had a problem with one setup issue, and couldn't find the solution either in the manual or on Panasonic's website. Had to call tech support. But I got a toll-free agent quickly, and she solved the problem inside of a minute.

"The handset is too small to hold between shoulder and ear for hands-free use": Maybe so. As someone who has never been big on getting cricks in the neck, I prefer to hold my handsets in my hands. This one does fit comfortably in the hand.

All in all, I'm very happy so far. I'd be surprised if there was a better 2-line cordless on the market. And particularly if you need more than one extension...

Panasonic KX-TG6700B
Excellent product! Both lines work great independently of each other. No complaint so far. I am going to expand by buying another handset.

Disappointed over the long run
I've had this phone over a year now. It was always hard to balance between one's shoulder and ear because of the strange shape. The reception was good but I use it as a netphone and had some problems with the being able to hear people but they couldn't hear me. That was when I knew my connection wasn't so good so in fairness I don't know if it was the phone or the connection. But what turned me off big time because I have to dial long winded, long distance numbers, is that when you dial the same number twice in a row, the person or computer on the other line receiving the number thinks it is one number, not two. So, for example, if you dial 1,1 or 2,2 or 3,3 you have to pause distinctly between dialing and be careful of that all the time. If I speed-dial it's not a problem, but if I manual dial, it is a problem. A phone this expensive shouldn't have a problem like that. Then, just in the past few days the base station buttons stopped working! First the review message button...the circular one with the light...didn't work so I had to use the handset to review messages and now ALL the buttons on the base station do not work whereas the handset buttons still work. I had a panasonic 900MHz phone before this for 4 or 5 years and it's sound quality was better than this. Yes the recording playback quality of this is very good but I am really disappointed that this phone has failed after about 14 months. The buttons are good, however and show no wear after this time in the symbols. But ergonomically and the two digit glitch along with the base-station crapping out on me is surprising for a phone of this caliber.

Not bad, not great...
I've been using this phone for about a year now, replacing my old Siemens Gigaset setup, and find myself missing the Siemens phone more and more. While the call quality on the Panasonic is nice, there's plenty about it that has me searching for it's replacement. Their software isn't Mac compatible, the phone's screens stay illuminated while charging (wasteful phantom draw for the greenies out there, as well as acting as a nightlight in a darkened room!), and the handsets just feel... flimsy? It's a decent setup, and it does the job, but I'd look elsewhere.

range limited
Advertised as a "giga" range phone, you would not suspect range to be a problem. When you need range beyond 30-40 feet and don't get it, the phone system becomes worthless no matter how good the features are. I am back to my 2.4 ghz Panasonic which has range, but bad battery life and interferes with other wireless devices.

This may have been a simple fix if Panasonic had provided an external antenna port on the base unit.