Panasonic KXTG7873S DECT 6.0 3-Handset High Quality Phone System with Answering Capability..
Buy Panasonic KXTG7873S DECT 6.0 3-Handset High Quality Phone System with Answering Capability By PanasonicMost helpful customer reviews
237 of 241 people found the following review helpful.
Two Great Features
By Anthony R. Pagano
Notwithstanding the complaints of others this phone works great out of the box. The handsets are easy to hold, easy to read, and the volume is more than adequate for those whose hearing isn't as good as it used to be (like me). And while this phone system does have a large number of features the paper manual has a well laid out matrix for locating the features you need to set up or access. Now for the two great features I've never had:
1. When you let the answering machine pickup an incoming phone call you don't have to jog to the base station to monitor the message being left by the calling party. You can set up things up so that all remote handsets can monitor the message being left as well.
2. And the most important feature in a world of unwanted, unsolicited and mostly unstoppable robo calls is the BLOCK CALLS feature of this phone system. I've found that the "Do Not Call" list mechanisms provided by the gov't are almost universally ignored by telecall centers. And complaining to the government agencies is even more useless. Before I dropped my Verizon Landline service I could only block 5 telephone numbers and when I switched to my cable provider's phone service I could only block 20. Luckily this phone system allows you to block up to 250 different phone numbers. You can also set the phone to "no ring" when a blocked number is received. My home phone has been blissfully quiet. I only have to add a few new annoying numbers each week. This feature alone is worth the price of the phone.
82 of 84 people found the following review helpful.
The crucial missing link when going completely wireless
By Wood B. Hermit
I have had this latest incarnation (2013 model) of the Panasonic wireless phone system with three handsets and link-to-cell feature for about two weeks now and am quite pleased with its overall functionality.
After ditching my standard land line telephone and going to Vonage in 2004, I finally (June 2013) also dropped this broadband VOIP service provider since the rate plans being offered were completely unrealistic and simply did not meet my usage needs. Why spend nearly $30.00 per month for the cheapest Vonage offering which includes several hundred or even unlimited monthly minutes when my home phone line hardly got used at all? No truly low-use plans were available, so bye bye Vonage!
I have now gone completely wireless with two different cell phone lines and this Panasonic phone system has proven to be the crucial missing link in optimizing the use of my cell phones when I am at home.
Both my cell phones pair easily via Bluetooth with the base unit of the Panasonic system which can link up to two cell phone lines. If possible place the main base of the phone system in a location where you have the best cell phone reception to optimize your results. At least for me, cell phone pairing seems to work better when the cell phone(s) are near the base.
Once this is done, I can essentially completely forget that I have cell phones when I am home. Everything with regard to making and receiving telephone calls is accomplished using the Panasonic phone system.
NOTE: The link-to-cell pairing functionality (as do many other functions on this telephone system) require that non-intuitive numerical codes be entered via any handset (not via the base!) at the appropriate time (e.g., for link-to-cell Enter [MENU]#6241 or [MENU]#6242 for cell phone lines 1 or 2 respectively). Therefore, always be sure to keep the detailed Operating Instructions, which truly do cover everything you need to know, readily available. I simply keep mine near the base of the phone system. If you should lose them, have no fear. They are more than likely downloadable from the Panasonic Web Site or available elsewhere on the Internet.
Receiving a phone call on either cell line works seamlessly; just answer the phone using any handset. When making an outgoing going call you can easily select which cell phone to use on the bright paper white display on any one of the Panasonic handsets.
A land line of any sort is NOT needed to use this Panasonic phone system. You can use one if you like; the capability for doing so is there if you need it.
If like me you are going completely wireless (1 or 2 cell phones only!), then be sure to select the appropriate set up menu option for doing so (see the detailed instructions provided) and not only will you get rid of the annoying constant reminder on the handset displays to check you land line when you don't have one, but you will also activate some additional time-saving features specifically pertinent to cell phone use when pressing the various buttons on the Panasonic phones (e.g., you can directly hit the green phone button to answer instead of first having to select cell phone mode when you also happen to have a land line).
What I especially notice and like when using my cell phones at home in combination with this Pansonic phone system is the greatly improved audio quality available through the Panasonic handsets. There is a day and night difference in clarity when using either of my cell phones directly versus first processing the pertinent audio signals via Panasonic's DECT 6.0 technology. A noise reduction feature is also available when needed.
It's also pretty nifty to have what essentially amounts to spoken caller ID included with the Panasonic phone system as it not only displays the incoming number on its big, bright and clear display, but also reads out the numbers individually in an easy to understand female voice. If the incoming call/number is for an entry already found in the phone book (can hold 3,000 entries) of the phone system, the voice will also identify the caller by name, if appropriate.
Speed dial capabilities are also available on this phone system, as is the capability of setting a time of day when you would like the Panasonic KXTG7873S not to ring/answer incoming calls such as when you are sleeping. This is definitely a feature that I am using; who needs a wrong number at 3:00 am! Ditto for the call block feature that lets you eliminate up to 250 annoying, repetitive callers permanently from your life! It also includes the ability to block all callers who do not display a phone number such as "Out of area" calls, etc.
You can obtain very effective additional assistance in blocking telemarketing and similar unwanted phone calls by subscribing to the free Internet service called NOMOROBO which is not yet available for all telephone service providers. Check their Web Site for more detailed information and to see whether you qualify. If you are able to subscribe to the NOMOROBO service, you can use it to do the initial grunt work of screening calls. Anything unwanted that still manages to get through then can be specifically and quickly blocked by the Panasonic phone system itself.
There are many more optional features available with this phone system, most of which I am certain that I will never use. However, some of them may of interest to other potential buyers. If there is a specific indispensable feature that you are looking for, this Panasonic phone system very likely has it. Nevertheless, be sure to do appropriate research in this regard either here on Amazon or the Panasonic Web Site on the Internet before purchasing.
This purchase so far has been well worth the asking price and I can recommend this cutting edge Pansonic wireless phone technology without reservations.
UPDATE IN FEBRUARY 2014
I have in the meantime once again acquired a land line - specifically a Vonage VOIP line on 50 Mbps WiFi - in light of the fact that Vonage offered me a very attractive monthly rate of only $9.99 (forever with no contract!) as a former customer of many years duration.
This works out to about $13.00 to $14.00 monthly after taxes, etc. which is a big improvement over the $30.00 monthly plus taxes and fees that motivated me to leave Vonage in the first place.
The aforementioned Pansonic phone system has continued to function flawlessly both with my 2 cell phone lines and the new VOIP line - no problems whatsoever using 3 lines.
78 of 89 people found the following review helpful.
Great idea, mediocre realization, gets better with use
By J. G. Hancock
Edited May 30, 2013. Pushing up to 4 stars, simply because it's a great product once you get the hang of it, but there are still issues you may encounter that aren't intuitively obvious without having the manual at hand and/or playing with it for a few days. Also, the audible caller ID feature is proving to be both annoying and fun, and it may help in your decision.
OLD: I'd give 3 or higher stars if I'd never used a Panasonic phone product. I'd give it 2 stars if this product was something I had no experience with. It's very good overall, but it sucks in the details.
EDIT: I'd now call it 4 stars after some experience with it, but still, the instructions and all the possible programming problems you may encounter are concerns. Some reviewers and commenters have cast aspersions upon other reviewers and commenters who have pointed out issues, as if those with the issues are somehow not very bright. That being said, if you've read this because you're not that bright, you aren't the only one. Basically, what the unit tells you it will do out of the box isn't what it will necessarily do FOR YOU until you set it up.
I bought the 4 handset version to replace an older Panasonic cordless array, based on the specs and the very few reviews I could find. For the most part, I'm happy with the units after a week, but caveat emptor: some of the claims in the advertising are a bit exaggerated and some of the instructions in the manual are either unclear or unhelpful, and I haven't been able to contact Panasonic during their help center hours to figure out if my solutions are the recommended ones (and you may want to consider this: I've tried to contact the help phone line and the online help more than an hour before they officially close at 9:00 PM Eastern--I get nothing). At this point, I think I'd be very happy with this product if I'd never used a previous version of Panasonic phone products, and I'm a bit irate with them since I have used those previous products. I'd still recommend it.
EDIT: I did get through to Panasonic's help line, just to see if I could. They are slow, somewhat helpful, but seem to be reading from the manual, so if a lack of clarity in the manual is an issue for you, talking to them may not help.
On the plus side: the sound quality of each unit is great; changing phonebook settings on one unit changes all the others; pairing with an iPhone is easy but with some funny issues not covered in the manual nor on the Panasonic website. This unit also doesn't have a problem with WiFi or microwaves for sound quality. The speaker phone is fantastic. The handset has no protruding antenna, and is fairly small. The keys are also large. After a few days, the basic operation will be obvious, and you'll probably love it.
EDIT: This part is why I've rated it higher, and modified my review. The sound quality and inter-unit communication is great. Notifications on the units for an incoming call on a paired cell is fantastic, though takes some getting used to. Calling from the unit via hardwired landline OR cell is easy and works great with the paired cell nearby. And, recognition of the cell after pairing is very quick: the unit recognizes my cell when I walk into the house.
On the minus side: there are quite a few things I'm annoyed with, the first being that the manual is required for doing anything beyond just shoving the cords in; some of the features and programming require you to reference the manual for either handsets OR the base unit; and some of the simple descriptions in the printed manual as well as what I see on the Panasonic website as of 5/10/13 don't help with the problems you may encounter. This product somehow combines user-friendly setup with arcane and tortuous fine-tuning.
EDIT: nothing different here.
FIrst: don't throw the manual away. There are many programmable functions that you'll only find by reading the manual, and its index is adequate but sparse. The Panasonic website information for this product is horrible at this point (5/10/13).
Second: if you have an iPhone 5 (not sure if this is true for earlier versions): pairing via Bluetooth is easy (scarily so), and sending contacts from the IP5 to this unit MANUALLY can't be done. What I found is the following, which will probably only make sense once you get the thing:
1. On your iPhone, if you want to transfer phone numbers to the Panasonic with MOST of the information, set up those numbers in your Favorites list on the iPhone.
2. Set up the contact transfer on the Panasonic once the pairing is done; select AUTO for the phonebook transfer (since MANUAL doesn't work, or didn't for me as of this writing): allow a few items to transfer, then CANCEL it. Then, go back to your iPhone, and look under SETTINGS and BLUETOOTH. Find the pairing for the Panasonic unit. There should be a list of address books the unit will try to pair with. Deselect everything on the iPhone except the Favorites (where you've put your transfer data).
3. Then, return to the #618 "phonebook transfer" on the Panasonic, select AUTO, and the contact numbers you put in your iPhone Favorites will be pulled into the Panasonic system.
4. Then, even if you've followed the manual's instructions about setting up international, you'll find that the imported numbers probably don't include 1 in front of the 7 digit numbers you pulled in. At that point, you have to edit each imported number to make it dial correctly.
5. My experience: even if you set up the international/country/domestic settings before import of the numbers, you'll still have to go into the Panasonic handset and fine-tune and/or change what was imported.
EDIT: 6. You may not have the same issues if you have only one address book in your iPhone (I had 4, some corporate, some iCloud, some shared).
Anyway, if you only need a few or a few tens of numbers pulled in, the mediocre method used by the Panasonic unit means you'll have to edit some numbers instead of putting them in from scratch. It's not that big of a deal, but it's not what Panasonic advertised.
Third: read carefully and test the "benefits" like audible caller ID, paired Bluetooth text notification, and cell connections. These are all selling points, and can quickly become pains in the ass. You can change how the Panasonic units handle these things. I thought it would be neat to have each Panasonic unit notify me when I have a text message on my paired cell, until I actually did it. Turns out that can make you suicidal.
EDIT: the audible caller ID is even more annoying (or enjoyable) if you get calls with strings of consonants or vowels in the caller ID name line, or calls from names that the phone recognizes but can't really pronounce. I'm leaving it on, just for giggles, since the voice announcement does some creative things with abbreviations and multiple letter strings that aren't simple words (e.g. a call showing up as coming from "ATT" is announced as coming from "at"; a friend whose last name is French was announced using some sort of diphthong-speak transliteration). I've found that such announced calls are more enjoyable if I've been drinking, and if you have callers with names recognized by the system who have names that include strings of vowels or consonants that sound a certain way using the correct pronunciation, you may want to use the audible feature just to see what it will come up with. I'd love to know how the audible caller ID works in Poland, Wales, or France.
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