Choice, Comfort, Expandability.
Pros:
2 Line AND VoIP Capability, Expandability, Easy Setup, Durable
Cons:
Out of range = Dropped call.
The Bottom Line:
For the price, this is a great deal of a phone system base unit! Good brand, good features and good functionality.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I got this phone system as an upgrade to my jimmy-rigged system which I previously used. I have been using this system for about a year and am very happy with it. I work at home and this 2 line base unit works awesome for me. I primarily answer phones at home for a living at the moment and I needed a base unit that could handle 2 lines, and could do several options easily. Expandability was also very important to me.
Price - Current retail is about $120.00 USD. I believe I paid 25 or so more when purchased in early 2007
Setup Really simple. Dock the phones on the charging cradle overnight. Then the next morning simply put them on the main base and you are ready to go. You can use the base to globally set up all the handsets you get. This is a nice feature since it lets you set global times, ring tones etc...
Functionality - I found the base really easy to use. I have several people in my address book whom I call often, and as mentioned above everything is global so when you enter in a contact, you can sync it with the other handsets. There is a circular ‘joystick’ like button which helps you navigate through most of the menu and there are clearly labeled buttons for many of the other options.
The answering machine can be set up independently for each line (since this is a 2 line base unit).
The rear of the unit is simple. 3 Plugs, power, line 1 and line 2.
Using the base as a speaker-phone system works quite well. I am notorious for leaving handsets throughout the house and have had to use the base as a phone several times. Both ends of the conversation can hear crystal clear! Many people I have spoken with did not even know they were on speaker-phone.
You can use the base (like many other systems) as an intercom/baby monitor but I have never used this feature.
There is a 100 Caller ID Memory - I have definitely used this to flip through (and yes, since this is my work phone there are days I receive close to 100 calls)
20 Ringer Options - Slightly excessive if you ask me, but I suppose if you want to change often and this is for home (not work at home) it's nice. There are 10 songs and 10 different tones. I use 2 distinctly different tones to distinguish between line 1 and 2.
There are also 10 Speed Dial Memory Locations.
Expandable up to 10 hand sets. I don't think anyone will ever need that many, but it is nice to know you have the option to buy ONE base and put a phone in every room of your house (not just 2 or 3 bedrooms).
Battery Life - As I mention in my review of the handsets, the battery life is wonderful. Standby of at least a few days, talk time of at least 3 hours.
Ergonomics - The ergonomics of the base are pretty good. This is a base unit, so use of it is limited, but I have been able to use it practically without looking at the buttons. Comfortable.
Range - I must say, the range on these has been slightly limited. I have the base system in the basement of the house. I have perfect reception on both the ground level and the upstairs. I can even walk outside with these but once you reach the point where reception starts to drop, it goes from 100% clear to 10%. I would say the overall ACTUAL range of the handset is 300 ft.
Important - This base unit not only works with 2 standard copper lines, but also with 2 Independent VoIP lines. This was VERY awesome.
