Panasonic Dect 6.0 Black Cordless Phone with Answering Machine and ChoiceMail (KX-TG7434B)

Comment: I have had this phone for about one year. My previous Panasonic 5-series started giving out after about 4 - 5 years. Perhaps I should have just looked into replacing the batteries. However, I saw this wonderful new 6.0 series and thought that I would upgrade my system after reading that so many glowing new features were added.

One plus that I enjoy on this phone is that when you program a number into one unit, all units automatically have that caller's name and number. The 5-series was not as user-friendly in this area.

The sound was fine at first. Within 6 months of owning this system some of the units began to have an amplified echo (on occasion) that would bounce back into your ear as you speak. Also the volume control for listening is very touchy. Sometimes in just holding the phone it is very easy to touch that button and have the volume change when you least expect this to happen.

I enjoy the large screen but when a call is missed there is a necessity go through a 2-step process then scroll through a list to see who phoned. The old system registered missed calls and the caller's name right "up front" on the screen. The past system from the 5-series was easier to program and easier to navigate through the features. I find the 6 series has more features than necessary, most of which never get used.

The 5-series had the flashing light to alert you that you had a message on the front of the unit. The 6 series has the flashing light on the back of the unit. The light alert is difficult to see unless the phone unit is either picked up so that you can turn the phone to the reverse to view the light, or unless you literally have the phone in a spot where you can easily see the reverse side of the unit.

After having this system for about one year, I noticed that there were certain units with the message alert light that would no longer flash at all when someone had left a message with my phone company's answering system. Thinking that this was a battery problem, I replaced all of the units with new batteries. The units take only AA rechargeable batteries which are a fairly steep expense.

After replacing the units with the batteries still those same units will not flash to alert that a caller has left a message. Unable to rely on this feature, I now check my messages manually by calling in to the phone company's answering system frequently. What a pain!

No longer satisfied in many ways with this product, I would suggest that if you are looking for a wireless phone system for your home or office, buyer beware and do your homework.

Comment: First thing you notice is the polished black design. Nice. Then, close behind (if not first) the large screen functional screen. Sound quality from the speaker and the hand set are good. The fact that it is one of the few phones still out there that has a headset plug is a plus. The verbal annoucement of the caller ID is good if you can not see the screen from where you are. Customizable phone names and ringers adds fun. Overall very happy with the phone system!

Comment: I read the reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. Most of them were pretty favorable - specifically mentioning the level of sound quality which is what I was looking for in a cordless phone, probably just like you, right?

I hate this phone system. The sound is awful. I don't mean a little bit, I mean it's the worst I've ever had and the bad thing is that it seems to be getting worse as time goes on - but it was OK in the beginning. Seven months later, either the people at the other end of the call can't hear me or it sounds like the conversation is in a gigantic hollow barrel with excess amplification.

I don't rip products as a matter of course, but I am advising that you just pass on this garbage and keep looking. I got stuck with this worthless junk but you don't have to.

Comment: I purchased this phone system a month ago after my Uniden started doing funky things. I wasn't sure I'd like the audio caller ID, but now that I've gotten used to it, I do. The display is very large and easy to read. The controls are easy to understand. If I had a complaint at all it would be that I'd like to be able to erase all the missed calls at once instead of one at a time, but that's too minor to count against my overall satisfaction with these phones. They perform admirably.

Comment: I researched high end and moderately priced cordless phone systems, and came to the realization that price did not guarantee a better product. I looked at Siemens and Bang & Olufson, and while the phones visually seemed of better quality and certainly looked artistically high tech, they were not rated as stellar as I would have expected in order to justify paying a significantly higher premium for. I was interested in this Panasonic cordless model, and similar Panasonic models as well, but was hesitant after reading several reviews that indicated there was a problem with volume (voice on the other end too soft despite volume turned to max setting). I eventually made the decision to try this model despite worrying about the volume issue, but our family ended up very happy with it--clarity, volume at factory set level, range and even looks are all more than satisfactory. I still pine away for the looks of the B & O or the tech oriented Siemens system, but the excessively higher cost with mediocre-at-best reviews made me realize it was not a smart decision to go with. We are very happy with this Panasonic and feel the price (model with 4 handsets total, including the main one with the base) is more than reasonable.