Vtech IA5874 5.8 GHz Trio Cordless Phone
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- Expandability: 3 cordless handsets included
- Transmission Band: 5.8 GHz
- Type: Cordless Phone
- Features: Caller ID Call Waiting Answering System
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3 phone set - a good buy
Pros
3 handsets mean no more looking for a phone, reception, caller ID everywhere
Cons
No caller ID for outgoing calls
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Recommended. I've gotten very good reception, and the build of these phones appears superior to cordless handsets I've used in the past.
I have these Vtech phones with the integrated answering machine. The package that I bought has one main base unit with the answering machine and two remote handsets. This base unit is the only part that has to be plugged into a phone line – whereas the remote handsets have a docking station that only needs to be plugged into a power receptacle. They communicate with the main base unit wirelessly to get their signal.
I like these phones very much. I've been using them for about two years, and they have had no significant issues. The range is very good, as I expected from a 5.8GHz handset. I can go anywhere in my house and there is absolutely no sign of static or loss of signal. In fact, I have even walked outside to get the mail and kept the phone call alive. It definitely got a little static on the line, but it did not drop the call. I wouldn't recommend doing this on a regular basis, but I was on hold, so it was fine and once I got back halfway up the driveway, the signal cleared up and it was crystal clear by the time I got back in the house.
Another thing that I've noticed – or that I haven't noticed, actually, is that the LCD screen for caller ID on the phones is in perfect condition 2 years later. Since I began using caller ID phones about 10 years ago, I've gotten about 12 months from the LCD screen on any given phone before pixels or lines or the entire screen start to fail. These phones appear to have this problem beat – at least so far, as the LCD portion of all 3 handsets is still in perfect condition.
The answering machine function also works pretty well. There is the mechanical robot-sounding voice that tells you the time of day of the incoming message, and then the actual message itself. The recording quality is very good, although it clips a little bit if the person leaving the message is speaking very loudly. This usually is the opposite of the problem – usually it's people speaking too softly that I can't hear…but if someone does really shout, their voice clips at some points. Other than that, the answering functions work very well.
About a year ago, we switched to Comcast VOIP, and we still use these phones. The Comcast box converts the signal, and apparently puts the dial tone onto the phone lines in our house. These phones work flawlessly with this setup. I don't know if this actually makes a difference, or if any phone will work with VOIP, but I thought it was worth mentioning, in case this is a unique feature.
My one gripe about these phones, is that they do not keep a log of the outgoing numbers on the caller ID. This may actually be a function of the caller ID function of Comcast, but since it also didn't work with the traditional phone service I had prior to Comcast, I think it may be a feature of the phone.
I like these phones very much. I've been using them for about two years, and they have had no significant issues. The range is very good, as I expected from a 5.8GHz handset. I can go anywhere in my house and there is absolutely no sign of static or loss of signal. In fact, I have even walked outside to get the mail and kept the phone call alive. It definitely got a little static on the line, but it did not drop the call. I wouldn't recommend doing this on a regular basis, but I was on hold, so it was fine and once I got back halfway up the driveway, the signal cleared up and it was crystal clear by the time I got back in the house.
Another thing that I've noticed – or that I haven't noticed, actually, is that the LCD screen for caller ID on the phones is in perfect condition 2 years later. Since I began using caller ID phones about 10 years ago, I've gotten about 12 months from the LCD screen on any given phone before pixels or lines or the entire screen start to fail. These phones appear to have this problem beat – at least so far, as the LCD portion of all 3 handsets is still in perfect condition.
The answering machine function also works pretty well. There is the mechanical robot-sounding voice that tells you the time of day of the incoming message, and then the actual message itself. The recording quality is very good, although it clips a little bit if the person leaving the message is speaking very loudly. This usually is the opposite of the problem – usually it's people speaking too softly that I can't hear…but if someone does really shout, their voice clips at some points. Other than that, the answering functions work very well.
About a year ago, we switched to Comcast VOIP, and we still use these phones. The Comcast box converts the signal, and apparently puts the dial tone onto the phone lines in our house. These phones work flawlessly with this setup. I don't know if this actually makes a difference, or if any phone will work with VOIP, but I thought it was worth mentioning, in case this is a unique feature.
My one gripe about these phones, is that they do not keep a log of the outgoing numbers on the caller ID. This may actually be a function of the caller ID function of Comcast, but since it also didn't work with the traditional phone service I had prior to Comcast, I think it may be a feature of the phone.
