electronics store

After reading all reviews on the MD681 I was a bit concerned regarding motorola customer serivce, finding batteriy replacements, answering maching voice quality, and not having the handsets talking to the base (in terms of synching phone book numbers, and messages waiting.) that I have read about.

I decided to buy the MD681 after considering the Panasoni 5100. The other top line competing phone.

The 5100 reviews had me more concerned (LCD Screens not working, poor battery life, low volume on handset). These seem to be larger issues to me because if I paid all that money to have one of those features fail or not work properly to my satisfaction I would be very upset and the phone would be useless. These shortcomings of the Panasonic appear to be true quality issues compared to the feedback on the MD681 which are just personal preference issues related to system process and customer service.

I did speak to the sales rep at the electronics store before I made my final decision, and he said that he sells more Panasonic 5100s (they are popular brand among phones, have more bells an whistles) than MD681's but he see's a lot more returns of the Panasonic (quality issues).

Therfore my decision went to the MD681. Bottom line I decided that I wanted a simple expandable phone that is well built to quality standards, that is reliable, take messages, and will let me hear and talk well. I believe the MD681 meets all these needs. I do not need all the bells and whistles (offered by the 5100) to complicate something as simple as making a phonecall and having a conversation, and then need to be worried about the technolgy holding up to reliability standards.

I am not sorry one bit that I purchased the MD681. It is a very simple system, very well built, the handset and base sound quality is very good, and I was very surprised that the handset speakerphone mic and speaker worked extremely well. Reception is also very good. I have the base set up in my office on the first floor and I can walk through my entire house (up and down stairs) and backyard without losing any reception quality. Not even a hiss.

I did not find customer service with Motorola an issue. I did write them an email from their web site requesting where I could find a replacement battery (If I needed one) and recieved a quick response back. These batteries can be purchased through radio shack for about $14. This eliminated my concern regarding battery replacement which I don't think I will need.

The answering machine voice quality is good. I do not know what folks are complaining about. It works!

As for the central system and synching the handsets with the base in terms of phone book, and message waiting. I will get around those issues. Once the phones numbers are programmed I will have no issue there. As for message waiting, I'll just hit clear as necessary.

If you are looking for a solid, simple, and satisfactory expandable cordless phone product the MD681 is a sure bet compare to others.

:-)

This is a brief review of the Morotola MD680 series. This a 5.8 ghz cordless telephone system consisting of a cordless phone and a base station that has a built in answering machine. I've owned this unit for three months now, and here are my comments.

1.Base Unit.
a. Speaker phone: The base unit includes a built in speakerphone, dial pad, and electronic phonebook, meaning that you can make your own phone calls directly through the base unit without using the handset. The speaker phone quality is rather good, and you can have a conversation from a few feet from the phone without having to yell. The base unit speaker phone is most likely used for intercom conversation with the hand set units - more on that later.
b. Answering machine: Motorola uses the same digital answering machine system as found in my old AT&T 90mhz cordless phone system. The difference is that the better microphone on Motorola's base unit renders your message to your callers clearer than the AT&T system, but the recorded voice quality coming from your callers is the same thin and scratchy audio. I wonder how many other phones share this same system. My main displeasure with this system is that the menu system is presented in audio only - which makes accessing system parameters a tedious affair. Think of setting the time, for example: "1am, 2 am, 3 am" etc just to set the hour, then "01, 02 03" etc to get the minutes. Ugh!
c. Menu System: The base unit comes with an lcd menu system that is easy to navigate. Without the manual, I was able to setup the ring tones & the volume I wanted to hear from the base unit. Unfortunately, the lcd menu does not control the answering machine.
d. Phone book: You can create phonebooks using the keypad, the lcd screen, and caller id. I'll touch on this later, but the phone book on the base unit is not shared with hand set!
2. Handset.
a. Ergonomics: The handset has a nice rubber grip on the side that makes it comfortable to hold.
b. Speakerphone: The handset has a built in speakerphone - which like the speaker phone on the base unit - is rather good.
c. Menu LCD: Easy to view & navigate, but the phone book is not integrated with the base unit.
d. Battery Life: Good. Just threw this in because my hand unit always shows it's charging when connected to the base unit. Perhaps the batteries have a huge apatite.
e. Call Quality: Here's some advice: never pay attention to sections talking about phone quality. Cordless phones are at the mercy of local interference - so much so that there is no way useful way for a review to talk about reception. The only way to tell how a phone will operate in your home is to take it home. Still, I'll throw in my useless comments -- next to the base, the phone quality sounds excellent. 2 rooms away, and the phone sounds no better then my old 900 mhz phone.

3. Integration of Features: Normally this wouldn't be a section, but Motorola did such a poor job of integrating these components that it bears some additional focus. Within the base unit itself, the answering machine & the lcd screen do not share the same clock or menu system! Only their common plastic housing suggests they are from the same product. The base unit & the handsets do not share a common clock. Most importantly: the base unit & the handsets do not share a common phonebook. The latter is a big deal design flaw - users will have to enter numbers at least twice. And if they purchase additional handsets, well, they have to enter common entries in every new handset too.

We purchased this phone a year ago from Target and have had problems since the beginning with it cutting in and out during conversations. We can be sitting in the same spot, near the base and it always happens if we are on the phone for more than a few minutes. We have addressed the problem with Motorola, went through trouble shooting options with no success. They sent us a new phone (at our expense to ship the original phone back). Unfortunately this phone gives us the same problems!! Motorola blames our phone company...we live in a major metropolitan area with a large provider - it's not the case! I believe they were one of the first to come out with the 5.8Ghz phones and they need to improve their product as the competion is much more plentiful now. Rather than fight with the phone any longer.....I'm pitching it. MY RECOMMENDATION: DON'T BUY THIS PHONE - not worth the money!!