Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is my review of the Panasonic KX-TG1033S set after owning 2 other systems, including the Uniden TRU8885-3HS 5.8Mhz. In fact, I'm comparing it to the Uniden TRU8885-3HS in parts of this review because I know some of you are probably considering that other set. For those of you that are looking at the Uniden set and this one and trying to decide, let me just say this - I kind of wish I'd stayed with the Uniden TRU8885, but it's a tough call because this has some things better implemented. Here's more details: PROS: Excellent battery life. Very lightweight / comfortable handsets. Definitely lighter than my Uniden TRU8885-3HS handsets and better overall design. Great reception distance. Well-sized / well-placed buttons. Easy to press for those of us with big hands / fingers, unlike my Uniden TRU8885-3HS which has buttons so small and cramped that it's easy to mis-dial. Headset jack does not create static when moving the headset cable around, unlike my Uniden TRU8885-3HS which makes a ton of crackling noise at the slightest movement when the headset is plugged in. When you receive a long-distance call, the caller ID retains the "1" in front of their area code so that can easily call someone back by just looking at the caller ID. My Uniden TRU8885-3HS could do this, but I had to press the * key to bring up the 1. (Not a big deal, but I'm being thorough here). CONS: The headset feature, while having a better input jack than any other set/brand I've tried, is way too quiet. I can barely hear the person on the other end when I plug in my Panasonic KX-TCA60 headset (and also my Pantronics and Uniden headsets). Out of all 3 headsets the Panasonic KX-TCA60 worked best (both speaking and listening), but it's still too hard to hear the other person on the line. Any background noise in your room, and forget it. You'll be struggling to hear them. My Uniden TRU8885 was way better on headset volume. The menuing system is a bit cumbersome to navigate, and although for the most part it's decent, a couple of the basics are really annoying. For example - if you like to use your handset to view the time, it's there only after you've viewed all your missed calls. If you've missed a call, the time goes away from the screen and it just says "Missed Calls" until you navigate to the Caller ID screen and scroll down 1 by 1 through all your missed calls. Only then will the clock / time display come back. Annoying to say the least. My Uniden TRU8885 was better in this way - it still showed all the other normal display stuff even with missed call / voicemail indicators showing. There is no speakerphone on the main base (and no dialing from the base obviously). The only thing the main base is good for is checking / erasing voicemail. The Uniden TRU8885 blows this out of the water obviously, with an excellent fully functional dialing / speakerphone / control system all right in the base. While the overall sound is good, it's definitely not quite as good as my Uniden TRU8885 was. There seems to be a bit of jitter on the line with these, even when your close to the base. Most people won't notice this, and those of us who do notice it won't care too much because it's almost negligable, but still I miss the better clarity / volume of my Uniden TRU8885 set. So this is a tough call for anyone trying to choose between these two similar systems - there's a lot to like about this Panasonic KX-TG1033S set, but after using it for a couple weeks now I wish I'd stayed with my Uniden TRU8885-3HS set. If you spend a lot of time on your phone each day and you depend on it for important business communications, I'd say go with the Uniden TRu8885. However, if you are a "normal use" kind of person and don't care about things like headset volume or a full-featured base, then the Panasonic KX-TG1033S is still an excellent choice. I honestly go back & forth on which I like better still, but I'd have to say the Uniden wins for my purposes. Still, this is an excellent system overall, so 4 stars it is! UPDATE 9/6/07 - CHANGE OF HEART: After more extensive use I've changed my mind about these, and wish I'd kept my Uniden TRU8885's. Here's why (I'll use "Pana" and "Uni" abbreviations since we already know which two brands/sets I'm comparing): Range - The pana's have nowhere near the range of the Uni's. I've called people from my firepit in the back yard with the Uni's and there's no signal there with the Pana's. Also, I could transfer my phonebook from my Uni handset in my basement to the Uni handset up in the 2nd floor bedroom, and the Pana's won't reach it (it'll send to the one in the 1st floor living room but not the one upstairs in the bedroom). Volume and Clarity - The Uni's can go way louder than the Pana's at all devices - the handset, the handset speakerphone, the base speakerphone/voicemail, and the headset (most important one). I've tried 3 different headsets with the Pana's, including Panasonic's own KTX series, and they're all way too quiet. The Uni's were not only louder, but definitely clearer sounding too, even on the speakerphones. Menuing / navigation / features - At first I thought I liked the Pana's menu/nav system better, but over the past week I've discovered that the Uni's were actually a lot easier with better features. There are too many little details to point out, and most of which you might not care about, but just for example - many times the Pana's can only handle one function at a time, like when you're on a call you can't play back a voicemail from the base. With my Uni's I could be on a call with someone and still play back messages from the base. This was helpful if I wanted to put someone on hold and verify a message that was left, and also for stupid stuff like playing back a funny voicemail for a friend to hear while we're on the line together. Another IMPORTANT example is I could scroll through my caller ID while on a call with the Uni's, no can do with Pana's. Base features - I didn't think I'd miss it too much, but having the full dialing system and control center as well as caller ID and speakerphone on the base was a great advantage with the Uni's. With the Uni's I could do everything from the base that I could do from the handset, plus more. The Pana's base is only good for charging and voicemail. Dialing - this is a trivial / small issue, but the Uni's dial in "real time" (in other words, fast), while the Pana's have a delay when you punch in the numbers on the keypad. Some people won't care, others will be annoyed to madness. Answering system - without going into details, the Uni handsets provide much better / fuller / easier control over the entire voicemail system. Also, you can record greetings from the base on the Uni as well as the handsets. The Pana's can only record greetings from the handsets, not as clear, and more difficult to work the answering system from the handset than the Uni's. Room monitor - again, another trivial /small issue for most people, but somewhat important for me - not only did the Uni's have intercom (like the Pana's) but also the Uni's had a room-monitor feature. For example - I could set a handset next to the front door, then go down to the basement and tell it to "room monitor" the handset up by the door. This was really helpful when I was expecting a delivery because I can't hear the doorbell upstairs from the basement. There are a few more things better about the Uni's that I've skipped over but most probably won't matter to you. I'm returning these and going back to my Uniden TRU8885's. Wish I could change my vote to 3 stars. DECEMBER 2007 UPDATE - I'm not going to delete any original comments, but let me just add that I have found the ULTIMATE solution - the new Uniden 9485 system The Uni 9485's have far surpassed the shortcomings of the Uni Tru 8885 and this Pana set. I switched to the Uni 9485's about 2 months ago and what a difference. The base is better. the buttons are better, the menu is better, and they finally fixed the crackling noise problem that the 8885 headset jacks had. Definitely without a doubt go for the Uniden 9485's instead of the original Pana's and Uni's I reviewed above. Major improvement in all aspects. The Uni 9485 handsets are even an improvement over the 8885's, and the base is way better as well. Sound quality cannot be beat. There's no way I'd go back to the Pana's or Uni 8885's again, these 9485's are a massive improvement over both.