Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic KXTC1890 900 MHz DSS 2-Line Cordless Phone with Caller ID & Answering Device (Black)

I have a similiar model "Panasonic 900 Mhz cordless phone with voicemail and caller ID" and I loved it. Then I saw this model with same capacity plus TWO LINES and cheaper price! So I bought it to replace my one line model and regreted now since my friends often complain that they couldn't hear me clearly. Sometimes I even notice myself the phone was "jammed" during conversion and I had to change channel manually! This big "Digital GigaRange DSS" label on the phone is like a fraudulous feature to me because its sound quality is worst than the regular 900MHz model.

I tried to find a reason ( besides the price is cheaper :-) and here is my guess(no offense to any country): This model is made in Malaysia, while my previous one was made in Japan.

Disclaimer: I bought this phone from other online retailer, not Amazon.

I purchased this for the security of digital DSS, and was pleased by the feature set. After several months use, though, I'm looking for a new phone. The features are still a good match for what I need, but the ability of this set to keep a clear connection from handset to base is very poor.

When the connection is good, it's very good, but it often decays as you converse, whether or not you're moving. The incoming sound begins to break up and you're required to manually search for new channels by pressing a button on the handset. This includes a noticeable delay during which you cannot hear the calling party, and they can't hear you.

Given the ballyhoo about 900 MHz and DSS, one would expect this to phone keep a clear, steady connection - but it doesn't, even when you're in the same room as the base! The supposed superiority of this system, and the extended range it supposedly provides is useless without being able to handle the simplest of situations. Perhaps other manufacturers have better implementations of 900 MHz DSS? One can only hope.

...that a phone with as many features as this one doesn't have a mute button. I work out of my home, am frequently on teleconferences, and I have big dogs. A mute is a must for me so this phone will go back tomorrow. Who would have thought to look for this feature in the store.

OK, I admit that I lived with this phone for 12 months, but I can assure you that it was painful. It would be a very solid contender if not for one problem - dropouts. You are talking on the phone when sound is suddenly garbled and you hear painful squealing and squeaks coming from the earpiece. What to do? Press the channel button and it will clear up.

That's not so bad if it just happens once a month, or even once a week. This one does it much more frequently. For me, its several times a day. I returned the phone once and got another unit, but it was the same story. Then I convinced myself that a light or my computer was interfering, so I kept relocating equipment. It still was a problem.

Finally I did some more research online and then I discovered that this line of Panasonic phones has a reputation for this dropout problem. Personally, I'm trying to get Panasonic to make good. So far it does not look too likely.

Do yourself a favor, look elsewhere. I went with a seperate cordless phone (Uniden 9966) and answering machine (Casio). I am a lot happier.

I have to disagree with the previous reviewer. I found KX-TC1980B a terrifically well-designed phone, with great features and impressive performance. Each line has its own settings, from ring style and number of rings before answer to outgoing message. All features are available from either handset or basestation, and the display on the handset allows for menu-driven programming for most functions. The handset is well balanced, and cradles nicely against the shoulder.

As with other good DSS phones, the range is great. We get about 100 yards. There's a slight hiss, common to DSS, and sometimes a click once or twice in a conversation, again often found in DSS. The usual DSS echo is not apparant, however.

The only slight wish I've got is that the phone could be a bit louder in amplifying my own outgoing voice and the incoming caller's. But otherwise we're delighted with it. . .