Motorola MD681 5.8 GHz 1-Line Cordless Phone

I bought this phone to replace a first generation 2.4GHz Panasonic DSS because it didn't hold up well and interferes with my 802.11g wireless LAN once in a while. The Panasonic was a good phone, but it started to fall apart after 2 years. When the LCD started to fall off because the cheap glue that holds it in place is disintegrating, I decided it is time for it to go.

I started looking at the Panasonic and Uniden comparable 5.8GHz models. I opted out on Panasonic because they already got my money for paying way too much on the first generation 2.4GHz (and it didn't hold up well at all). Heard a lot of good things about Uniden but the few bad reviews I read elsewhere rattled my nerve. Well, I got lucky and found one of the giant online retailer selling the MD681 and MD61 really cheap. So, I decided to give it a try.

I am not going to state the obvious. You probably done the research and aware of all the features by the time you read this. As for styles and design, you have to be the judge since everyone has their own taste. I am satisfied as long as it is not hideous or an eye sore, and I can hold it comfortably in my hand (which it does). So, I am just going to focus on my experience with this phone after 2 months of use.

Some of my personal "likes" about this phone:

Wireless LAN Friendly:
I can't find any information to indicate whether this is a true 5.8GHz or 2.4/5.8 hybrid. Motorola website and the user manual do not contain this information. So far, it has not interfered with my 802.11g wireless LAN.

Range:
The range of this phone is great, or as good as my Panasonic 2.4GHz. It does not break up anywhere inside the house (two stories), backyard, and the mailbox at the end of the driveway. The farthest part is probably 50-60 feet away from the base and through couple walls.

Speaker Phone:
The speaker phone sound quality is great. My wife uses it all the time. When I talk to her, I can't tell whether I am on speaker or not if the phone is few feet in front of her (i.e. set on the table while she is sitting down). That's how clear it sounds from the receiving end.

Battery Backup:
You can go to local Radio Shack and buy a backup battery for the base. This will allow you to use the handset in case of power outage (for 2 hrs according to the manual). Also, you can swap out the battery if the one in the handset is drained. But, this means you have to reset the clock on the handset. This is a great feature. One of the reasons I keep couple "wired" phones in the house is because of power outage. I live in a Chicago suburb. We had roaming brown outs couple summers ago, and it is disappointing to come home to a dark house and can't even pick up the phone to order pizza.

Battery Life:
Battery life is okay. I was expecting a little more from the NiMH battery. Approximately little under 2 hours talk time or about 3 days standby is all I get.

Answering Machine:
The recordings in the answering machine are audible, but I wouldn't say it sounds good. My cheap little AT&T answering machine sounds much better, and I loved the eaves dropping feature that the MD681 answering machine does not have.

Some of my personal "dislikes" about this phone:

Sound Quality:
I am a little disappointed with the sound quality. There is this faint "hissing" sound when the other party speaks. My Panasonic 2.4GHz sounds much better. Some people say this phone sounds better than their land lines, definitely not like a land line in my case. In fact, our mobile phones sound better when we have good connection. The "hissing" sound is not intolerable, but it is noticeable. Also, something very interesting, when we turn on the HAC mode, the hissing sounds reduce significantly. More on HAC next…

Documentation:
The documentation that comes with this phone is poor. It listed all the obvious features that if you can read the display, you can configure it. But, under the Headset Settings, there is an option call HAC in the Audio Settings. Explanation of this option is no where to be found in the manual, and it peaked my curiosity because it reduces the "hissing" sound I mentioned earlier. So, I decided to log a support question for this phone in Motorola website. Only to get a reply a day later stating I should call the 800 number for support of this phone. Motorola, why bother setting a wireless phone support section in your website if the customers have to call in? Okay, I digressed, so I called in and they told me this feature means "Hearing Aid Compatible". I am probably one of the few people that don't know someone who wears a hearing aid, that's why HAC is not obvious to me like "Ring Tone". So, I asked the support specialist what this mean and why it reduces the hissing sound, and he said it makes the phone louder for the people that wear hearing aids. Okay, this does not sound right to me. So, I did a bunch of research, and still find no explanation why it made the "hissing" sound more tolerable.

Lack of common expandable features:
This phone does have the most important expandable feature, Intercom, and it works well around the house. However, it does lack some of the common features you find in the expandable systems out in the market today. For instance, you cannot check the answering machine messages from the handsets, no share phone books, and you can't name the handsets. I found it even more odd that the Motorola 2.4GHz digital models have these features but not this one, strange, perhaps cost-control?

Conclusion
Overall, the phone serves its purpose. I got it at a low price (lower than the Uniden and significantly lower than the Panasonic), and I can live with the personal "dislikes". It would've been a different story if I have to pay anymore. Therefore, I only recommend this phone if you can get a good deal. Don't pay the list price ($189.99)! Shop around, you can find a deal.