DECT Phone recommendations

[#1]

We have BT Elements phones at present ant in all three cases the display has lost most of its pixels
Other than that they are very good for clarity and level of calls specially if I use the handsfree option and I could get another one but they are about £50 each
So I thought I would look at upgrading to a more modern one and this seemed to tick all the boxes Panasonic KX-TG6813EB Trio DECT Cordless Telephone Set but when I looked at the reviews on Amazon there were a lot of 1 star reviews complaining about voice quality even though other think it is fine http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-KX-TG6813EB-Trio-Cordless-Telephone/dp/B00CBT38UC/ref=sr_1_18?s=el...
Is it a case of getting what you pay for and to get the voice quality of my present phone I will need to pay a chunk more

[#2]

Quote from: Oldjim

We have BT Elements phones at present ant in all three cases the display has lost most of its pixels Other than that they are very good for clarity and level of calls specially if I use the handsfree option and I could get another one but they are about £50 each

I used to have a couple of BT Elements handsets and also found them to have decent quality audio although I hardly ever used the handsfree option.  Like yours, the displays gradually failed over time to the point where you had to guess the incoming number etc. from the remaining pixels.

Quote from: Oldjim

So I thought I would look at upgrading to a more modern one and this seemed to tick all the boxes Panasonic KX-TG6813EB Trio DECT Cordless Telephone Set but when I looked at the reviews on Amazon there were a lot of 1 star reviews complaining about voice quality even though other think it is fine http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-KX-TG6813EB-Trio-Cordless-Telephone/dp/B00CBT38UC/ref=sr_1_18?s=el... Is it a case of getting what you pay for and to get the voice quality of my present phone I will need to pay a chunk more

I can't comment on the Panasonics, but I've moved on to the Gigaset range and have a couple of E49H (older model, I think now discontinued) and a C610, all registered to the same base (N300 IP).  The cost per handset was about £45 - £50 and will vary according to what deals you can find (multiple handsets etc.).  If anything, the voice quality exceeds that of the BT Elements, the phones have far more features and appear to be more durable.
One key factor which I appreciate is the ability to transfer your directory from handset to handset, the lack of which really pee'd me off with the BT Elements when I finally decided that enough was enough with their crappy displays.
A word of warning if you're eBay inclined;  There appears to be a lot of 'refurbished' phones about, which although I bought supposedly new ones from a company called Ligo (directly, not via eBay or Amazon), I would say that both the E49H handsets I received were 'refurbished' and soon developed faults.  This was indicated by the state of the packaging and an item missing from one package.  The no quibble replacements I received have been more reliable.

[#3]

I also use Gigaset phones - In my case C47H phones with a C475IP basestation.  (Basically the predecessor or the kit that RobPN has).  I find them very reliable and they sound good.
It's years since I've used them on an analogue line so I can't remember the call quality then, but as VOIP phones they're superb.

[#4]

Gigaset here too S820 A. Master downstairs and slave second phone in bedroom. Clear sound and good range.
I have an older BT set which gave problems with the base station but I discovered that the phones would pair with my Gigaset base station so if I needed more handsets....I have them.
That is probably obvious to many but I wasn't sure if handsets of different manufacturers would work together.

[#5]

A quick check and the Siemens Gigaset looks a good but with the A510 the lowest spec one which would be reasonable

[#6]

I was also tempted by that Panasonic set recently. as it had the key finder feature (just need to buy the key fob).
I ready have two pairs of older models of Panasonic handsets (different models but they work together perfectly).
I purchased those 4 and 5 years ago and expect them to last many years yet (unlike the 3 different sets of BT phones I had previously).
So, I couldn't quite justify the purchase of additional handsets, though your post has got me thinking about it again.

[#7]

Ordered the A510A trio
I didn't need the answer machine but it was much cheaper than the non answer machine version
Will report back one I have it working

[#8]

Received this morning
Put in fully charged batteries from existing phone
Sound quality is good - dialled 17070 and tested the various options
All three handsets auto registered
Ring volume variable depending on melody/sound selected so left on the loudest for now and it is definitely loud enough
First impressions very good - now left disconnected from the phone line with the supplied batteries in waiting for them to fully charge

[#9]

Quote from: Oldjim

the display has lost most of its pixels

Just a note, some LCD displays deteriorate relatively quickly if exposed to strong sunlight for extended periods, keeping them away from direct sunlight (also avoid high temperatures such as radiators) and they may last a bit longer.  This is a general thing with LCD equipped devices and not specific to these phone handsets as I don't know what LCD technology they use, also newer type LCDs seem better protected against these effects in general.

[#10]

They weren't
In fact they were in a shaded area and not near any radiators

[#11]

Quote from: Oldjim

... - now left disconnected from the phone line with the supplied batteries in waiting for them to fully charge

I trust you've read the instructions referring to running the handset batteries down (after fully charging them) until the handsets switch themselves off, before placing them back on the charging bases (in order to 'calibrate' the handsets battery charge remaining indicator). 

[#12]

Nope I hadn't
Must do them one at a time
Alternatively I wonder if my intelligent charger would do it quicker
I did try registering my BT Elements hand set to the base but the sound quality was rotten which I hadn't expected

[#13]

Quote from: Oldjim

Alternatively I wonder if my intelligent charger would do it quicker

Your intelligent charger would do the charging leg OK, but I think the idea of fully charging the batteries in the handset then discharging them until the handset switches itself off is so the handset somehow learns the capacity of the installed batteries.  If you remove the batteries at some point in the future for whatever reason it's necessary to repeat the above procedure - a bit of a chore, but if it works it's probably worth it.  It might be an idea to repeat the procedure when the capacity of the batteries reduces due to 'wear'.
When I first got my handsets I selected the option to have the display lit when off the charger in order to speed up the discharge leg of the cycle - whether that affected the results I don't know.
The Gigasets have been the first DECT phones that I've owned where the batteries don't get hot (even warm) when left on the charger, so I guess there's no danger of frying them (unless a fault develops) as in all the other handsets I've had (including the BT Elements), which makes me  think there must be some degree of intelligence designed in to the charging system.

[#14]

Now you haver the problem of deciding which colour for the screen....it has to coordinate with the décor.

[#15]

No problem at all - I haven't told SWBO that it can be changed