| Customer Reviews: Average Rating: 4.0/5 |
| Works Fine: Rating: 4/5 |
To those who have left a negative review about the sound or build quality of this device: what do you expect for such a low price??? Surely you cannot expect real high quality for something that has so many features for so little a price. Be realistic.
This answering machine was very easy to set up. The instructions that come with it are clear, in large print and with pictures and I feel the average person should have no problem doing the setup. You can set the number of rings before it answers; if you have caller ID it verbally announces the number of the party who is calling; it is very easy to record a greeting. In fact, everything is very easy about this machine.
As for the sound quality - it is not the best, but then neither is it unintelligible, either. It sounds "electronic." Unless you are an obsessed audiophile who must have realistic sound even from your answering machine, I don't think there is a reason to complain about the quality. The machine is also a nice, compact size if you have space considerations.
Granted, I have only used this for a few weeks so I can't comment on the durability but out of the box this machine is easy to set up and does what it is supposed to do. The only negative I have is that there is no display screen for the incoming call when using caller ID; it is purely a verbal announcement so if you miss it then you don't really know who is calling you.
I am satisfied with this unit and would recommend it. |
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| Poor Quality: Rating: 1/5 |
| This machine simply has poor quality recordings. I find myself replaying the messages several times in order to hear what the person said. It is especially bad when a person calls from a cell phone. Oftentimes I cannot understand many words at all. |
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| Digital Answering Machines Are Not Better Than Analog/Tape Answering Machines: Rating: 2/5 |
I bought the AT&T 1739 digital answering machine and returned it the same day that I recieved it. The AT&T 1739 was easy to setup and operate and has the same basic features of various other digital answering machines that I have owned and that friends have owned. I have experience with about 4 or 5 digital answering machines.
I own a small business. My biggest problem with the AT&T 1739 is that the call screening feature automatically adjust the volume up to a level that can be herd when a call is answered. When in a meeting and a call comes in the AT&T 1739 adjusts the volume level up so that everyone in the room can hear private incomming calls. The feature is not adjustable and you cannot turn it off. Everyone in the room can hear all incomming calls. The volume adjustment is useless as the machine overrides the volume setting to a audible level when a call comes in. When I adjust the volume level to the lowest level, I would like it to stay there until I decide to turn it up.
In general, digital answering machines have low sound quality and limited fexibility with respect to recording time and limited flexibility with respect to transferring recorded messages off of the machine for future reference.
With tape answering machines the tapes are removable and can be saved indefinetly by removing them and inserting a new tape. The cassettes can be played on any tape player. Cassette tapes are cheap, easy to find and provide great flexibility.
I bought a cassette tape answering machine (Panasonic KX-T5100) and it has all of the features and flexibility I require. They are hard to find new but I was able to find a refurbished one on ebay.
Digital answering machines are low quality and have limited flexibility. In the case of answering machines the older tape/analog machines are of higher quality and have more flexibility than the digital answering machines.
I am sure digital machines could be made with higher quality but with the telephone company answering service, the demand may not be great enough to force manufacturers to make quality answering machines. Before cancelling the phone companies answering service, the cost of the phone companies answering service was $10/month. I bought my answering machine for $50. Therefore, the machine will pay for itself in 5 months and I have full control over my messages. |
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| Answering Machine: Rating: 5/5 |
| I found this unit easy to set-up. I like the feature that as soon as the phone rings, the number is announced. |
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| Basic and functional, does the job for low cost: Rating: 3/5 |
I bought this needing a basic answering machine that I could figure out how to set up. I had returned a store brand from a local retailer, who said it would be easy, but I couldn't even get the date set up.
This machine's instructions are easy enough to follow. Nice feature is that you can delete individual messages. There is also an audio verification of your settings. Only downside to this model is the sound quality. Your own voice recording will not sound like yourself, so I made use of that, and did a little skit of a celebrity in rehab. (I have since changed that to a basic message.) The sound quality of recorded incoming messages is okay. The old cassette answering machine I owned had excellent recording, but after ten years, it finally jammed after serving me well.
So for the low price and ease of use, I could recommend this to others if you are okay with a bit of distortion in your voice. You can play with that and it will sound better than the pre-recorded announcement that sounds like a game show voiceover. |
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