I have been using the new Clarity C4230 for several weeks now and have concluded that this is the best amplified phone I have ever tested. First and foremost, the Clarity C4230 has outstanding sound quality. Many manufacturers forget that this is the single most important feature for an amplified phone to have. In addition, the sound does not get distorted at higher volume settings. 
 

This phone is packed with features that are hard to find on an amplified phones: speakerphones (in both the base unit and handset), answering machine, amplified headset jacks (both traditional and neckloop) and a “mute” button (my favorite feature) on both the base and handset. Let’s talk more in detail about how each of these features actually work.

 
The amplification (like most high end amplified phones) is a 2 stage process. Normal volume settings range from 0 to 16; “boost” settings range from 10 to 50. Presumeably, this figures correlate to loudness in decibles. The boost setting toggles back and forth from normal amplification to louder amplification. This done so that a person with normal hearing can answer the phone without gettting blown out by the sound. A person that is hard of hearing hits the boost button for more amplification. The tone button setting has 4 different levels and provides some nice customization for low to high end frequency losses.
 
Many hearing aid wearers like using speakerphones for normal telephone conversations. If you are one of these people, you willl love the C4230. Both speakerphones have outstanding sound quality and are comparable to more expensive business conference speakerphones . Most important, the speakerphone doesn’t sound like a “tin can” for the listener. 
 

The answering machine works well and allows the screening of callers. Messages waiting are indicated on the handset main menu, a message counter on the base unit and by a slow flashing strobe light on the handset. You can listen to message on either the base unit or the handset itself. 
 
Even though this is a 5.8 GHz frequency phone, the range was very good. We were able to go up or down 1 floor and still get a strong signal.

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The communications solution for your home office has arrived…so says Plantronics with their coolly packaged Calisto Pro Bluetooth wireless headset DECT 6.0 cordless phone. We gave this newly launched model a test drive and were frankly, a bit disappointed. Plantronics is clearly a headset company and it shows. Though it has some cool features like Outlook contact number integration and Skype compatibility, Plantronics has some learning to do in the phone department. 
 

If you’re a home office worker who uses a headset all day long, you’ll likely be pleased. The headset is comfortable, voice quality is strong and we didn’t encounter any interference. We really liked the belt clip of the phone itself since it allowed you to “flip the phone up” without removing it from your belt to see Caller ID info or to scroll through the phone menu. Plantronics, curiously, put some design effort into the suitcase-style packaging of the box. Though the phone, base/charger and headset have a decent design, I would like to have seen the suitcase-style box packaging effort applied to the phone itself. The phone is short enough, but it would have been cool if it was a bit thinner…a la Razr cell phone or VTech’s new cordless phones.

I’d say that this one is ok…kinda like an average American sedan. If Bluetooth around the home office is a must-have, you may like this model. Voice clarity of the handset itself is lacking. The headset has great clarity…but, you’d expect this from Plantronics. My preference would be a Siemens Gigaset or Philips cordless phone with a good quality headset like the Plantronics H61N.

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