This is a premium unit with a premium price tag. Although it has many features that we wanted it fails dismally in the one main purpose of actually being a communication device. Basically the volume is simply too low to hear properly (on all handsets with the handset volume set to full). If your surroundings are quiet, the line good and the person on the other end shouts down the phone, then you are OK. Other than this, the conversation is twice as long as you ask them to repeat every other sentence.