[Asterisk-Users] Comments on Voice Quality IP Hard Phones

[Rich Adamson]

> I am in the middle of getting my self some hard phones. Anyone care to 
> comment on the *voice* quality of the following phones:
> 
> Cisco 7960
> Siptone II
> SNOM
> Budgetone
> 
> I have seen a few reviews, but none go to deep into the voice quality 
> issue.

In theory (and mostly in practice), each of the phones are going to provide
roughly the same voice quality "if" each has been configured to use the
same codec (ulaw as an example). There are lots of other considerations
that might weight heavily towards which phone is more usable/practical
under certain conditions.

For example, the 7960 is a very solid business-class phone that non-technical
users can relate to. Speakerphone functions very well, instrument is heavier
and doesn't pull across the desk like some of the light-weight ones do, 
front panel buttons are intuitive, the sip protocol is very reliable, etc.

The Snom 200 phone mostly functions well, however the phone's logic is more
oriented to european telephony and several of the functions do not work in
a manner that one might consider 'standard' in the US. It's light-weight, 
pulls across the desk when the handset cord is stretched, handset is 
somewhat different when compared to old analog phones, some of the front
panel keys have multiple functions (mostly undocumented) that can get one
into trouble, etc. Still a good phone with many good characteristics
including voice quality, but if you let a non-technical user eval both the
Snom and Cisco, the user will pick the Cisco just about every time.

I've not used the Siptone II or Budgetone, but if memory serves correctly,
those two are more entry-level low-cost devices that were targeted at a
different market then were the 7960 and (at least some) Snom phones.
Can't speak to their quality at all.

Seems each of those manufacturers have at least "some" issues remaining to 
be resolved in terms of user functionality, technical compatibility/problems,
features, exposure to security issues, reliability, etc.