VTech CS6114 Review

One thing we noticed about the VTech CS6114 that stands out is the compact size of the handsets. This might be a benefit if you wanted a more petite phone to carry around but it can make it harder to use the buttons.

Performance Comparison

Sound Quality

We started by comparing the sound quality of the VTech CS6114 against the other phones. We did this by making a series of test calls as well as having judges rate and rank the quality of recorded voicemails left by this device. Unfortunately, this phone delivered some unimpressive results, earning it a score well below average.

Our judges found that voices sounded hollow with this phone, as if the speaker was situated some distance away. There was also a bit of static but we found that you usually could understand the other person.

Range

Our next round of tests focused on the range of each cordless phone, or how far you can have the handset from the main base and still effectively make a call. We did two separate tests, one with a series of walls blocking the signals and one unobstructed line-of-sight test. Scores were based on the distance between the handset and the main base where we could still make a call. Again, the VTech CS6114 didn't fare too well, earning another lackluster score.

This phone system maxed out at approximately 640' for a reliable conversation. You could hear patches of voice interspersed with static between 640' and 750', where it then cut out completely. For the obstructed test, the VTech CS6114 topped out at 150' before the call dropped.

Ease of Use

For our ease of use test, we looked at both basic and advanced functions for each cordless phone, rating and scoring how difficult different tasks were to do. The VTech CS6114 did a little bit better in this metric — but not by a whole lot — still earning a score that was below average overall.

The VTech CS6114 can be a little more difficult to use in a dark room than some of the others, as only the number keys are illuminated. The find-a-phone/page function also isn't our favorite, as it isn't very loud, so it can be difficult to locate a truly lost handset.

The numbers are a little small on the screen but the VTech CS6114 does hyphenate, so it is fairly easy to read. It's also decently easy to call back a missed call using the CID menu. The menus are overall fairly easy to navigate, making it relatively painless to do things like entering a number in the phonebook. However, we found that you can't block numbers or put the phone into a quiet mode.

Features

We evaluated and compare all the features on the VTech CS6114 against the others for our next metric. Continuing a trend, this phone again scored below average for its limited feature set.

This phone has a limited phonebook capacity of only 30 entries and doesn't appear to be compatible with expandable handsets. The keypad lighting on the handset is so-so and there isn't a keypad/speaker on the charging base. It also isn't capable of linking to a smartphone.

The handset doesn't have a headphone jack or a belt clip and the overall system lacks an integrated answering machine.

Battery Life

Our last metric looked at the battery life of each phone, based on the measured talk time, as well as the claimed charge and standby times. The VTech CS6114 finished out with another subpar performance, earning it a disappointing score.

This phone only lasted for about 8.5 hours in our talk time test, playing music into a recording device from a call. It spent the last 45 minutes of that beeping during the call with a low battery indicator as well.

Vtech claims this phone has a standby time of up to 5 days and can take up to 16 hours to recharge — much longer than many other models.

Value

This phone is a very inexpensive option that didn't score well — more a "get what you pay for" than a steal of a deal.

Conclusion