Crafted from ABS (plastic) and Aluminium, with a sleek metallic silver finish, the T-6 DECT is typical JJ design – no frills, no superfluousness, just 100% functionality.

There’s none of the B&O DECTs flair as well, which is slightly out of kilter for me. In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the T-6 (sounds like another Terminator movie sequel) was designed by just another company, who were trying to break into the market with something just a little different from the normal fayres we are familiar with, from the various Far East manufacturers.

The T-6 is very nice to look at – it has a backlit keypad and an elegant red LCD segment display. Actually, displays  - plural. The base / recharger unit, which can be wall mounted, has it’s own display and set of buttons, not to mention speaker, which most bases have these days.

In the hand, the handset feels nicely shaped, with its convex rear and concave front, with the keypad following the front’s arc. Nice, but can be slightly problematic – a number of times I had to press a button more than once to register its press, since if it’s pressed anywhere other than dead centre, it can fail to make contact with the circuit board below. It normally happens if you’re quickly typing out a number or performing a function in the menu. Of course, it could be a case of mine being a rogue unit rather than indicative of the overall design or that you have to be more deliberate and less hasty in use.

One further thing to the T6’s credit, is that it comes in absolutely the best presentation packaging I’ve ever come across, or at least can remember in recent years. The image of the T6 is raised on the box and gives a tactile feel when handled, something that other brands simply just don’t do – it’s nice to see a bit of extra effort being made in this way.

Overall, the handset is very nice and looks the part, performing admirably – but then, so does a £50 DECT unit – at almost 1/4 of the price. So what does the T-6 have or do that’s different from those handsets? Well, in a word (or two) – nothing really. As with most, if not all, things designer label, you pay for the name and the styling more than the substance. Does this mean the T-6 is overpriced? That’ll depend more on the type of buyer the phone is likely to attract. For the average consumer, the brand is an unknown quantity, so that and the price will be off-putting. For those who only buy design labels, then as a different but somewhat related to B&O design, purchasing a T6 will be more on how it looks and feels, with less weighting on the technology aspect of it’s design. On that front, there’s nothing missing from the T6, but equally there’s nothing outstandingly different from the norm – there’s no answer phone built-in, which at this price, would be expected.

In terms of performance – the JJT-6 is an admirable performer. Crystal clear call quality, little to any sibilance problems, and a tenacious grip on distance through many a brick wall. Battery life is quoted as being 8 hours talktime and 100 hours in standby – with 12 hours or so off the base station and over an hours worth of making and receiving calls, the battery alert never made a sound. I can’t verify the times given are a true and accurate reflection of the specs, but like most people, returning the handset to the base was an automatic/habitual thing to do, rather than necessity. So, it’s unlikely that the quoted times will be an issue for most typical users.

In all honesty, if I were to spend this much on a DECT handset, I’d look long and hard at the B&O Beocom 6000 as well, before deciding. It has pedigree and a certain specialness that the T-6 lacks – a mark of distinction if you will, not to mention quite a few other features (but still lacking answerphone built-in) that goes partway to understanding its lofty price point of circa £250. In the absence of a B&O TV or Hi-Fi and additional Beocom handsets, then some of those features will be redundant, so you’re back to the design element being the main temptation for purchasing. To a degree, the use of aluminium in the JJT-6 adds to its appeal over the B&O’s all ABS construction, which on that basis gives it a very slight edge.

If you collect designer items or like to drop a brand name or two in the course of conversation to show you’re current in the fashionista stakes, then go right ahead and buy one tomorrow. If you’re after a run of the mill digital cordless telephone, then this is not likely to be of much interest as the price is well above what most consumers expect to pay for “just a phone”. But, should you decide to be different, then you’ll find the JJT-6 is a DECT phone with a difference, which you will appreciate over the years of service it’ll provide.

Review by - PJ Skelton

Published - 07/03/2006

More Dect Phones-

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