My goal was to replace a 900Mhz Vtech cordless phone that we've had for several years and an old tape-based answering machine with a single device. My old cordless still works, but won't hold a charge well, so I was able to use it for sound quality comparisons. I saw this phone with the two handsets for a good price and gave it a try.  
 
My findings seem to indicate that you simply cannot get the voice clarity and sound quality from ANY digital cordless that you can from an analog phone, period. I came to this conclusion after trying three other 2.4Ghz digital phones (including this phone, another Panasonic, and a Motorola) and comparing to my still-working old 900 Mhz cordless. I finally found a 900 Mhz cordless with an answering system and finally foud one that sounded as good as my old phone.  
 
By the way, you can still find both 900Mhz Analog cordless phones and some 2.4 GHz ones as well. Vtech has quite a few (check www.vtechphones.com). None of them have as many features as the digital phones though, which must by why they are now far more popular, despite the sound problems associated with digital.  
 
I'll admit, I didn't try any of the newer 5.8 GHz phones. Maybe they do a better job with digital and can match the clarity of an analog phone.  
 
Now, that said, if you're willing to let sound quality suffer (hey, it's a PHONE for goodness sake, why let SOUND suffer?) and are set on a 2.4Ghz Digital cordless, Panasonic has a pretty good offering. Here's what I liked about this one:  
 
*/SYM Speakerphone on each handset - cool!  
*/SYM The size and weight of the handset feel pretty good. It's thinner and ligher that other phones. My wife noticed that immediately and liked it  
*/SYM directional selector button for navigating menus - very easy. Although the menu system on this model is not as intuitive as the Panasonic KX-TG2248S. I seem to remember having to go to an odd place to add an entry to the phone book.  
*/SYM 2 handsets are included and you can buy a third  
*/SYM there's a built-in answering system on the base  
 
What I didn't like about this phone:  
*/SYM It sounds bad at BOTH ends of the conversation. At times it almost sounds like a 1/2 duplex speaker phone does. When you first go off-hook, you hear a solid hiss. The hiss goes down, although it does not disapper once you start dialing. The person we were calling to test it said that this phone gave a "tinny" sound to the voice. Switching to our old 900Mhz cordless mid-call resolved it, ans switching back would bring it back. So we know it's the phone.  
*/SYM The antenna is too long. This is true of all Panasonic phones. If you like to sit back in the recliner or easy chair, you have to keep your head turned so the antenna doesn't poke the back of the chair. I don't know why Panasonic went with that design. I think it makes the phones look less modern too.  
*/SYM There's no MEMO button on the answering machine! We use that all the time. I didn't think anyone even made an answering machine without one, so I never thought to look. In fact, it's the lack of this feature that made me set this phone aside to try the KX-TG2248S even though it only has one handset included.  
*/SYM There's no phone/speakerphone on the base  
 
Go back to analog if you're actually concerned with how your phone sounds! I finally ended up with a Radio Shack 900 MHz cordless that came with 2 handsets and an answering system in the base -- on sale for $45! There's no speakerphone on the handset or fancy features, and only one can be used at once, but at least it sounds as good as the phone I'm replacing and gets rid of my old nasty sounding tape-based answering machine 
