Clarity Ensemble Amplified Captioned Telephone ~ Review

My husband works from home and is on his phone a lot. He's always multi-tasking and doesn't always hear everything the person on the other end is saying. That's why he was interested to learn more about the Clarity Ensemble Amplified Captioned Telephone.

The Ensemble is a product from Clarity, the nations leading provider of communication solutions for seniors. This phone is unique in that it is an amplified telephone that displays a transcript of your phone conversation in real-time on a 7-inch color touchscreen. The handset provides loud and clear sound of up to 50 decibels using the same state of the art technology found in high-end hearing aids!

Learning more about the phone, I thought it sounded like a wonderful phone for those who deal with hearing loss and want for phone conversations to be clearer and easier to understand. I also thought it sounded like a phone that would be perfect for my husband in his home office and was excited to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review one!

Features/Benefits:

• Conversation is displayed on the screen while you listen so you never miss what is being said
• Captioned conversations can be saved for later reference
• Amplifies incoming sound up to 50 decibels
• Digital clarity power incorporates hearing aid technology for clearer call quality
• 4 tone settings for a customized listening experience
• 7" color touchscreen with fonts that can be enlarged with the swipe of a finger
• Large, easy to read fonts and adjustable contrast
• Great for those with hearing loss or low vision
• High-speed wireless internet access is required for captioning

The Clarity Ensemble is different than any other phone we've owned in the past, so we were looking forward to checking it out when it arrived. Out of the box, I was impressed right away with the sleek and modern design of the phone. It's attractive in appearance and isn't an eyesore for others to see.

Of course, once I had looked it over, it was time to get it hooked up and ready to use. I was wondering just how easy it would be to get everything working...but in no time at all it was set up thanks to the user-friendly instructions.

We simply connected it to our existing wireless network. We then registered with ClearCaptions right on the phone to activate the captioning feature. Although there was a way to ignore the registration page at startup by pressing the "x" at the corner of the screen...I wanted to make sure we set it up. The ClearCaptions is one of the really neat, unique features about this phone, a service similar to closed captions for television and one I knew my husband would appreciate.

We then were prompted to set up the time and date which was easy as well. I love how everything is done on the 7" color touchscreen! It makes setting it up so simple.

When the phone is idle, the screen displays the numeric keypad and a number of icons along the bottom (phonebook, caller log, messages, menu, etc).

The first time my husband used the phone, he was very impressed with the ClearCaptions feature. He has the choice whether he wanted it on or off, and couldn't get over how accurate it was at captioning his conversation. He was able to see the conversation well as he could enlarge the font with the swipe of his finger (this is also how you scroll through the captions). When he finishes a call, the captioned text is saved under the call log list, so he can always go back to review it which we both think is great! Now he doesn't miss anything that is said, and can refer back to the call log when he needs to!

Of course he has also been able to hear those he's talking to well, thanks to the amplified sound. When on a call you can even push the Boost On button which access the louder volume for the incoming voice. He hasn't needed this feature, but it's a nice thing to have for those who need that assistance when listening on the phone.

He also appreciates the convenience of having a phonebook where he can find his "favorites", "emergency contacts" and enter new contacts. The Call Log and messages features are also nice, as he's able to view incoming calls/messages that he may have missed since he was in his office last.

Overall we've been really impressed with the Clarity Ensemble Amplified Captioned Telephone. Aside from it's awesome ability to amplify sound and display phone conversations right on the screen, we have found it extremely easy to use. I LOVE the touchscreen and the user-friendly menu which makes it easy to access everything from the phonebook and messages to settings and more.

We have had no issues with the phone and would highly recommend it to others looking for a high quality phone that is easy on the eyes and the ears! It would especially be a great gift idea for those with hearing loss and low vision...although even my husband who doesn't have these conditions, loves it! 

One feature it doesn't have is speaker phone, which is fine as he doesn't have a need for that feature often. However, if you're looking for a great phone with speaker phone capability, be sure and check out the Fortissimo from Clarity, designed specifically as a speakerphone for users who have limited mobility and dexterity.

Buy it: The Clarity Ensemble Amplified Captioned Telephone retails for $149.99.

You can learn more about the Ensemble and their other products by visiting ClarityProducts.com. You can also connect with them on Twitter and Facebook.