Cortelco 250009-VBA-20M Single-Line Corded Phone

This is an excellent phone overall. Although it lacks the heft and ruggedness of the original Western Electric 2500, it is well made, and it's made in the USA. The keypad is large, has a solid touch when pressing the keys, and the keys are slightly sculpted out, so your finger doesn't slip off. Sound quality is very good, and the adjustable handset volume definitely helps increase the incoming voice. However, the more the volume is increased, the louder your own voice will sound. That's not a fault of the phone; it's just a phenomenon called sidetone. The only downside I've noticed is that the ring volume is woefully low, even on the high setting (I'm on copper landline, not VOIP, which could cause low ring volume). The ringer is a mechanical, double gong type; yet even on high the volume is so low that it's hard to hear the phone if you're in an adjacent room. However, if you're planning to put the phone on a desk where you'd be working, the low ring volume would be a benefit. If you can manage with a low sounding ringer, this is an excellent choice for a basic, well-made phone.