| | |  | Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics | Home » » » » BlueAnt Z9i Bluetooth Headset - Red | | | | | | | Description: | | The BlueAnt Z9i Red Bluetooth Headset comes with Dual Microphone, Voice Isolation, and Bluetooth v2.0 | | | Features: | |
• Switch Between Two Voice Isolation Modes Standard and Max
• Different Ringtones for Known and Unknown Contacts
• Innovative Tie Clip Attaches to Shirt Cuff or Sleeve When Not in Use
• Up to 5.5 Hours Talk Time, 200 Hours Standby
• Automatic Connection and Reconnection with Notification
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 3.0 inches | | Product Width:
| 4.25 inches | | Product Height:
| 7.5 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.5 pounds | | Package Length:
| 8.3 inches | | Package Width:
| 4.8 inches | | Package Height:
| 2.9 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.7 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 67 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 Great value!Nov 20, 2009
I think the Blue Ant was a fantastic buy. It is comfortable and works very well. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it connects with two phones at once. It is slightly hard to use outside, but overall it is a great product.
awsome deal for BlueAnt Z9iNov 04, 2009
A BlueAnt Z9i is new & sealed in a retail box. I bought it for my wife, and she's happy with it. A price is awsome + free tax + free shipping.
Nicely done, BlueAntNov 02, 2009
I previously reviewed the black Z9i. There's no technical difference between that one and the red one, but long story short: I needed to exchange that one and Amazon was out of stock, so now I have the red one.
Background:
I've owned several Bluetooth headsets at this point. Plantronics Discovery 665, an original Jawbone, a Jawbone 2 Plus (basically JB2 hardware with JB Prime software on it), and now this one. I was comparing the Z9i with the JB2+, and in the end the JB has gone back and I'm keeping the Z9i.
What I love:
Multi-point.
I didn't think I'd really use this feature since I only use one phone, but now that I have it I really like it. I have my Z9i paired with my work PC and my PowerBook at home, and it's really convenient to be able to use it with all 3 without having to un-pair and re-pair, since it can be paired with 5 devices and connected to two of them simultaneously.
Real volume buttons.
This is one edge it has over the Jawbone. I prefer to be able to bump the volume up or down rather than having to cycle through presets.
Mute.
Another advantage over the Jawbone. I previously had a Plantronics Discovery 665 that could be muted, and I really missed that feature when I later switched to a Jawbone. I'm really happy to have it back.
Voice prompts.
Many Bluetooth devices use different kinds of beeps to inform you of different events. The Z9i does, too, but it also uses voice prompts in at least one case. When switching between "standard" and "max" voice isolation modes, you hear a voice (with an Australian accent, no less) saying "Voice isolation standard" or "Voice isolation max". This is helpful.
Sound clarity.
To be honest I've never really used a Bluetooth headset with clarity issues, probably because I never go for the cheap ones. Still, the Z9i deserves recognition for its clarity. It sounds great on my end, and I'm told I sound really good at the other end, too, even with a little background noise going on.
It's purty.
I'm not big on fashion (I'm a t-shirt and jeans guy through-and-through), but the Z9i is a good-looking piece of technology, which I can appreciate.
What I don't love:
Nearly inaudible prompts.
The Z9i plays a series of tones when you turn it on or off, and I think those and the ringing sound when a call is coming in could all stand an increase in volume. They're too quiet, and it seems it'd be easy to miss them. Not such a problem with the startup/shutdown tones, but very important when the phone is ringing.
Which mode am I in?
I mentioned earlier the voice prompt you get when you switch between voice isolation modes. While that's nice, there's unfortunately no way to tell which mode you're already in if you happen to forget. The only way to find out is to switch it to the other mode and listen to the prompt. To be honest, I question the usefulness of having two modes to begin with. I'd personally prefer it if the thing were in max mode all the time, but BlueAnt didn't see it that way.
Weak signal.
I'm probably spoiled by the Jawbone, which seems it can remain connected to your phone even if you encase the thing in concrete and drop it in a river. The Z9i is like most other headsets in this regard, though, where it seems that it's too easy to lose the signal to the phone. I haven't experienced static on calls, but I have seen it drop the connection a few times with my phone in my pocket. The good thing is there's an audible indicator when it's lost the connection unexpectedly, so you don't miss calls by being left unaware that the headset isn't connected to your phone. It also auto-reconnects.
Fit.
Make no mistake, this thing is comfortable. I have pretty sensitive ears that don't like many headsets, but the Z9i doesn't bother me at all, even after several hours. But what I don't like is that there's no documentation as to exactly how you're supposed to fit the thing in your ear, or where it's designed to sit. That's probably because they want to leave it up to you to wear the thing however is most comfortable for you, but I find myself wondering if I've got it "right" or not. I end up having to reach up and adjust the thing fairly often because it feels like it's slipping out of place (though I don't fear it ever falling off, it just feels a bit out of place), which makes me think perhaps I've got it wrong. I'm also not a fan of having to use an earhook, and some folks say they can wear this one without it, but that hasn't been my experience.
Alright, but what about noise cancellation?
Since this is advertised as a noise-canceling headset (well, sort of), it's worth talking a bit about how well it does that. The first thing to realize is that it's designed not so much for noise cancellation as for voice isolation. What's the difference? Well, with a Jawbone, you pretty much always sound (to your callers) like you're sitting in a quiet room, regardless of what's going on around you. With the Z9i, callers will often be able to hear noise around you, but they'll also still be able to hear you pretty clearly, because it does a pretty good job of isolating your voice and raising it above the din. It actually does do a decent job of suppressing background noises, but it doesn't cancel them out as completely as a Jawbone does. All in all I'd call its noise cancellation good (but I call Jawbone's noise cancellation phenomenal).
Bottom line on noise suppression: If you want to be able to make phone calls from the car, this will absolutely do the job. If you need to be able to call your spouse from a night club and claim that you're working late at the office, you're gonna need a Jawbone (and, by the way, shame on you). :)
All in all I'm giving this 4 stars. The one missing star is just for a few minor issues that I can live with, but that I think could be improved. This really is a great headset, and the current Amazon price really sweetens the deal. Although no other headset I've tried really competes with Jawbone's noise cancellation, this does a good enough job of it, and has enough other features that overall I think it edges the JB out. As I said, I've been playing with this and a JB2+ and in the end, I decided to keep this one. It was a close call.
Good luck to you.
Excellent Choice!Oct 31, 2009
This bluetooth was an excellent choice! Sound quality is very important to me and this one is better than most; it's clear and can be as loud or soft as you like. It's definitely worth more than the $40 I paid. The only feature that I would improve is the ear hook. I would like a tighter fit, it is adjustable and overall I am quite satisfied.
BlueAnt is worth itOct 20, 2009
I like the quality of the sound with this unit. It is easy to wear - in fact I often forget it is on. There is only one concern and that is the ear piece. After some consistent use (within weeks) the ear hook can slip in the holder presenting some issues when you bend or are working. The metal going into a rubber recepticle does not work well unless the metal is roughened or a tighter fit.
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