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Battery Life and Charging
Just like any other Bluetooth headset, the BlueAnt Z9 must be fully charged before use. It takes about 2.5 hours to fully charge the headset. The Z9 can either be charged via the wall charger or connected to your computer through the USB cable provided. The LED will turn red while the device is being charged and the light will go off when it is finished. Either charging via the wall charger or by PC takes about the same time to charge. I was not able to test the device using a car charger since it was not included nor do I have one available.
The manual listed the BlueAnt Z9 will last about 200 hours standby and 5.5 hours talk-time. Since, both the standby time and talk-time of the headset is the same as my new LG KE770, I was able to check the battery life easily while using my phone. When I had no battery life on my phone, the Z9’s LED would all turn to red indicating it was low on battery. Overall, the BlueAnt Z9 offered an average standby time of about 200 hours and an average talk-time of about 4.5 hours.
Pairing
I tested the BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth headset with the LG KE770 Shine and the Motorola Razr for T-Mobile. Before pairing the Bluetooth headset with each phone, I made sure the phones’ Bluetooth setting were activated. In addition, the headset was charged for 2.5 hours as recommended by the manual.
Pairing the phone was a simple task. With the Z9 Bluetooth headset off, press and hold the multifunction button for 6 seconds. The LED will turn solid blue and then it will begin to flash. This tells you the headset is in pairing mode and will remain in this mode for the next 2 minutes or until it is paired. Perform a Bluetooth discovery on your phone and add the new device. Once the device is added, enter the security code “0000” provided within the manual. Additional security codes may be required depending on the personal settings you have set on your phone. However, I do not have those settings on my phones thus, no other prompts were displayed.
Style and Comfort
The BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth headset is one of the smallest headsets on the market today. It is very light, weighing in at 0.35 ouches and 1.5 inches in length. The tie clip allows the user to clip on virtually any piece of clothing whether a tie, shirt, blouse etc… The clear ear hook makes the device look futuristic when worn since it looks like the headset is staying on your ear by itself. In addition, of the 4 Bluetooth headsets I have, it is definitely the most comfortable one I have worn. My ears did not begin to get irritated, due to its light weight, after extended periods of wearing the headset.
Functions
The BlueAnt Z9 headset gives the user all the usual functions of a Bluetooth headset and a little more. For ease of use, most of the functionality associated with this headset is through a multifunction button on the back of the front face with a big Ant logo on it. The LED indicator light is within the multifunction button.
The multifunction button allows the user to turn the unit on and off, reject, end, transfer or answer calls. In addition, the user can redial the last number called, activate voice dial, call conference, call waiting, reset the device etc… Along with the standard features of a Bluetooth headset, the Z9 headset also allows for pairing up to three different devices.
Furthermore, during the call, the user has the option to set voice isolation to standard or MAX. The standard setting is used in a normal sound environment, while the MAX setting is used where the users surrounding is louder than usual. When I had my voice isolation set to MAX, the person on the other end never complained about not being able to hear me through the headset. At times, the person I was talking to did not notice I was using a Bluetooth headset, which is always a great sign.
Sound Quality & Range
The sound quality of the Z9 Bluetooth headset is the most important aspect when testing the device. So, when it comes down to the sound quality of the Z9, I’d give it 9 out of 10.
I tested the device through conventional ways; using it in my room or at the office. However, I did perform extended testing in my convertible with the top down, at high speeds and found no problems with sound. The only problem I had with the sound quality of the unit was when it came to testing the range. The BlueAnt Z9 Headset's user manual stated the device has a working distance of up to 10 meters (about 33 feet). I was about 20 feet away from the device when I noticed a slight static in the background. However, the person on the other end did not notice any problems with the sound of my voice.
Conclusion
BlueAnt has outdone itself in terms of design and innovation when it comes to the Z9 Bluetooth headset. The device is small and very comfortable to wear. The unique tie clip is great when you do not want to have the headset on your ear. In addition, BlueAnt has greatly improved its sound quality since the X3 micro. There were no or very little problems with people hearing me when I used the headset because of the voice isolation feature. I was even in my car, with the top down on my convertible, at 40+mph and had no problems with sound. I would recommend this product to everyone.
Posted October 8, 2007 by BlueTomorrow.com Editorial Staff
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