garrettb's Full Review: Blueant Z9 Bluetooth Headset
Blueant Z9 is a reasonably priced small form headset that claims some rather aggressive noise reduction (NR) features. In one of their online video ads, a spokesperson stands near a blender and his voice through the headset is easily heard. I don't stand next to blenders, but I do drive a lot while leading telephone conferences.
The Z9 is a small factor headset. Thanks to an ear loop, it fits snug against the ear and resists shaking off the head. The setup works for eyeglass wearers as well. It is very light. The headset also comes with a clip to attach the headset to a shirt for those times you don't use it. Very handy.
The unit has three buttons. Two are for volume, one is a multi function control. They are all rather stiff. But the multi function button is the button that causes a bit of grief at first. You have to get the timings right. Hold it down for a second to toggle NR settings. Hold it down for a few seconds to hang up - and you can guess how many times I inadvertently triggered the wrong function. Add to that button's purpose voice commands, pick up call, blue tooth pairing, turn off - well it can be a fun time when hurtling down the turnpike.
The unit battery life is rather good. I use it fairly aggressive and I can go 2 days without charging. But the nice thing is that the unit charges rather fast, so I try to charge every morning. How is such a good battery so light?
The Z9 can be paired with up to 3 bluetooth sources simultaneously. I use that a lot - so I can hook up with my computer for skype, and move to my cell phone for on the road.
Now back to the blender. You'll notice in the reviews rather disparate assessments of the unit's NR capabilities. That's in part to the company's frequent firmware updates. It's worth visiting their support site every few months to see if you are still on the latest. The firmware updates make a big difference on how the unit performs. A review which does not specifiy the firmware version it was evaluated with tells you rather little. I'm evaluating a unit with version 2.4.
Z9's NR is at present, good but certainly not great. It does nothing for wind noise. Even the slightest breeze and the voice is mangled. Z9 has 2 levels of NR. The more aggressive setting takes its toll on the smoothness of your voice, trying to clip as much background noise as possible. The Z9 tries to do its tricks using 2 microphones spaced differently from your mouth. The difference allows the unit to guess what is background from what is your voice. I say "guess", because that's what it comes down to. I wouldn't expect miracles from this unit.
Still, for about the cost a regular bluetooth headset, you get some NR capability in a small factor package. That makes the Z9 a recommended puchase in my book. The unit comes with a charger, a USB cable (for charging and downloading firmware updates), a few extra ear hooks, and software.
One tip: you can buy this online for about $30 cheaper than at the retail stores.
Update (8/9/08):
Another tip: Blackberry users should switch off blackberry's echo control setting. Details on the Z9 support website.
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