Loading ...UPDATE 1/3/2008: BlueAnt V1 Voice Controlled Bluetooth Headset
It’s rare that you can make such a sweeping statement as this, but the BlueAnt z9 Bluetooth Headset is the new gold standard for all future Bluetooth headsets - hands down. It earns a 4.9 out of 5. I’m not the only one that thinks the z9 deserves the highest award possible, because it was the winner of a CES 2007 Innovations Design and Engineering Award! Combining superior sound quality for both sides of the call, ease of use, high levels of comfort for all-day wear and a sleek design, the z9 might very well be the last Bluetooth headset you’ll need to buy (until, that is, BlueAnt releases a new version).
I tested the z9 with the iPhone on AT&T’s network and the Blackberry 8830 World Edition from Sprint. Pairing is simple and painless, with the z9 maintaining up to 3 connections with Bluetooth compatible devices ranging from mobile phones to your laptop or PC. You’ll need to jot down or remember the first, second and third device that was paired with the z9. Why? Because when you need to switch devices on the fly, you simply disconnect the headset with the current device and then click the multi-function button once, twice or three times to pair with the first, second or third device respectively. Wow, isn’t that amazing?
The multi-function button is centrally located on the front of the headset. The volume buttons are located on one side and the dual microphones are situated on the other side. The translucent over-the-ear hook is comfortable and keeps the headset firmly in place, and it doesn’t interfere if you wear glasses. I love the fact that it doesn’t seem prone to breaking off as I’ve found with the nX6000 or the Plantronics 665. That was the biggest problem I experienced with the nX6000: the ear hook and ear piece always fell off if I put it inside my pants pocket or even a shirt pocket. It’s annoying and you run the risk of losing them completely. The z9 also has an innovative tie clip that’s integral to the headset’s design, allowing you to attach it to your shirt or cuff when not in use. That’s neat!
The earpiece is comfortable - in fact the whole Headset weighs just 0.35oz - and, for those of you who don’t enjoy exploring the inner-mysteries of your ear, you’ll be pleased to note it’s not an in-ear-canal design. That means you won’t suffer the deaf-ear affect of only being able to hear what’s going on in the headset with one side of your head; you’re still able to clearly hear and enjoy your conversation almost anywhere. And when I say anywhere, I really mean it. For my first test, I took a drive with all my windows down, including the sliding window located in the back of my 4Runner. Speeding up from 0 to 70 mph, the person on the other end couldn’t even hear or sense a hint of wind noise at all. Wow! I’ve tested over 20 Bluetooth headsets over the past year in this way, and the closest to achieve this kind of wind noise reduction was the nX6000. Even with the nX6000, though, I was only able to speed up to 45 mph before background noise became unbearable. Below that speed, the receiving end could still hear slight wind noise even though it was bearable and didn’t disrupt the conversation.
I worked an entire day inside a Starbucks, making and receiving numerous calls using the z9. Guess what? Not a single person knew where I was. The z9 features two digital sound processing modes: ‘Voice Isolation Standard’ intended for everyday environments, for a more natural sounding voice while removing mild background noise, and ‘Voice Isolation Max’ to provide even better voice quality when in extreme noise environments such as a busy Starbucks or the streets of Manhattan. Perhaps surprisingly, both modes use the same amount of battery power. Oh, and the best add-on feature is the voice tag. When you click on the multi-function button while on a call, to switch between the two modes, a voice prompt lets you know that you’re in Voice Isolation Standard or Max. Rival headsets, such as the Jawbone, rely on a system of beeps to tell you the mode you’re in. Problem is, I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast, let alone how many beeps means what. Nice touch BlueAnt.
As I said at the start, I love this headset; perhaps you can tell from its score of 4.9 out of 5! So how could it eke that final 0.1 out of me? Well, the proprietary charging plug is a minor frustration; I’d prefer to see the more standardized miniUSB. A thinner design, in keeping with Apple’s highly attractive Bluetooth Headset for iPhone, would be handy too, and maybe eliminate the need for the over-the-ear hook altogether. Saying that, though, they’d perhaps need to bulk up the ear plug if that were the case, so maybe the ear-hook should stay.
I’d also - greedily - like more battery life. At the moment the z9 can manage 5.5hrs of talk-time and 200hrs standby, and seeing as this is my wishlist and I don’t have to think through the practicalities I’d love to see that extend up to 7 or 8hrs while maintaining the slim and lightweight form-factor. Lastly (and this really is splitting hairs), a way to turn off the blinking blue light would be nice; the headset is so compact that it’s hardly obvious, but the miniature light-show catches unnecessary attention. All that being said, if BlueAnt manage to incorporate my wish-list while maintaining the same superior voice quality, well, version 2 will deserve 5/5!
You can find out more about the z9 at the BlueAnt site, and it’s available for sale in the MY iTablet store for $99.95.
Update: There is a way to turn off the blinking blue light! ….press the + and – buttons for 3 seconds while the headset is in idle or standby mode and the lights will be turned to off.
Unboxing the BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth Headset
August 16th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
How is the static or lack of static on this headset? Most people can’t put the iPhone in their pocket on the same side as the headset without getting static. I used Plantronics 655 prior to the Apple headset with the iphone and the 655 has less static. Both headsets pickup lots of background noise.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
no static and no fish in a barrel affect like “most” bluetooth headsets.
August 17th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Well the whole video review was same thing as written review. I would have loved it if actual headset would have been used while reviewing it. There was background noise, it would have made lot sense if actually demonstrated Z9 headset. So reader could have tell the difference.
August 18th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
How does the z9 compare to the Jawbone, my current fave, in terms of sound isolation and voice quality? I get, from your review that the z9 is great against wind noise, which is one place where the Jawbone really falls short- IMHO.
If the z9 compares favourably to the JB in terms of noise isolation - and is better with - or against - the wind, I am on line ordering one right now.
Thanks!
August 18th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
hands down the best — the jawbone makes you sound like a fish in a barrel for the callers while the z9 eliminates it giving you a pure and natural voice sounding quality
the jawbone is big, heavy and fugly
August 18th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Vincent, Thanks for the info. Yeah, I think the JB is big and ugly as well. Plus, I break the damn ear loop everytime I put the think in a pocket.
August 19th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Wow. What a difference in review. I tried one and it was mediocre at best. Sound was muddy and garbled and at max isolation totally unintelligable. I returned mine the next day!
August 19th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
thanks for the feedback eric. Which phone model were you using with the z9? I had similar experience testing the z9 with the blackberry 8830. But as I stated in the review that I made changes to the phone and it made big difference in quality.
August 19th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
I was using a Blackberry Curve 8300. I called Blueant and they had me turn off Encryption and Echo Control. It did help somewhat but still when I tried using it while next to my TV, it cut out so much of my conversation that you couldn’t understand a word I said.
August 19th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
I’ve never had success testing “any” Bluetooth headsets in front or next to a televisions. The z9 is the first two successfully cut down the sound from televisions. Good luck.
August 20th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Mr. Nguyen, thanks for your review. I am caught btw buying this (BlueAnt z9) and Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset.
Have you tested the the Jawbone? and how would you compare both products. I hope your reviews are unbiased and you do not work and is not being paid by any of these companies. That said which of the two products do you think comes out better for noise reduction and call quality?
I look forward to your reply before deciding to make a purchase.
Thanks
Mr. M
August 20th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Hi Nguyen
i have the Nokia N95 here in England
can i buy this Bluetooth headset in the UK?
currently i have the Nokia BH-900 paired with my N95
i really like it, but i dont like the “fit” and the Audio Quality is “Average”
thoughts?
have you tested the BH-900?
Regards
August 20th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Hi!
According to the review by Infosync there appears to have a sound quality problem, here:-
http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/n/8175.html
Do you have it?
Thanks
August 20th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Hey vincent I am going to check out the z9 based on your review. I have the blackjack and I am using the plantronics voyager 510 which is a great device but I would prefer something a little smaller with the same quality or better. So you do not experience any static with this device?
August 21st, 2007 at 10:48 am
Mr. Moore, rest assure that I do not work for any of these companies nor bias towards any of them. If a product is crap I’ll call it crap; as the same if the product is great. I’ve tested both the z9 in comparison to the Jawbone as well as many —- many other BT headsets. The z9 is by far superior (and yes much better than my long time favorite Gennum nX6000). Plantronics run a close 2nd/3rd place — but due to size and and design, they score lower. Please feel free to ask more specific questions.
[quote comment="7252"]Mr. Nguyen, thanks for your review. I am caught btw buying this (BlueAnt z9) and Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset.
Have you tested the the Jawbone? and how would you compare both products. I hope your reviews are unbiased and you do not work and is not being paid by any of these companies. That said which of the two products do you think comes out better for noise reduction and call quality?
I look forward to your reply before deciding to make a purchase.
Thanks
Mr. M[/quote]
August 21st, 2007 at 10:54 am
I had absolutely zero sound quality with the apple iphone. But had problems with the BB 8830 — which was resolved by turning off the auto echo option as well as the auto volume control.
[Vincent's take] the sound quality coming to through the z9 is dependent on the mobile phone it’s paired with]
[quote comment="7274"]Hi!
According to the review by Infosync there appears to have a sound quality problem, here:-
http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/n/8175.html
Do you have it?
Thanks[/quote]
August 21st, 2007 at 10:59 am
The BH-900 has an awkward design. I personally do not like it. I don’t remember the BH-900 having noise cancellation and/or windguard. There shouldn’t be any excuses for manufacturers to leave those two key features out — esp for a high end headset!
At the end of the day, you’ll just be extremely disappointed.
[quote comment="7255"]Hi Nguyen
i have the Nokia N95 here in England
can i buy this Bluetooth headset in the UK?
currently i have the Nokia BH-900 paired with my N95
i really like it, but i dont like the “fit” and the Audio Quality is “Average”
thoughts?
have you tested the BH-900?
Regards[/quote]
August 21st, 2007 at 11:00 am
Anyone interested in a sound test, email me at vincentn @ gmail .com. I’ll give you my mobile number — you can call me.
August 21st, 2007 at 7:22 pm
wait, your saying that when your paired the Blueant Z9 to your iPhone. you had no sound quality at all? so to you; what is the best headset for the iPhone?
August 21st, 2007 at 8:14 pm
[quote comment="7334"]wait, your saying that when your paired the Blueant Z9 to your iPhone. you had no sound quality at all? so to you; what is the best headset for the iPhone?[/quote]
Huh?
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:46 am
Hi Vincent Nguyen!
My country is NOT listed on the drop down list. I’ve written to MY iTablet and they replied that they will not ship to me since my country is not listed
Where else do you think I can get a piece?
Thanks
August 28th, 2007 at 4:56 am
i just recieved my Z9 from the USA here in England
i paired it with my Nokia E90 and its AWESOME!!
much clearer and louder than my Nokia BH-900 headset
though some callers have said my voice sounds “compressed” and that is on BOTH settings on STANDARD or MAX
thoughts Vincent?
August 30th, 2007 at 8:16 am
I bought the Z9 a week ago based on the review from here, Upgraded the firmware to v2 paired it with my Nokia 6133 and there is absolutely nothing to complain…. I think it is GREATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT and works absolutely as described by BlueAnt!!! It is a WONDERFUL piece of BT Headset
August 30th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Hi, thanks for the review. I do have some questions because my main use of this would be during brisk, i.e. bouncy, walks where it’s often windy, and because I seem to have small ear canals. Wind aside, if the headset is not either well stuck into the ear canal, or somehow clamped to your ear, it will bounce around on your ear while walking — or at least the Motorola I tried sure did — which makes hearing the person on the other end nearly impossible. Using the Jawbone with it’s smallest elliptical ear piece, it would stay in my ear for about half a block at most — a smaller one would have been much better both for staying in and I’m sure wouldn’t have hurt as much.
You say in the review that it is not an in-ear-canal headset, while the cnet and other reviewers have said it is, but it’s a very tight fit that’s uncomfortable for those with small ears, which implies in-ear. Could you give the actual diameter of the earpiece? And do you find it to be better than the Jawbone or Plantronics 510 (most comfortable so far) for walking in the wind?
Thanks for your help!
September 2nd, 2007 at 1:58 pm
do you think it will allow me to use the “voice activated calling” feature on my Blackberry 8830?
September 6th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
I’m wondering if anyone has an idea how to update the Z9 on an Apple computer … It’s causing me a little bit of trouble when I am using it with Skype for calls. It will turn itself off after 5 minutes or so. Maybe this is a setting that I can change somehow? Any help would be great. Thanks
September 13th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Thanks for the great review Vincent! I’m ordering one from your store and putting my Apple Bluetooth Headset on eBay. I can’t believe how terrible the Apple headset is…I was really, really disappointed. I hope this one works out better!
September 17th, 2007 at 7:48 am
Hey — thanks for the review! I don’t currently have the iPhone — waiting for the next version. But my bluetooth headset just broke. I need to buy a headset now for my Sony Ericsson T610 AND for my future iPhone. Would you recommend the iPhone Headset or the BlueAnt z9 or ???
September 20th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
What is the best headset fot the iphone?
October 4th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
[quote comment="7309"]
I had absolutely zero sound quality with the apple iphone.
quote]
Did you mean that you had absolutely zero sound quality with the iPhone or absolutely zero problems with the sound quality of the iPhone? The quote was one you posted on August 21 (Post 16 or Line 16).
Also, as Latonia posted… What is the best headset for the iPhone? I’m looking at the Z9 but I heard mixed reviews. Need something concrete.
Thanks,
Me
October 29th, 2007 at 9:14 am
While I value Vincent’s opinion, this Blueant Z9 headset is pure garbage.
I bought 2 - one for myself and other for my boss. I’ve used Jawbone before and my boss used Nokia headset (with extending mic).
I dumped mine and went back to jawbone in a week, while my boss had his for about 2 months and after plenty of complains from people he spoke to (including me) and his complains about sound quality he dumped that and went with jawbone, and couldn’t be happier.
I’m not sure Vincent where you used this headset, but if you have background noise, headset’s filtering is crap. If you do regular noise canceling, it’s only marginally better than regular phone (i.e. barely working) and if you set it to max, then you sound like over-processed over-compressed robot, and if you have any background noise (like in a moving car) your voice is practically impossible to comprehend. So you constantly switch between standard and max.
I’ve updated from original software to 2.2 and then to 3.2 (on my boss’ one), same crap. I’m not going to rant about firmware upgrade path, which requires master engineering degree and in no way it’s possible for ordinary humans.
On top of horrible sound quality controls are just plain stupid - why on earth BlueAnt made big button to act as regular/max noise cancel action, not standard pickup / HANGUP as everybody else? Yes, you can pick up the call with button, but in order to end the call you have to HOLD it for some time (can’t remember how long).
More so, every time (quite often) you adjust the cancel level it cuts out the incoming sound and says “noise cancellation standard / maximum”, and then you’re like “what did you say, I couldn’t hear you”.
On the other hand, Aliph Jawbone is way easer to put on your ear (because of spring loaded earhook) and an absolute BEST for noise cancellation (i can be in a room full of servers and they can hear/understand me just fine). The only thing it doesn’t like is wind - if you get wind directly into your headset, nobody can understand you.
So there’s no perfect headset yet, but Jawbone is 4/5 and this BlueAnt Z9 with even latest software is 2/5 at best.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Oh, I forgot - I tested it with iPhone and Sony Ericsson z525, and my boss with Cingular 8525 and iPhone, no difference in sound quality (i.e. crap)
October 29th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Latonia / Back Breaker:
my vote goes to Aliph Jawbone for sound quality / noise cancel, but it doesn’t do wind cancel. Depends what you need - I’m in car or server room a lot, so it works for me, but if you’re outside a lot, I have a friend who is quite happy with Logitech wind-proof headset (I think the only one they make).
November 1st, 2007 at 1:03 am
mmmm, seems there are quite a lot conflicting reviews on this headset.
People either love it or hate it. Something is going on here.
It was quite funny when i noticed that every time a bad point is mentioned on a forum, the Jawbone soon follows as the stated better headset.
makes me think that these reveiwers have some kind of affiliation with them and are stacking the forums?
Would not be the first time.
Someone said it does not work with the iPhone…
i think that it has been proven to work extremely well.
To those contemplating buying a Z9, go ahead and judge for yourself.
That’s what i am going to do
BlueAnt seem to be as cool and innovative as Apple, and we all know Apple has had people slamming it forever.
November 6th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Vincent Nguyen
I bought this BT based on your review but I can not tell you enough how I am disappointed with BlueAnt z9 and your reviews. I hope your are not being paid to promote this.
The Initial one week, it seemed to be a great BT but since then, I can’t even a conversation with out the person on the other line asking if they are on speaker phone and that my voice is kind of garbled.
It was frustrating driving to Virginia the other day and talking with this piece of garbage, I had to pull over and buy a wired headset.
This BlueAnt z9 is buyer beware
November 14th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Got my Z9 and been using with my iPhone. Just as Vincent had reviewed, i found the headset is the best i have ever had.
BlueAnt have done a great job with this headset.
The only thing i can say to those not having the same results is that possibly you have a bad unit.
These devices have a 2 Year warranty, so i’d be calling their support number. Unlike other companies, it is plastered all over their manual and their website, it says a ‘72 hour turn around for return items”.
Also i have updated to the latest firmware, version 3.3
November 18th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
I just bought a BlueAnt z9 for my iphone. It’s kinda static if you walked away from your iphone in about 15 ft.
Does it work well with Iphone? Give me your opinion. I have tried Plantronic 665, 655, Motorolla H700, Alphine JB, nothing work well. Please help. Thanks.
November 18th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
thuy tran, what firmware is on the BluAnt Z9?
November 18th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
I’m going to contact BlueAnt early next week and figure out why some there are inconsistent reports of the BlueAnt Z9.
As for Mr. Moore, we take pride on being purely objective on ALL of our reviews and in no way shape or f*cking form do we get paid one penny.
Up until recently, I’ve been using the BlueAnt Z9 with firmware version 1.0. Recently upgraded to version 3.x-something. Still the same quality in every regards.
I promise to get back with everyone on this matter and get some sort of official statement from BlueAnt.
November 18th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Jeremy, there isn’t a solution to upgrade the z9 with Mac OSX. You must use Windows XP or Vista.
“I’m wondering if anyone has an idea how to update the Z9 on an Apple computer … It’s causing me a little bit of trouble when I am using it with Skype for calls. It will turn itself off after 5 minutes or so. Maybe this is a setting that I can change somehow? Any help would be great. Thanks”
November 19th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Vincent,
Firmware V3.1???
November 19th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Have been using this headset for a while, people always complain that i sound muffled, have tried noise cancellation on and off, stil the same, i have firmware 3.3 - i for one will NEVER buy BlueAnt again..
thoroughly dissapointed
i have no idea what else to try now
PS: my Z9 has been used with a Nokia N95, Nokia N95 8GB, Nokia N91 8GB, Nokia E90 and a Sony Ericsson W810i
December 1st, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Just a thought for you folks out there.
I bought a Samsung WEP 200 last year, and I have been pretty happy with it - except for the lack of an ear hook. I solved this by buying an aftermarket product intended for use with a 20way radio.
The point is, my brother decided to buy the same unit and found it at about 1/2 the price I paid. Unfortunately the unit was a knock-off from somewhere in China and doesn’t work well at all. It looks exactly like the WEP 200 but is it clearly not made by Samsung . In particular, it did not come in the factory packaging, and had an accessory earhook that Samsung does not offer. I even called Samsung to inquire about buying earhooks. No such product from Samsung.
It woul not surprise me to learn that the units giving folks trouble are not authentic Blueant products. This would explain the disparity of results.
December 14th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Bought the Z9 a few weeks ago, upgraded to v3.3 w/o even using it. I don’t like it, every one says i sound muffled and choppy and i constanly have to repeat myself. I love the fit/feel of it, but I need it to work. It’s actually worse the my MOTO hs820. I just emailed Blueant, I’d really like this to work like others say, but I’m borderline ready to switch to the Jawbone. I’ve never used one, but i need one that works. Maybe it’s worth a shot. I’ve read mixed reviews on this one as well though…
December 24th, 2007 at 8:10 am
My wife is using the BlueAnt Z9 v3.3 paired with a Nokia N95-3. The sound quality is fantastic and the noise reduction is incredible. During our initial testing the noise reduction cut-out the background noise so completely that I had to ask if she was still there. The voice quality is natural and clear on both the high and low noise reduction setting. Even when she is calling from her very noisy car the low noise reduction setting complete eliminates all sounds except for her voice.
The Z9 is very comfortable to wear. After we discovered that the sound was great, she wore it all day to see how it felt. She said it is so light and unobtrusive that it seemed to disappear.
I have to note that the Z9 shipped with firmware v1.0, and with v1.0 the sound quality was pretty bad. It was amazing that the firmware upgrade to v3.3 could improve it so much. (It may help that the headset is paired to a very high end phone.)
So we are thrilled with the Z9, and now I am looking to get a new cell phone with Bluetooth so that I too get a Z9 headset.
December 31st, 2007 at 10:38 am
I just bought a Z9 yesterday, based on reviews on the Apple web site based on their Bluetooth hedset. I could not be happier.
I made many calls yesterday and today. Everyone said it sounded better than when I was using the iPhone alone.
I’m still trying to get the 3.3 firmware installed, but other than that, all is well.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:54 am
vincent i am interested in the z9 based on your reviews. Can you be reached via phone so i can hear how you sound on your z9 device?
March 9th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I see that you are using a Mac laptop. How do you do firmware upgrades on the Blueant Z9 since supposedly it requires a Windows machine? Thanks.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:58 am
After testing the blue ant and the Jawbone, I will keep my Jawbone, it has way better noise cancellation. I’m using it w/ treo 700wx & Tero 700p.
I hope this helps.
JR