BlueAnt Z9i Dual Mic Bluetooth Headset - BlueAnt Z9i Specs, Features and Pairing

BlueAnt Z9i Specifications & Features:

I’ve talked about this unit being full featured and having good battery life.  The image below has been pulled from the BlueAnt site to show you the more technical details of the Z9i.

More Features:

• Winner of CES 2007 Innovations Design & Engineering Award
• Two microphones for pure speech
• Revolutionary Voice Isolation Technology™ produces noise suppression, echo cancellation and wind noise reduction
• Separates the desired voice signal from background noise enabling crystal clear communication in the noisiest of environments
• During a call, users can switch between two Voice Isolation modes - Standard and Max
• Multipoint
• Automatic connection and reconnection with notification
• Different ringtones for known and unknown contacts
• Innovative tie clip for attaching to shirt or cuff, when not in use
• Stylish, translucent ear hook and rubberized metal ear hook
• Firmware upgrade via USB on your PC
• Small & lightweight
• Up to 5.5 hrs talk-time or 200 hrs standby
• Bluetooth v2.0
  

The range on this unit is stated to be a pretty standard 10m and we will be testing this out more in the future.  The BlueAnt logo on the headset itself blinks either blue or red indicating status as noted above.  To keep the weight of this unit at a mere 10grams, BlueAnt uses a 3.7v Lithium Polymer battery to provide up to 200hrs of standby time and as much as 5.5 hours of talk time.  Also notice the small size of the unit – 41mm long and 11.2mm thick (counting the earpiece).

Earlier I mentioned that this headset has a ton of features and you may be wondering how all of this is possible with simple volume up, volume down and power buttons.  Below is a chart showing all of the functions of these buttons and how to use them to make this unit do more than other much more expensive headsets on the market.

The answer to the multitude of functionality is found in how the buttons are pressed, held, clicked and used in combination of each other.  While you may not be able to remember all of these functions, BlueAnt has already assumed as much and included a mini cheat-sheet for you to keep in your wallet or briefcase.  Many of the functions are the same as the original Z9, but the multi-point ability of the Z9i adds more button functions to the mix.

Pairing - Installation:

Installation of the BlueAnt Z9i Dual Mic Noise Isolation Bluetooth Headset is really very simple.  In order to put the unit into pairing mode, you simply hold the MFB (Multi-Function Button) for six seconds when the unit is off.  This will turn the indicator LED solid blue to let you know it is ready to be paired with.  Once this is done, you can search for the device with your favorite Bluetooth enabled phone, PDA, media player or laptop.  You will then be prompted for a passkey which is 0000 by default.  This process should take no more than minute to complete.

On the last page we'll find out how it all shakes down and if the quality and performance of the Z9i is worth the price tag.