It’s been a long time since we last saw a Zeppelin speaker, but Bowers & Wilkins has brought it back, resurrecting the wireless speaker and re-imagining it for the streaming age.
Which, of course, means the latest effort is now bang up to date with all the modern trends, the new Zeppelin boasting streaming capabilities and integrated smarts.
Still keeping the distinctive Zeppelin airship appearance (or perhaps the designers were Led Zeppelin fans?), the new wireless speaker is available in two finishes: midnight grey and pearl grey.
The stand for the Zeppelin comes with switchable, dimmable ambient lighting to create a ‘halo’ lightning effect, adding a little drama to your listening sessions. At the top rear side of the unit are physical controls for operating the speaker when close up.
B&W calls the new Zeppelin the “complete stereo system” in one unit, with dedicated left and right speakers around a central subwoofer with the speakers powered by 240W of amplification.
Housed in an ultra-rigid, FEA-optimised enclosure, the shape of the speaker has been carefully sculpted for the best acoustic performance, with the aim of delivering a “wide, spacious and highly accurate sound”.
In terms of its streaming capabilities the Zeppelin boasts AirPlay 2 and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth, with Spotify users able to call upon the Connect feature to stream music from the speaker. Inside the Bowers & Wilkins Music app, there’s access to streaming services such as Deezer, Last.fm, Qobuz, Soundcloud, TuneIn and Tidal, with more services added on a regular basis.
Alexa is built-in , making this the latest speaker to join the smart audio revolution, enabling the user to use spoken commands to get music up and running.
Also, this latest entry in the Zeppelin series features a digital ‘brain’ that can be upgraded over time (presumably via firmware updates), with multi-room functionality in the offing for early 2022. The introduction of that feature will allow the Zeppelin to be compatible with other new Zeppelin speakers, or, a multi-room system that incorporates B&W’s Formation range could be set up.
Priced at £699 / €799 / €799, the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin wireless speaker is on sale from October 13th.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
