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We have collected 3 reviews of the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air. Experts rate Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air 9/10. Reviewsor.com helps you find reviews, best prices, user reviews of the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air and Bowers & Wilkins Docking Speaker.
The first Zeppelin paved the way for a glut of audiophile docking stations by introducing a flare of extravagance to the device, both in size and sound quality (not to mention price). Now the Zeppelin Air has taken the torch and updated the concept with the ever-useful AirPlay. While the visual style remains unchanged, this new generation of the Zeppelin has a number of new features, such as AirPlay and online capability. The stainless steel back has been replaced with a black plastic that has considerably reduced the weight of the speaker—but not the price. Bowers & Wilkins has endowed its new docking station with Ethernet, composite, USB and mini-jack ports. Which should make the Zeppelin Air ready for just about any situation you throw at it. The only thing lacking might be Bluetooth for non-Apple products. The Zeppelin Air may weigh less than the original, but it takes up just as much space. It's is still a large docking station, albeit a carefully designed one—with perhaps the exception of the iPhone dock (see inset). In any case, you'll definitely need to make room for this speaker that was made just as much to be seen as it was to be heard.
Shaped like the iconic flying airships of our past, the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air is designed to make a statement, both aesthetically and acoustically. The original Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin entered our offices more than three years ago and has remained a company favorite ever since. Like the original, this new iteration raises the bar (and the price tag) of high-end iPod docks, by incorporating Apple’s new Airplay technology into the system, allowing you to wirelessly stream music from your computer, iPad, iPod or iPhone to the Zeppelin Air. Other subtle changes between the Zeppelin Air and the original include updated drivers and a better internal amp. So the question everyone will need to decide is whether the Zeppelin Air is really worth the $599 price tag.A few years ago, we would have been blown away by the loud design of the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air, but today there are literally hundreds of iPod docks to choose from which offer some sort of outlandish look begging for attention. Measuring a little over two feet in length, the Zeppelin Air isn’t your typical desktop iPod dock. Housed in a glossy black finish and wrapped in nylon cloth, the five drivers housed within are hidden from view, with the only hint of their power being the large 2.5 inch ports located on the back of the Zeppelin.
The iconic Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin hit the market in late 2007 and instantly established the high-water market for iOS speaker docks, both in terms of price and performance. B&W has now bested itself with the all-new Zeppelin Air, which adds wireless audio streaming, a beefier amplifier, better drivers, and more without adding a dime to the price tag. The Air in the new Zeppelin’s name springs from its support for Apple’s AirPlay technology and it might be the first non-Apple product to use it. The new Zeppelin retains its iPod dock (more on this in a moment), but you can also stream music wirelessly either from any late-model iOS device or from your iTunes library on your computer or server using your existing wireless router (provided the router is configured to allow 802.11g clients). Install Apple’s new Remote app on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad and you have a very good remote control for the system. You can also set up a multi-room audio system by placing additional Zeppelin Airs in other rooms inside your home. But the Zeppelin Air/Apple AirPlay combo is no Sonos killer: First and foremost, if you’re streaming music from a single iTunes library, every Zepp must play the same song.