The best-sounding Zeppelin, built for the wireless era!

Bowers & Wilkins, British brand well known to all for his uncompromising pursuit of excellence in audio, at one time turned the idea of ​​what can be heard from active acoustics with dock stand for Apple players. Today, eight years later, he again amazes everyone with his new, wireless Zeppelin Wireless... It has the same, easily recognizable silhouette, but each interior element has been redesigned to provide excellent quality sound. Zeppelin again pushes the boundaries of what is possible for single acoustics.

Key among all changes made are five brand new speakers. Zeppelin Wireless has two dual-dome tweeters like the award-winning ones Hi-Fi speakers the CM series from Bowers & Wilkins, and the two midrange units use proprietary FST suspension technology. This unique approach to driver design can also be found in the flagship Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond series, and is what helps Zeppelin Wireless deliver life-like, authentic vocals and musical instruments. The new, larger 6.5 ”(165mm) woofer features an extra-long voice coil - for deep, clear bass even at high volumes.

The design of the new cabinet has been reinforced to reduce vibration and provide a solid foundation on which the speakers can operate. In addition to increasing the thickness of the front panel by 50%, fiberglass stiffeners are placed inside the case in the right places. The result: authentic sound from high quality speakers.

The new Zeppelin Wireless has a DSP that is twice as powerful as its predecessor, delivering much more detailed and sophisticated sound, delivering best quality audio in its class. Improvements in sound quality are complemented by features wireless connection via AirPlay, Bluetooth aptX and Spotify Connect - meaning you are just a few taps away from flawless music playback. The Bowers & Wilkins Control App has also been updated and is now available for iOS, Android, Mac and PC, making it much easier for the owner to control playback functions and adjust volume.

The powerful and enticing Zeppelin Wireless has smooth lines that are aesthetically pleasing and perfectly matched to the best-sounding and most attractive wireless acoustics available on the market today. Sitting comfortably on a shelf or in the center of attention in a room, Zeppelin Wireless easily fills the entire room with impeccable sound.

For monohull speaker system that surpasses all expectations, the Zeppelin Wireless is as good on hearing as it looks.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless is an enhanced version of the Zeppelin Air wireless speaker system. The main improvement of this model from the previous one is support not only for AirPlay technology, but also Bluetooth and Spotify Connect.

Stylish design

The form of this acoustics is presented in the form of an airship, made in black. The front of the device is covered with a durable fabric that protects the speakers, but does not degrade the sound. The body of the model is made of plastic with a matte surface, which, unlike the previous model, does not leave fingerprints on the device.

Convenient control

On Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless, the control buttons are on the top of the rear panel. In total, there are 3 buttons that allow you to control the volume and playback. The shutdown and reset buttons are also located on the back of the device. The speaker system can be connected to the network not only when Wi-Fi assistance, but also using a regular network cable, since the device has an Ethernet connector.

Various connection options

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless can be connected to various devices in several ways and the first of them is wired. It is enough to connect a device with a speaker system via a 3.5 mm cable and enjoy your music. The model also provides for connection to mobile devices using Bluetooth. To transmit sound to the speakers via AirPlay and Spotify Connect, you will have to connect to home network via Wi-Fi.

High sound quality

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless is designed with 5 speakers to deliver superior sound without interference or distortion. Its body contains two tweeters and midrange speakers with a power of 25 W each, as well as a 6-inch subwoofer with a power of 50 W. There is also a Class D amplifier for each speaker.

Peculiarities:

• Stylish design
• High quality sound
• Convenient control
• Lots of connectivity options

You have everything, and your soul asks for something like that for New Year? Or are the whole department tired of looking for a gift for the boss? Then take the money and go for the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless speaker. I must say right away that this musical system hooked me. And I will tell you why it is worth paying 50 thousand rubles for it.

Amazing image

The Zeppelin Wireless is very similar to the old Zeppelin Air speaker. The original and effective design attracts attention, I rarely see such things. Therefore, the trendy speaker often lives in living rooms, offices or study rooms. It looks expensive, unusual and adds a little futurism to any interior. People come, look, take interest, many even recognize the model.

Zeppelin has become a household word for the audio world in its own way, and 100 years ago the same name was given to airships created by the legendary German inventor.

The back of the speaker is made of matte plastic, and the front is covered with fabric. Zeppelin Wireless has added a new fabric that is said to be stronger and not tear. The column weighs a little more than 6 kilograms, such a melon can be carried around the office from place to place without assistance, but no one will go outside with Zeppelin under his arm.

There are no restrictions on the connection methods, any gadget can be connected via the wire.

In the new generation, the docking station was removed, now it is impossible to put a smartphone or tablet on the speaker. The column looks sleeker, but lost the function, the Lightning port worked charger... However, there is a row of connectors at the back: ancient Ethernet, power, AUX and a service port.

Clear sound without wires

Zeppelin Air worked on AirPlay, it was useless to connect devices other than Apple. But Zeppelin Wireless has Bluetooth with Apt-X support.

Apt-X transmits audio to MP3 without loss of quality. The iPhone does not have this codec, but the owners of top-end Android smartphones will feel the difference.

Spotify Wireless also works here. Officially, there is still no service with Spotify music in Russia, but for connoisseurs of music through a subscription, this is not a problem.

You can control the tracks right on the speaker, here are the start / stop and quieter / louder buttons, but the emphasis is on the wireless mode. It's easy to connect. We install the application on Mac, iPhone or iPad, then add the speaker to the Wi-Fi network and transfer the music. I think that if you had enough money to buy modern smartphone, then wireless network in the home / office also works and an Ethernet connection is not useful.

5 speakers and 5 amps play with all their might

Hidden under the black surface are 5 amplified speakers. The system plays obscenely loud and clear. The power reserve is more than you think: the sound is juicy and bright, and what kind of low frequencies, you have to hear it. If there is not enough space in the apartment, but you need high-quality acoustics, then Zeppelin Wireless will be a salvation in this case. The black speaker beats its competitors, only expensive floor-standing systems are ahead. But this is a different size and different money. Speakers, amplifiers, wires, are you ready for all this mentally? I don’t, so I vote Bowers & Wilkins.

If the size of the room allows, then it is better to place the column in the center. Then the feeling of music will be more impressive than in those cases when Zeppelin lives close to the wall.
Among the speakers of this format, this is the best deal for the money. Design? Just wow. Sound? Wow. Price tag? For such opportunities, normal. This is a Hi-End solution, and therefore not for everyone. There are systems that are less expensive with less cool design and less high quality sound. And Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless can do it all.

More than three years ago, Apple introduced a wireless streaming technology called AirPlay, a technology that many speaker manufacturers (and, of course, users, too) still ignore. Of course, the main reason for this situation is not the most acceptable AirPlay licensing conditions, which, according to our colleagues from iLounge, increase the cost of one audio system by $ 100. But what about those who want the maximum convenience from listening to music on speakers designed for iPhone and iPad? The answer is simple - buy one of the best Bowers & Wilkins Z2 AirPlay speakers, or take a look at its powerful big brother, the Zeppelin Air.

Our Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air video review

In a huge box weighing at least 8-10 kilograms, there is the acoustic system itself, a control panel in the form of a sea pebble, some not the most modern block food and a huge number of manuals, papers. After unpacking and installing the column on the table, I immediately asked myself a question. It is not clear who called this giant "air", its weight is more than six kilograms. On the other hand, this is not a portable audio system, it is enough to find a place for it in the room once and set it up correctly.

First setup

Setting it up, by the way, is not so easy. Naturally, I'm talking about AirPlay sync with the iPhone, the docking stand works right out of the box. There are two configuration options - using free app from App Store[iTunes link] or through the Bowers & Wilkins application, which can be downloaded from the manufacturer's official website. I advise you to immediately take up the second method, it is more convenient. In any case, use the complete brochure, everything is written and drawn in detail there.

After 15-20 minutes and several restarts, the system finally started working. The whole process of audio output via AirPlay was previously described by Arthur Malosiev, you can read about this in. If you have iOS 6, then you will need to double-click on Home button, swipe the bottom multitasking menu from left to right, and switch to Zeppelin Air using the AirPlay button. To see this button on iOS 7, you just need to open the Control Center.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air appearance

After the initial setup, you can finally get a closer look at the Zeppelin Air. The entire front side of the acoustics is covered with a cloth, under which there are immediately four speakers(2 × 25mm and 2 × 75mm). The black fabric is cut exactly in the center by a thin aluminum strip, in the upper part of which there are only two buttons - the on / off key and the volume rocker.

On the back panel of the device there is a port for connecting a power supply (such a big black "brick" that you always want to hide somewhere), Ethernet, if there is no Wi-Fi in the house, a USB-B connector, AUX-input, as well as a socket for roll back all Zeppelin Air settings to the factory settings.

Two huge "craters" are bass reflexes with special dimples on the sides to reduce the turbulence of the air flow emitted by the acoustics. Bowers & Wilkins say they help make the bass more defined and focused, but we'll come back to the sound a little later.

The set contains only one, but very useful accessory - Remote Control battery-powered, with which you can turn on / off Zeppelin Air, control playback, and also switch the audio input. By the way, immediately after purchasing the acoustics, be sure to remove the battery cover from this plastic "pebble" and remove the film, otherwise the remote control will not work.

The most interesting - foot mount with Lightning dock connector to connect all modern devices Apple except iPad of all models. It touches the speaker case at its very bottom and goes in an arc along the entire front part of the case, which gives the impression that it is floating in the air.

Dock stand for iPhone 5

iPhone 5 sits firmly enough in this dock, does not slip and is not going to treacherously fall to the floor from a great height. Together with a smartphone Apple at the Bowers & Wilkins dock, the Zeppelin Air looks very dignified and, I think, looks like some kind of powerful spacecraft with a pilot's seat.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Sound

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air sounds very powerful. Lethal is the word that accurately describes the first impression of the sound of this speaker system. The speaker is very, very loud, it is able to fill with sound not only a large room, but also a room the size of a school gym. It's good that Zeppelin Air does not have an alarm function, otherwise my habit of setting the volume of its melody to the maximum would not be good for me.

Sound quality acoustics Bowers & Wilkins traditionally the highest level, the composition of almost any genre sounds distinct and lively. Average and high frequencies- alive, the sound is clear, I have nothing to complain about here. With bass, however, the situation is a little different. Thanks to the powerful built-in subwoofer, the Zeppelin Air delivers too powerful bass with a slight hum, at a raised volume, it can generally turn into a mess and interfere with listening to your favorite composition. Keep in mind that this situation is caused by the location of the subwoofer in a place that is not the most traditional for it - on a cabinet or on a shelf. The quality of the bass output changes for the better, if you try to rearrange the acoustics in a more suitable open place.

For small rooms, the Bowers & Wilkins Z2 seemed more appropriate to me than its big brother, the Zeppelin Air. For a lower price, it delivers great sound with good bass and is easily capable of rocking a company of 7-10 people, although it also suffers from excessive volume. Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air with its sound and custom design is made for those who want the most from the famous British brand docking stations. This is a full package, this is an iPhone 5 64 GB and a Bentley Continental Speed ​​with a 6-liter engine and 575 horsepower. Bowers & Wilkins' most expensive and powerful iPhone 5 docking station.

Eight years ago, the first Zeppelin redefined the sound quality of docking speaker systems. Today the company is taking another big step forward with the launch of the new Zeppelin Wireless.

Through the introduction of technologies previously unseen in a speaker of this class, new system almost every element has been improved. Through a radical redesign, Zeppelin Wireless delivers better sound and seamless wireless connectivity - not just a new Zeppelin, but a new level of sound quality.

Inside, the Zeppelin Wireless has five new speakers powered by five amplifiers with a total output of 150 watts. The dual aluminum dome tweeter delivers a more detailed and lifelike sound. The midrange drivers received FST suspension - for more controlled cone behavior. The larger 150mm long-throw bass driver features an extra-long voice coil - for deep, clear bass even at high volumes. The designers had to reinforce the chassis by making the front panel 50% thicker than before to suppress unwanted body vibrations. In addition to increasing the thickness of the front panel, fiberglass stiffeners are placed inside the case in the right places

By doubling the processing power of the DSP, it can now extract much more of the fine details of the audio signal from recordings. New Hi-Fi quality DAC - with 192kHz / 24bit resolution expands the dynamic range of signals and reduces noise.

Zeppelin Wireless supports three streaming methods - Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect. AirPlay lets you easily wirelessly stream music from iOS devices, Mac or PC with iTunes, and thanks to Bluetooth, Zeppelin Wireless plays music streaming from popular smartphones, tablets and computers. It can be paired with a maximum of eight Bluetooth devices at the same time, but will play the most recent Bluetooth stream.

Spotify Connect allows Zeppelin Wireless to directly connect to the Internet for maximum reliability and sound quality ( ForSpotify Connectpremium account requiredSpotify Premium) ... In addition to wireless connection, you can use the AUX input for 3.5 mm cables to play music from conventional analog audio sources. It doesn't matter which method of communication you use, the main thing is that you are provided with amazing sound.

To control the Zeppelin Wireless, you can use either its buttons on top panel, either an app for streaming music on your iOS, or Windows mobile device. Special application The Bowers & Wilkins Control app can also be used to set up your Zeppelin Wireless network, stream and adjust volume, pair with Bluetooth devices, and register your product. The front panel has a status indicator that changes color and flashing pattern depending on the operating mode. Zeppelin Wireless also provides sound feedback when giving commands or changing the network state.

The result is not just a new Zeppelin, but new standard quality for wireless powered speakers.

Communication technologies: Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth v4.1, Spotify Connect

Digital amplifier power: 2 x 25W (tweeter), 2 x 25W (midrange), 50W (bass driver), digital signal processing (DSP)

Drivers: 2 x 25mm (1.0 in) dual aluminum dome tweeters, 2 x 90mm (3.5 in) FST midrange, 1 x 150mm (6in) woofer

Frequency range: 44 Hz - 28 kHz

AirPlay Compatibility: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch iOS 4.3.3 or later, Mac with OS X Mountain Lion or later, and PC with iTunes 10.2.2 or later.

Bluetooth codecs: aptX, AAC, SBC

Inputs: network (RJ45 Ethernet or Wi-Fi), AUX - analog (3.5mm mini-jack), USB - only for service

Power: 100V - 240V, 50 / 60Hz, Consumption: Sleep (network standby): less than 1.5 W, Standby: less than 0.3 W

Dimensions (WxHxD): 660 x 188 x 183 mm, weight: 6.5 kg