The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin is a state-of-the-art wireless smart speaker that combines sleek design with high-resolution stereo sound and advanced streaming capabilities. Launched originally in 2007, the B&W Zeppelin has evolved over the years to meet the demands of the modern streaming age. In this review, we’ll look at the B&W Zepellin and see why B&W calls it “the beauty of sound”.
Specs
| Weight | 6.5kg |
| Dimensions | 8.3in x 25.6in x 7.6in |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 |
| Frequency response | 35Hz to 24kHz |
| Connections | USB-C |
Review
The design of the B&W Zeppelin is very unique. It’s available in two finishes, Pearl Grey and Midnight Grey, they both look good with the Aluminum stand that slightly tilts it up to fill spaces with sound better. There is a small light under the Zepellin that creates the illusion that the speaker is floating. Small buttons are on the top for your typical functions and to activate Alexa. Also, there are only two ports, one for power and a USB-C port for service.
All of us wondered about the rugby ball shape of the B&W Zeppelin. Aside from the fact that it looks really cool, it also greatly reduces speaker diffraction to deliver more precise sound.
B&W used very similar drivers from their stereo speakers in the Zeppelin. There is a 6-inch driver in the center that acts as a subwoofer. There are also two other drivers for the left and right channels. The tweeter is double-domed, and the drivers use B&W’s fixed suspension transducer(FST) technology that is also in their floor-standing speakers. The drivers are powered by 5 amps which were designed to perfectly work with them. These components are usually only in B&W’s high-end speakers, which is why it’s no surprise that the Zeppelin sounds so good.
The B&W music app is easy to use, it is available on both Android and iOS, and you can link your Deezer, Qobuz, and Tidal memberships to the app. Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Pandora are also available, and you can use Amazon’s Alexa, Spotify Connect, and Apple Airplay with the B&W Zeppelin as well. If you have multiple music services the app will combine your albums and playlists into one as well. There is also B&W’s own Zeppelin playlist in the app, which showcases the speaker’s ability to produce good sound.
You cannot connect the B&W Zeppelin by a wire to your TV because there are no ports for that, that is because B&W decided that the Zeppelin would be for music streaming only. B&W also has tone controls in the app, these give you a lot of flexibility to tune the Zeppelin so that it sounds the same in whatever space it’s in.
The B&W Zeppelin produces room-filling sound, the high frequencies stay very clear and the sound and bass are mostly consistent. It has no fake boost to the treble which is appreciated and makes the sound more rich with a wider soundstage.
Verdict
The B&W Zeppelin is one of the best-performing speakers we have used and only some of the more expensive ones in the market outperform it. It stands as a testament to the brand’s commitment to innovation and excellence in audio technology. The speaker not only delivers superior sound quality but also integrates seamlessly into the modern smart home environment. The B&W Zeppelin retails for $800 and is by far the best wireless speaker in its price class.
Buy the Zeppelin here.