The industry renowned Bowers & Wilkins brand continues to develop and expand and as always, we’re excited to see what the range has to offer. Renowned for its uncompromising pursuit of acoustic excellence, Bowers & Wilkins redefined what could be expected from an integrated speaker dock with the original Zeppelin and now, eight years on, it has done it again with Zeppelin Wireless. We’ve taken a look at the highly respected Zeppelin Wireless audio system to see how it compares to its market competitors for aesthetics, technology and overall satisfaction.
Aesthetics wise, it’s no surprise that their commitment to distinctive yet elegant design has been adhered to with its instantly recognisable silhouette and sweeping contours leaving us in admiration of it’s effortless elegance. Unusual for a speaker of this size, the unit itself is not heavy to move and looks at home as centrepiece on a coffee table or on a shelving unit, the Zeppelin Wireless will adapt to your home and looks like its never been missing.
Keeping on brand, striving to focus on innovation and new inventions the Zeppelin Wireless features five completely new drive units. The unit features two Double Dome tweeters as found in Bowers & Wilkins award-winning CM Series of Hi-Fi speakers, while the two midrange drivers benefit from FST technology. This unique approach to drive unit design is also found in Bowers & Wilkins agship 800 Series Diamond, and helps Zeppelin Wireless deliver pristine, lifelike vocals and instruments. A new, larger 6.5” subwoofer with ultra-long voice coil allows deep bass to be played at impressive volume.
The Digital Signal Processing (DSP) on this unit has been doubled from it’s predecessor creating a more detailed and redefined sound, which with all of the above combined result in a truly enhanced listening experience, in a league of its own.
For connectivity, the Zeppelin Wireless offers a trio of options ; AirPlay, Bluetooth aptX and Spotify Connect, with all sources available at just the tap of a button. The connection via Bluetooth can be a little tricky, but once you navigate the bluetooth ‘button’ on the side of your device it’s as simplistic as you’d wish for. Throughout our experience with this unit we were provided with uninterrupted audio streams with time delays between device and Zeppelin minimal, to the point where most of the time it was unnoticeable.
The Bowers & Wilkins Control App has also been updated (available via iOS, Mac and PC) making it easier and more convenient for you to control volume and playback functions for the ultimate easy listening experience. A big tick in the box for us.
All-in-all, the Zeppelin Wireless is what we have come to expect from Bowers & Wilkins, elegance met with industry renowned technology culminating in an acoustic atmosphere that will encapsulate any music genre and immerse the listener in the world of music. With simple and easy to use functions, sleek design and minimal buttons required, the Zeppelin Wireless certainly features as one of our must-have systems for your home.
The Zeppelin Wireless is available now and costs £499.
