PRODUCT 01: BOWERS & WILKINS ZEPPELIN
Glorious sound in an eye-catching design.
Despite looking very much like previous Zeppelin speakers, Bowers & Wilkins’ latest has not so much been overhauled as completely redesigned from the ground up.
Firstly, this is a high-resolution device. The onboard DAC is 24bit/192kHz resolution, but is currently restricted to outputting at a maximum of 24bit/96kHz – although this is due to change, which will make the Zeppelin an even higher-res product than it already is.
Audio information can be served in quite a few different ways. Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity includes compatibility with Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codec, and there’s also Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect support, as well as integration of Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz, TIDAL, Last. fm and SoundCloud.
Give it the best stuff to work with and the Zeppelin gets virtually everything right. And, what’s more, in some style. The tonal balance it strikes, for example, is really nicely judged. From the top of the frequency range (which is bright and attacking, but never uncouth) to the bottom (which is authentically deep, and properly disciplined where attack and decay of notes are concerned), it’s a smooth and coherent journey, with nothing overplayed and nothing understated. There’s a prodigious amount of detail unearthed, and even the briefest of transient information is identified and reported on.
Really, about the only area where the Zeppelin doesn’t flat-out impress is where stereo separation is concerned – and, to be quite honest, if Bowers & Wilkins hadn’t made such a song and dance about its ‘true stereo’ credentials we doubt we’d be quite so picky. But the fact is that the presentation here, for all its spaciousness and impressive definition, doesn’t particularly escape the confines of the cabinet from which it emanates.
At 650 x 210 x 194mm and 6.5kg, the Zeppelin is one of the larger wireless speakers around – and, let’s not forget, it looks like a Zeppelin. So while its little metal stand doesn’t have all that much of a footprint, the speaker itself requires quite a bit of breathing space. It’s a beautifully made thing, though, and flawlessly finished.
The Zeppelin is finally back… and it’s better than ever. As long as you can find the space for its significant proportions, there’s very little downside to owning it.
Give it the best audio to work with and it gets virtually everything right.