- Where Form Meets Function
Zeppelin features five, well-spaced and carefully positioned premium drive units to bring your music to life with spacious room-filling stereo sound: 2x 1” Double Dome Tweeters, 2x 3.5” FST Midrange drivers and 1x 6” subwoofer. - The Music You Love, Instantly
Stream from Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive and Spotify Connect plus all the music services on the effortless Bowers & Wilkins Music App–all available in up to 24-bit high resolution quality– like TIDAL, Qobuz, Deezer, Last.fm, Soundcloud and much more. - Voice Control Integration
With Amazon Alexa Built-in you can play your favorite song, radio channel or playlist with just a voice command. You can also control Zeppelin from your device or via the hard buttons on the back. - An Upgradable Platform
Zeppelin is built on an upgradable platform, so as new services appear, you’re covered. In 2022, Zeppelin will adopt multi-room capability allowing you to share music from room to room with other Zeppelins or with products from Bowers & Wilkins Formation range. - Beautiful Design
Zeppelin’s design is recognizable and can sit proudly on a shelf or mounted to a wall using the optional wall bracket (sold separately). - Driven By Excellence
With more than 55 years of delivering exceptional audio quality, Bowers & Wilkins creates innovative designs backed by world-leading R&D. Zeppelin uses drive units shared with reference-grade Bowers & Wilkins loudspeaker designs. No other single box speaker comes close.
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Bowers & Wilkins – Zeppelin Speaker with Wireless Streaming via iOS and Android Compatible Music App with Built-In Alexa – Midnight Grey
$384.00
Available in stock
Description
Additional information
| Weight | 16.1 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 7.5 × 25.6 × 8.27 in |
| Color | Midnight Grey, Pearl Grey |
| Number Of Speakers | 1 |
| Product Depth | 7.5 inches |
| Number Of Tweeters Included | 2 |
| Number Of Woofers Included | 1 |
| Tweeter Size | 0.9 inches |
| Wireless Multi-Room Audio | Yes |
| Voice Assistant Built-in | Amazon Alexa |
| Enclosure Type | Ported |
| Headphone Jack | No |
| Speaker Type | All-In-One |
| Manufacturer's Warranty - Labor | 2 years |
| Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth |
| Woofer Size | 5.9 inches |
| Featured Streaming Services | TIDAL |
| Manufacturer's Warranty - Parts | 2 Years |
| Input(s) | USB |
| Product Weight | 16.1 pounds |
| Model Number | Zeppelin |
| App Compatible | Yes |
| Number Of Midranges Included | 2 |
| Speaker Wire Included | Yes |
| Cable(s) Included | USB |
| Product Height | 8.27 inches |
| Indoor Or Outdoor Use | Indoor |
| Wireless | Yes |
| Product Name | Zeppelin Speaker with Wireless Streaming via iOS and Android Compatible Music App with Built-In Alexa |
| Peak Power Handling | 130 watts |
| Brand | Bowers & Wilkins |
| Midrange Size | 3.5 inches |
| Color Category | Gray |
| Product Width | 25.6 inches |
| UPC | 714346334063, 714346337989 |
Reviews (33)
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Whyy –
I have been a long time B&W Fan. Owen several speakers from the 800 series to the previous model Zeppelin and been happy customers. NOT SO on this speaker! Alexa only works when first programmed then not on wake word. BIG PROBLEM BOWERS AND WILKINS CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NO HORRIBLE. DOES NOT HELP AND WILL NOT EVEN LISTEN. AGGRESSIVE REPRESENTATIVE POMPOUS ***. Going to ditch B & W for Martin Logan.
randy –
Great sound – exactly what to expect from B&W. Easy Wifi/Bluetooth connection. Was debating between Wedge and this new Zeppelin. Very satisfied so far.
Waltal –
Outstanding product. Well built with Outstanding Superb sound. Thinking of buying another one!
Bambam –
This speaker is absolutely incredible. I’ve tested many speakers in this category and overall blows all others away!!! The sound and volume are enough to fill a large room and easy to use. Would definitely recommend this speaker to anyone who enjoys great sound !!
Conall11 –
This speaker is a beast. It lives up to the hype. First, the design is very high looking and looks great anywhere you place it. Set up was a breeze and was up and running with Alexa included in minutes. The sound is outstanding and fills up the entire room. For this kind of quality I would suggest a mid to large sized room. This is by far the best speaker I have ever had. Make the investment you won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended.
softwareEngineer –
TLDR; This wireless speaker blows my mind (and ears) on so many levels. The sound quality is superb, capable of outputting 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution stereo sound. The design of the Zeppelin exudes so much style and confidence. It begs to be placed front and center as a conversational piece. It breaks the traditional Bluetooth speaker pairing paradigm with Wifi connectivity and access to hi-res content. It doubles as an Alexa smart speaker when idling from playing music.
Sound quality is attributed to its five drive units: 2 tweeters (1”), 2 mids (3.5”) and 1 low (6”), delivering a total output of 240W. The sound is best enjoyed at least 10-15 feet away and as far as 40 degrees from center. It has tremendous amounts of clarity and can get very loud without distortion, easily filling a large room with sound. Sometimes I feel like it can be a bit on the bright side and I end up taking the treble down a couple of decibels to let the midrange come through. The only, only thing that might draw a bit of criticism is the low end thump. No, this is not a subwoofer, yet there is plenty of clean low end bass for what it is trying to accomplish. It just won’t shake the windows or rattle the ground, if that’s what you’re after. I love using Dr. Dre’s 2001 Instrumental to gauge the bass performance of speakers and I’m not disappointed at all as you can actually hear the bassline nice and clear. There are no bass/treble controls on the unit itself; you’ll have to use the BW Music App to access those tuning knobs, and it only offers bass and treble tuning adjustments. I threw almost every genre at this thing and it did not disappoint.
From a design standpoint, I think the speaker looks amazing. The front grill is just one large sheet of fabric, with continuity only interrupted by its name plate. The integrated stand is recessed back to give an illusion that the speaker is floating and there is a dimmable cool-white LED that illuminates the gap between the speaker and stand to enhance that illusion. There are no buttons to push from the front side as they are slightly hidden toward the back side where the fabric meets the hard shell. The body is shaped, as you guessed, like a zeppelin. It’s significant because we have all been used to square/rectangle or cylindrical designs, and BW’s iconic design is unique and unchanged since its creation at Steyning Research Establishment (SRE) in West Sussex back in 2006. From a functionality standpoint, its shape dictates where the drivers are placed (more surface area in the center for the large driver, then the smaller drivers as it tapers toward the edges), and they are spaced across the entire face to help promote stereo sound separation. The Zeppelin is wide enough that it could take the place of a soundbar (if your TV supports BT streaming), but I think it’s best suited on a table where it can be admired on its own.
I think a majority of consumers looking for a wireless speaker solution immediately think of a “bluetooth” speaker. As a matter of fact, I thought that exact same thing when I was setting this up, only to learn that I have to download an app to make this thing work. Apprehensive at first, I thought BW was cornering themselves with this method of setup and playback, but man was I wrong. The Zeppelin is both a bluetooth speaker AND a smart speaker. It supports aptX Adaptive, AAC and SBC codecs if your device supports it, and connectivity is handled from within the app first and then exposed as a “part of your house” name in the available BT devices to choose from within your phone’s BT setup. Then you can still go about streaming music like you would normally to a BT speaker or headphones. Oh, and it supports Apple Airplay2. But the feature that makes this thing shine is the ability to stream music from services through a Wifi connection. I do have TIDAL and this can be played back from within the app with an available Wifi connection at home. With Wifi set up and app connected, there’s no need to worry about BT codecs or stream connectivity. And when the music stops, the Zeppelin will standby as a smart speaker. And like a smart speaker, you’ll have Alexa at your disposal. Even at louder volumes, Alexa is still able to pick up my voice and answer my requests for music and weather, for instance. I will probably stream music through the app from this point on. Other music services supported are Qobuz, deezer, TuneIn, last.fm, NTS Radio, SoundCloud, and Dash Radio. BW mentions that they will continue to add more streaming services in the future.
A few complaints: (1) The Zeppelin can only use Alexa as the voice assistant. That may not be an issue for those who’ve already adopted Amazon’s solution, but for others that have Siri and Google Assistant, it will be an annoyance to have another voice assistant just to tell the Zeppelin to play music. (2) 24-bit Hi-Res tracks can only be had through the Qobuz Music Streaming service, linked into the BW Music App. I pay for TIDAL now for its MQA tracks, but I cannot enjoy them fully through the Music App. I ended up signing up for Qobuz… (3) There is no indication of the actual bit depth or bitrate when streaming any music through the Music App.
Mizshutterbug –
Was pleased to receive the Bower & Wilkins Zeppelin speaker – wonderfully packaged – and upon opening up the box my first impression was WOW! What a beauty!
It weighs in at about 14 pounds, packs 5 drivers and has 240 watts of amplification. Inside you will find Qualcomm AptX Adaptive so using my iPhone or iPad as a source device this Zeppelin does not lose any quality over the Bluetooth connection. A real plus! It measures more than 2 feet wide and its grille is a luxe mesh fabric. The backside is finished in a smooth, matte plastic and there are embossed icons going along the top indicating Volume, Playback controls, the Alexa Voice control with microphone Mute button and finally the center Multifunction/pairing button. This button changes color depending what task you are doing.
I first downloaded the B&W app on my phone, granted access to my bluetooth and also to our network as I purchased the USB-C to Ethernet adapter, which I tried first, after plugging the ethernet cable into my router. Sounded AMAZING just using my iPhone and Amazon music! I then removed the adapter and decided to try out the Bluetooth option and it worked super. Connected to my Mac Mini computer and iPhone immediately without issues. I did have to name the Zeppelin so it could be found on devices.
I then signed up for Deezer’s HiFi Premium account (got a free month so we’ll see how it goes) and linked it to the B&W app. There are a few other streaming services you can link to your B&W app – Qobuz, Tidal, TuneIn, etc. An immediate update was installed by my B&W app and then I started listening to Deezer – AMAZING BRILLIANT SOUND that blew me away! On the app I did up the treble to 3db and upped the bass to the full 6db. The speaker’s bass and treble can only be adjusted using the phone app. I then activated the lovely downward facing LED light and gosh it looks beautiful. Next I linked my Amazon account to use Alexa and it was so easy. Just had to put my Amazon phone number and password in and was all set. I tried Alexa out and she immediately responded to questions. There will be a blue light under the Bowers & Wilkins logo when she is addressed and if you have a message the light turns yellow. I then connected to my Spotify account and it sounded as as wonderful as Deezer in my opinion.
After I finished with my iPhone connections/listens I used Bluetooth to connect to my Mac Mini. I placed the Deezer app on the computer and once again the sound was crisp and clear no matter what I listened to. I also do singing/recording online at Singsnap and was anxious to see how I sounded on there. Well I am no professional but in my opinion I sounded pretty darn good and the Zeppelin definitely accentuates highs, mids, lows and everything in between perfectly. By the way it also will work well on a TV if you have Bluetooth capability (I have Airplay and Bluetooth) and even watching some TV shows on my iPad when connected to this speaker the sound was so nice. You can connect up to 8 different devices to the Zeppelin.
In my opinion, even though this is a high priced speaker, it screams quality and fantastic sound! So if you are a serious audiophile (or even not so serious but just want jaw dropping sound from your speaker) and enjoy the best sound this Zeppelin is a MUST HAVE! It’s beautiful in design and will look awesome in whatever room you place it. Bowers and Wilkins has a winner!! I love it!
MrGadget –
This is the latest follow on to the original and well-received B&W Zeppelin introduced for use with iPods in 2006. In the words of the old TV commercial, “You’ve come a long way, baby.”
The new Zeppelin’s shape may be the same, but current technology is built inside to provide 240 watts (according to the B&W Website’s specs) of clean, clear, room-filling stereo in the excellent tradition of all B&W speakers. Measuring about 8.25” high x 25.5” wide x 7.5” deep and tipping the scale at 16 pounds, it will be a comfy fit on a wall with the optional wall mount or on the deck of a credenza, dresser or anywhere there is the space for its package.
The new Zeppelin is easily and quickly paired with iOS and Android mobiles and with the added connectivity commands from built-in Alexa, Zeppelin is and always has been a visual and audio work of art. In all ways simple to operate, she is smile-producing to all listeners who can appreciate the solid sound from such an unusually shaped package. The latest iteration of the Bowers & Wilkins app melds basic settings with connected content from Bluetooth-connected mobile devices and a growing list of content providers (more on this later).
Whether perched for service in a bedroom, office, kitchen, separate workspace or anywhere there is power (yes, she needs to be plugged in), the newest Zeppelin is sure to please as a premium audio product for the discerning customer.
**WHAT’S IN THE BOX**
• Zeppelin
• Power cord
• Basic and simplified manual with separate safety booklet/warranty
**THE SETUP**
Open the box, read the paperwork, download the mobile app, plug her in, launch the app, update firmware if applicable (mine was), Bluetooth-connect with mobile devices, one at a time.
On the back panel towards the top are the power button, volume buttons, play/pause, and Bluetooth setup. Alexa was set up easily through the iOS app and she responded when summoned. The Alexa function was easily defeated with the press of the Alexa button for five seconds, turning off the mic.
Lower and hidden in the recessed back panel are the reset button, power cord plug and USB-C service port.
Connected and powered on, then linked with optional, paid services including Deezer, TuneIn, Last.fm, Tidal, Qobuz, with more to come, it’s fired up, ready to go and time to . . .
**PUT IT TO THE TEST**
Because I am so familiar with some of the tracks on the Eagles Hell Freezes Over live album, that was my first stop, sent by the Music app on an iPhone. It’s my go-to for many speaker tests. Listening to Hotel California, Take It Easy and Desperado, I noted the bass response and clarity of vocals along with stereo separation while conjuring comparative memories of these tracks as heard through other audio systems with other speakers. So far, so good.
Next, some classical tracks from Apple Music’s lossless selections, including Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony, and a little Yo-Yo Ma thrown in just because I love his work.
We sampled a few tracks from TuneIn, Last.fm and Deezer, all with premium sound characteristics. In our subjective judgment, this B&W delivered pleasing, balanced sound imaging without being heavy or light anywhere along the continuum of frequencies, all managed through the app. Not everyone will agree, and this is where the app settings will come in handy. Make the sound pleasing to the listener.
Zeppelin also features Apple AirPlay 2 connectivity, another convenience.
**CONCLUSION**
In this case, value is in the ear of the beholder. With so much to offer in what is a unique, classically designed package, powerfully delivered, Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin with wireless streaming and built-in Alexa is highly recommended. It will be sure to please for many years to come. Though we cannot assure that B&W’s promise to add more capabilities and services will be delivered, there is every indication that they will. Since its initial availability in recent months, sources have been added that total those listed above.
Important to note, NONE of the premium sources are required. Send music or over content already available in the user’s music library or even from YouTube or other free resources.
Time to go and enjoy listening to my Zeppelin.
**WARRANTY**
Two years manufacturer’s warranty
SamG –
I really want to love the Zeppelin speaker. It has a really unique design that makes it quite the statement piece in my home. It’s well built as well well and the hardware feels like it justifies the high price tag well. It also sounds amazing. But I think the feature set leans more towards an iPhone user and I wish it also incorporated Google Cast audio. Overall I would say if you’re an iPhone user I don’t think there’s anything missing from having a great experience there, but on Android you may have to settle for Bluetooth or hope your music service is built into the Bowers & Wilkins app. At least the Bluetooth support incorporates aptX Adaptive for the best possible experience in that regard though.
Unboxing is about as simple as it can get. You get the speaker, the power cord, and the manuals. The sheer heft of the speaker was apparent pulling it out of the box. The design is going to be polarizing for sure and it makes statement right out the gate. I myself love it. The materials all blend with each other really well and it feels extremely well constructed. For ports it’s just the power connection and a USB port, but the USB is only for service. I do wish for a speaker this expensive that some kind of wired option was incorporated. There are 5 buttons across the upper back – volume up/down, play/pause, Alexa, and a multifunction button. At the bottom of the speaker there’s an LED that provides some subtle illumination. It’s a nice touch, but can be turned off in the app if it’s not preferred.
Setting up the speaker through the Bowers & Wilkins app was very straightforward when it came to detecting the speaker, connecting it to the network, and applying updates. You can use the app to adjust the bass and treble on the speaker, setup Amazon Alexa, and link some music services. At the time I’m writing this (Feb. 2022) there aren’t many services available to link directly in the app, at least compared to the Sonos app.
You can play music to the Zeppelin in a variety of ways. The first is via the Bowers & Wilkins app if your service is supported. It also supports Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2. The last (and in my opinion least ideal) method is via Bluetooth. Streaming lossless audio on Apple Music via AirPlay 2 worked great and I was able to try Tidal via the Bowers & Wilkins app and that worked well too. Bluetooth support is for 5.0 with aptX Adaptive codec, so at least Bluetooth is as good as it could possibly be here, though the bitrate still fall short of streaming via WiFi and you also have to contend with your phone being within range and device alerts potentially disrupting the listening experience. I was initially able to get my device (Pixel 6) to connect via aptX HD (it does not support Adaptive), but subsequently have only been able to connect via AAC. I’m going to chalk that up to an issue with my phone though. I do wish a Google Cast option was offered with the Zeppelin; maybe as part of some kind of future update, but I’m not holding my breath.
I did find the sound of the Zeppelin to be excellent no matter how I listened to it or what I was listening to. It doesn’t struggle at all at high volumes and the bass is powerful. The sound is very detailed and I could pick out all the individual elements of the tracks. I definitely prefer it to the Sonos Move and Sony HT-Z9F soundbar that we typically listen to music through.
Overall I’m happy with the Zeppelin speaker. I remember the original iPod dock version that came out in the 2000’s and this new version carries forward that legacy well. I do wish Bowers & Wilkins would add Google Cast support and some more music services to their app. Those are both things that can be fixed with software updates, so I’m hopeful.
ShaunOrlando –
Overall the sound quality of this speaker is outstanding but the one main streaming service we already pay for and use is t available. We have Amazon Prime and the top tier music since we have a dozen Alexa enabled devices. I don’t have the option to add Amazon Music to stream to this device so it is honestly very limiting how I wanted to use it.
Hoping in the future they will enable Alexa or Amazon connectivity so I can use it because I won’t pay for a second music service like Deezer just to get high quality music. I tried using my Last FM free account and the selection is horrible and I didn’t recognize 99.9% of the artists that popped up. So to test the high quality abilities of this speaker I had to use the 30 day free trial of Deezer.
I like the look over the speaker aesthetically it goes well in our home and fills out downstairs. The only reason I dinged it a star is due to the limited apps that integrate into the B&W app to be able to stream music to it.
Josh76 –
I’ve had my eyes on a Zeppelin speaker for years and was so excited to get this new one. This is, by far, the best speaker I have ever owned and I simply blown away by its power.
I’m boxing was simple and the setup could not have been easier. Just plug in, download the app and follow the instructions. Once connected, you can rename the speaker, play around with the bass and treble and adjust the brightness of the LED display light.
There are some music apps that integrate directly with the app, unfortunately, Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon and Spotify are not listed. This is not a huge deal as I can connect to the speaker via Airplay to use any of those apps.
Next I setup Alexa and this is where my only real issue lies. Setup was simple and Alexa worked well, however, not all music apps can work with Alexa, such as Apple Music and Audacy. You cannot even use Alexa to pause or skip songs when playing Apple Music via Airplay. This was really disappointing. But worse, the speaker makes plays a notification sound followed by “Alexa is now setup on this speaker” every 10-15 minutes. This drives me crazy and I hope that there is update soon to fix, in the meantime, I disabled Alexa.
Down to the sound. This speaker is simply incredible. I was previously using a pair of HomePods, which sound great, but the Zeppelin puts them to shame. The sound is so clear, so deep, with incredible bass. It is house filling sound.
I can’t get enough of this beautiful speaker and look forwards to enjoying it for years.
CrysisComplex –
Bowers & Wilkins new wireless Zeppelin speaker is one of the cleanest hearing sounds I have ever heard in my life from a speaker. This device has a richness to the dimensions of sound it covers around the room. I am blown away and shocked they can hit a level of quality from a wireless device. The Zeppelin is elegant and you can just feel that this device was constructed in a way to give you optimal sound.
Zeppelin is somewhat heavy meaning you will not be moving this unit from room to room. Taking out the box and placing it where you want is best as this speaker needs to be plugged up and have A/C power to the unit. There isn’t much in the box but just enough to get you going as fast as possible. Thankfully B&W gives a quick start guide that gets you going without wasting your time. Design is also modern yet strange; like a big football shape speaker facing you. Nothing wrong with that as it doesn’t really take up that much space on my entertainment center. It isn’t cumbersome or feels out of place in my home.
On the top of the speaker, the buttons include; Vol up, Play/Pause, Multifunction, Alexa / Smart speaker button, and Vol down. There is a light bar indicator to let you know if the speaker is on. The speaker can connect to Spotify Connect, AptX, Bluetooth, Airplay 2, and B&W’s own Connect app. This gives you multiple ways to connect your music wirelessly with tons of compatibility.
Setup was easy with three simple instructions and you must download the app to set the speaker up. This includes an update to the speaker which I highly recommend doing before you enjoy the speaker.
The sound of the Zeppelin was simply the best. It was clean, clear, and powerful. Everything was fleshed out and you can hear every single detail in sound. The football shape speaker just gives you a sound I would call award-winning. The bass is strong but not overpowering. It was an instant smile across my face This was just using Airplay 2 alone how moving the sound was on this speaker. I couldn’t believe this much sound was coming out of a speaker of this size.
Whatever drivers Bowers & Wilkins are using it’s something that you will be extremely satisfied with. The five speakers inside are beyond exceptional and 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution sound is heavenly to listen to. The sound to my ears was magnificent! I was only able to test Tidal/MQA as that’s the only platform I use this kinda music on but it delivered. Every tone and note was giving me a surround in my environment. with 24 bit music; there is also Deezer, Qobuz, TuneIn, and more to use to try. The integration with the app/speaker is great.
This is a true wireless speaker meaning there are really no ports for you to use an aux cord and if you are looking for that this is not the speaker for you. This is one for those who truly want a wireless speaker to connect to most of the wireless devices quickly. One feature I love inside of the Zeppelin is the ability to connect multiple speakers together with the B&W app or with Airplay 2. Combining this speaker with four other speakers was fun as they sync with each other flawlessly. Alexa worked as intended with no issues with the device hearing my voice.
Music. Music is what this device does and does it well beyond my expectations. The sound feels award-winning how clear and clean the music comes out at you. I’m truly blown away by the sound of this B&W Zeppelin model. I will say if you decide to pick one of these up there won’t be disappointed at all. and oh boy once you connect this to multiple wireless speaker setups your home will be booming with sound. Clearly, it’s one of the best speakers to date I’ve used. Definitely the most powerful I own.
TechGeek –
Elegant, stylish and cool looking speaker. It rests on a isolating metal pedestal stand that prevents the transmission of speaker vibrations to the furniture its sitting on.
It is purely a wireless streaming speaker with support to several music streaming apps via B&W music app. The B&W app itself is pretty simple with options to stream music from different apps with a simple sign on. It also supports Airplay, Bluetooth, and has built in Alexa voice control support. It also has controls to adjust bass and treble. Waiting for google home support and few others music apps and suppose to have support for those in the near future along with the multi room capability to share music among speakers in different rooms. It has dimmable (via the app) light projecting on the stand. Took less than 5 minutes to set it up and update the firmware. No specific instructions on how to connect to Bluetooth, which I eventually figured while checking out the app features. The app has an option under “devices” to enable Bluetooth and pair it with TV and other devices. It doesn’t come with a remote, not a stop shopper for me, but good to have feature.
It boosts a premium 6″ base driver, 2 mid-range drivers on either side of the base driver and 2 tweeters with total of 240 watts of output, which is pretty impressive given its size. Coming to its performance, it definitely competes with the name brand ones in its price range. It fills the room with rich and lively sound and its design allows the sound to travel around the speaker. I cranked up the volume and the bass and didn’t hear any muffled audio at all. Midrange is a little low and good for small to average rooms and it still delivers high quality audio at full volume. Vocal is crisp and clear at high volume. Enough bass to match the music and fills the room with rich and lively music. I tested 30+ speakers and music systems and this definitely falls in the top 5% speakers in its price range when it comes to performance and would highly recommend it for music lovers who crave rich and lively music.
HarvickFan –
This speaker is definitely a head turner, both with its visual appearance and its sound fidelity.
From unboxing to listening takes about 5 mins. It’s incredibly simple to get up and running. The first thing you’ll notice is how heavy the speaker is. Over 16 lbs. The build quality is apparent right away, something you would expect from Bowers & Wilkins. The entire speaker feels super dense and rigid, which translates into superb sound quality. The front of the speaker is clad in a nice cloth, while it sits on a metal pedestal stand that has a large foam rubber pad on the bottom, helping to eliminate any sound or vibration transfer. The Zeppelin pulls its speakers designs from its full size speaker lineup, scaled to match the size and performance of the Zeppelin. You get two 1” dome tweeters, two 3.5” midrange drivers and one 6” subwoofer. Once you plug it in and access the B&W app, you can setup the speaker in just a couple minutes. You even have the ability to add Alexa voice assistant and with just a couple quick taps, she’s ready for you. Mine performed a firmware update right away and I was up and running in no more than 5 mins.
It can channel a total of 240W of power, which is insane. And what that power delivers is crystal clear sound at ridiculously loud or quiet volumes with no distortion. It truly does fill a room, even a floor of your house and then some. I cannot get past about 40% volume, it’s just too loud. The highs are crystal clear, and depending on what type of music you listen too, might be too clear. The bass is nice and tight, not muddy or flat, and amazingly the speaker can get down to 35Hz, so the bass always sounds full and present. If I had one drawback to the overall sound, it would be the mids. Again, depending on what you listen too, I found that the midrange can be overbearing. The app allows you to adjust some minor Bass and Treble settings, but that’s it. No EQ or further customization can be done right now. I would love to see more EQ possibilities in a future update for sure. So if you’re looking for any sort of mid scooped sound, you need to do that outboard of the speaker. I’m mainly a Metal and Hard Rock listener, and don’t get me wrong, the sound is amazing. I’m hearing notes in songs that I haven’t ever heard a speaker replicate before. But based on the source music, the placement and distance away from the speaker, the mids can be very pronounced. If you listen to acoustic, jazz, singer/songwriter, classic rock, etc. then the speaker is just perfect! Again, this speaker is producing sounds I’ve only heard in high end headphones. This speaker truly lets you hear the wide array of differences in audio recording quality and production of your favorite music. For both good and bad, the Zeppelin will enhance the best production, and show limitations of not so good production, that to me is a sign of a true high end speaker. If everything sounds the same, your speaker hardware is not doing you any favors. The Zeppelin brings audio fidelity to a new level for a speaker like this.
And if you use TIDAL, Qobbuz or Deezer, you can stream HD audio at 24bit. I’m an iOS user, so I’ve been using Airplay 2 and its been amazing. If you use other source platforms, you can stream using AAC, SBC or aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs.
The one drawback I have heard in my listening, is using Bluetooth. Using Airplay has been amazing, but using Bluetooth, not so much. When I try to stream using BT, the audio seems to modulate up and down, like someone is flipping a loudness/compression switch every few seconds. Now at first I thought this might be due to me using Apple Music Lossless, which can’t stream over Bluetooth, but maybe using the ALAC codec might have been the culprit. But even just setting my music to standard AAC format, I still get this modulating effect that just won’t go away. Right now, I have to use Airplay because after a song or so on BT, I just can’t stand it anymore. And using Airplay is fine, it sounds amazing, just bummed and confused about the BT and what that might be.
All in all, this is one of the most amazing all in one speakers I’ve ever listened too, whether that be wired or wireless. The sound and clarity of the Zeppelin is simply amazing. It has such a full and clear sound, so full of presence at any volume. And they plan to add multi room support in a future update, so using other compatible B&W speakers, you can have a truly incredible whole home audio solution.
joecaffe –
There are so many Bluetooth speakers in the market today. Most differentiate themselves as being portable, powerful, and offer some sort of sound dispersion. Bowers and Wilkins is so far beyond 99% of those speakers from enhanced sound reproduction to exclusive and unique styling. This unit is meant to be seen, it’s meant to be as much a conversation piece as a speaker. Like many speakers in the Magnolia collection, this unit excels by offering not only the most well designed cabinet and speaker locations, but also WiFi streaming with a 24 bit DAC sound processor and BT APTX adaptive enhanced sound. So yes, it’s a Bluetooth speaker, but also a wifi speaker.
The Zeppelin doesn’t disappoint once you set it up by downloading the B&W app and setting up an account. It connects to a handful of wifi music apps like Deezer and Spotify that you can access right thru the app. Music reproduction blows you away and actually sounds better 20-30ft back! There are no equalizer settings on the app, just treble/bass. I think with this type of speaker, less is more, the DSP takes care of it all. The highs are crisp and clear, the midrange is effective and explosive, the bass tone is only noticeable over 100hz. That would be the only place it faulters a bit in the lower frequencies where you should hear and feel a thump of radiating bass, you get a hum and tap. The important thing is the sound is very clear and no discernable distortion even at annoyingly high volume. Genres of music like BPM, Dance, Dubstep, Classical, all sounded clear and true to tone.
I’m a little surprised at this price point that it doesn’t connect with 5ghz wifi. My phone automatically connected to the 5ghz network at home and then I wondered why it didn’t recognize the speaker after I was sure to have connected it. Alexa only works if my phone is connected. I’m not a big fan of Alexa, but I assumed Google Assistant would also be available. The app is updatable, so as they will be adding new services, they may add support for Google.
I think this speaker has a lot going for it, from it’s amazingly clear sound, to it’s unique Zeppelin (blimp) aesthetic, coupled with the app’s support for adaptive music service and updatable features, I highly recommend it.
Bill4 –
Sounds great! As usual another quality product from B&W.
CPWoody –
It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to a streaming audio device. I have a whole house full of a competing product but I’m always looking for something better than what their sound is. When I had the opportunity to try out the latest Zeppelin I got really excited! B&W has been a staple audio system in a number of my cars over the years and I hoped I’d be just as impressed at home.
The truth is – I’ve never heard better sound come out of a device of this size! Audio is crisp, full bodied, and fills my office very well. It is very easy to set up thanks to being AirPlay compatible and I can throw any of my normal sources at it without a hiccup. It’s also gorgeous and lives in the background of all my video calls at home, where it has become a conversation piece as much as a functional device.
If you’re looking for a beautiful streaming audio speaker with incredible sound to match, this is the one you want.
CCPD –
I put this speaker in my office and absolutely love it. It sits on my bookshelf and fits right in with the décor. Setup was quick and easy using the Bowers & Wilkins app on my Android phone. Treble, bass, and mid tones are all well represented to create a nice listening environment. You would think that based on its shape it would create a 360-sound environment, however the speakers are all forward firing, so it does create a directional sound. This really isn’t a problem as even with the directional speakers it easily fills the room, and it does sound nice! Real nice! I have a few smaller wireless Bluetooth speakers and the sound from this unit is easily above and beyond anything they can provide.
On top of great sound, you also get connectivity options with Bluetooth and Alexa. I was able to easily setup Alexa with skills to allow connections to Amazon Music and my own Plex server. I love being able to control all aspects of the speaker including power, volume, which streaming service to use and which band and/or song I want to listen to.
My only issue is with the power cord, but it’s just a minor complaint. It’s a shorter cord and it doesn’t have a flat plug. I would have liked the cord to be a little longer so I could set the speaker up higher on top of my bookshelf, and a flat plug would allow me to push my bookshelf all the way back up against the wall without putting a kink in the cord.
Overall, this is a very nice unit and I really enjoy using it to listen to music. It looks nice, sounds great and is easily controlled by voice commands via Alexa.
Bergm –
The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Speaker is not only a great speaker, but it also has a cool design that makes it a conversation piece for your home. The unique shape is not only an eye-catcher, but it also allows for unique spacing of its five drivers to enhance the overall sound.
The speaker was well packaged and easy to set up. There is a small set-up guide included, which allows you to use a QR code to download the App and then you just follow the instructions in the App. Upon initial setup, there was a software update available. I was able to set it up and do the update and I was listening to music in about 10 minutes, so pretty easy.
The front of the speaker is all fabric speaker cover, with a few controls on the top back side that let you access a multi-function button, play/pause and volume functions, otherwise everything else is controlled from your phone or the B&W App. The speaker sits on a metal stand with a rubber matt on the bottom that will keep it from vibrating on a hard surface. There is a light that glows downward from the bottom of the speaker onto the stand, which is dimmable in the App. It’s just a very cool-looking speaker.
You can stream music from Airplay 2, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive and Spotify Connect, as well as the B&W Music App. The B&W Music App allows you to link to 24-bit high-resolution music through various services such as Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, TuneIn, Last.fm, NTS, Soundcloud and Dash, so you can pull in music through the App from all these sources. The App allows you to set up multiple speakers, control the level of treble or bass, build a music library within the App, link to the music services mentioned above, update software and access user manuals. I like the fact the Zeppelin is upgradeable so as new services are added the speaker can be upgraded via the App. The Zeppelin also has Alexa built in, so that is an added benefit if you use Alexa and want to control the speaker with voice commands. I’d like to see the App be upgraded in the future to allow for at least a 5-band equalizer, as opposed to just the treble and bass control, but even with just those two controls, I was able to adjust the sound to my liking.
The most important thing with a speaker is the sound and the Zeppelin does not disappoint. I have put the Zeppelin through its paces with a variety of music, including various genres, soft and loud, male and female singers, acoustic, etc. Everything I play sounds great. The design really allows the music to fill the room. I was also surprised to hear how good it sounds when sitting to the sides of the speaker, as it sounds nearly as good as sitting in front of it. Its not going to give you a real punchy, heavy bass like you might get with a separate subwoofer, but as someone who likes a heavy bass, I am quite pleased with how much bass the Zeppelin delivers. The overall sound for a single speaker of this size is quite impressive.
Overall, this is an excellent sounding speaker with an eye-catching design and a useful App which is going to provide me with many years of music enjoyment in the future.
Justin –
The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin returns in its 4th iteration as a fully wireless, premium speaker while retaining the character of what it historically has been known for. Some of the updates include revised design, upgraded speakers, more powerful amp, Amazon Alexa support, and 24bit/96kHz audio streaming support. After 6+ weeks of trying to resolve an ongoing issue regarding connectivity, B&W support has not responded to me after 3 attempts of contacting them. This is an especially frustrating issue given the only connectivity options of this speaker are wireless. So when problems arise, it’s very useless and frustrating.
In the box:
– Zeppelin
– Power Cable
– Quick Start/Warranty Guide
Setup:
While taking the speaker out of the box you are present with a hefty, premium feeling speaker. The speaker weighs in just under 15lbs and measures 25.5” wide, 8.25” tall, and 7.5” deep. This will require a decent amount of desk, table, stand real-estate but it is designed to be one of the focal points in the room.
Once power is supplied to the speaker it will boot up and you can start the pairing process. I would highly recommend using the B&W Music app to get the most out of this speaker. Once you have signed into the app it will find the speaker and allow you to connect it to the Wi-Fi network. This speaker only supports 2.4gHz so make sure this is available. Alternatively, B&W states you can use the USB-C port on the back to connect to Ethernet via an adapter if preferred. Once everything is connected the app allows you to connect several streaming services directly through the B&W app. These include: Deezer, TuneIn, Last.fm, Qobuz, NTS, Soundcloud, Dash, and Tidal. I have heard that Pandora and others are coming shortly. To get the most out of this speaker, I chose to purchase a Tidal HiFi Plus membership to access H-Fi and MQA audio files. NOTE: According to what I have seen, only Qobuz inside the B&W app allows for Hifi (24bit) streaming. This should be expanded to other services in the future.
The speaker itself has 5 physical buttons on the upper back, volume up/down, play/pause, Alexa, and multifunction buttons. The bottom of the speaker features an LED that creates a levitating type effect for the speaker. Brightness and toggling it on/off can be controlled via the app. It is important to note there are no analog inputs for this speaker. You have a power and USB-C port on the back and that is it. Like mentioned earlier, B&W states the USB-C port can be used as a wired Ethernet port incase wireless is not available though I do not have an adapter to test this.
Sound Quality:
I used a couple different devices to stream music via this speaker to help test quality and connectivity.
– Pixel 6 via B&W app with Tidal
– Desktop Computer via BT 5.2 (Speaker is 5.0) CD MP3 files
– Pixel 6 BT AAC (Speaker would not show up as aptX or aptX HD even through developer options)
I found the sound quality of this speaker excellent. Because this speaker has the stereo channels so close together stereo separation is fairly weak unless you are directly in front. Despite this the highs, mids, and lows were very distinctive. I did find quite the variation of volume levels through Tidal for certain tracks but the Zeppelin gets LOUD no matter what. Some tracks just got even louder depending on how it was mixed. Since I was unable to connect via aptX or access streaming Hifi quality files due to limitations with connectivity and B&W app, I wasn’t technically streaming the highest quality files but even with the CD quality or so I was able to stream, it sounded great. Bass is not overpowering but the highs can be a little intrusive depending on genre. I dialed back treble about .5-1db and that was enough to take the piercing edge off for my tastes at higher volumes. Overall this speaker has the power to deliver intense sound for 500sq feet with ease.
The Zeppelin supports Airplay2 and Spotify Connect. Multi-room support should be coming with a future update to the Zeppelin/app in the coming months to allow multi device connection between the Zeppelin and other Formation devices from B&W.
Connectivity Issues:
My Pixel 6 is setup with the B&W app. It worked well for the first day or so then I wanted to test the speaker with a direct BT connection via PC. I paired and connected it and it seemed to work fine for the rest of the first day. After the first sleep/power off (Leaving the unit plugged in overnight as it controls power itself) the sound started cutting in and out with playback of the PC BT connection. Over the subsequent few days the speaker would connect to the PC (Audio confirmation and all) but wouldn’t play sound despite showing connected. It would need to be deleted in BT and repaired like a new device every time or a full power cycle by unplugging the unit. On top of this, I tried playing music via the B&W app on my Pixel 6 and the speaker would not play audio at all. I got an error at the bottom of the app “Check devices”. The speaker worked fine after a full restart and re-pairing process to the PC.
Since this issue began the speaker has had a software update and it still occurs from time to time. Because this speaker is solely wireless, any issues that arise REALLY affect how one can use the speaker. Given the price point and brand, I would not only expect a higher quality product without bugs but also customer service that attempts to correct the issue. I would say neither of which the brand has done for me. This is my first experience with any B&W product and it has been quite disappointing.
Overall:
I would be very leery of this product given the bugs I have experienced and lack of customer support. Even though the sound quality is excellent the connectivity bugs between using the app and connecting via BT at the same time would prevent me from recommending this speaker to anyone who plans to use this with more than one device with the B&W app. If you only plan to use this with one device and the app, then it might be a fair purchase.
RMac –
Great speaker for small to medium size rooms. Effortless and solid connection through Apple airplay2. Highly recommended
Topjimmy –
The best sounding Bluetooth speaker, but it lost a star as the direction on how to operate this without a network connection is intuitive and required a web search it fo it.
DPKSD –
Excellent deep sound, however not very easy to use with app’s limited features
OPDude –
Awesome sound and sleek design!
The led is an added bonus.
Yardstyle2 –
Bowes and Wilkinson as superb sound I’m looking for…thus it acts as home agent when I’m not home….wireless streaming…..
MatthewR –
great speaker would recommend buying one sounds and works great
Dema –
Dont use airplay because it has a lot of connectivity issues. If you have apple music and you are using airplay and the song wont stop than go to the B&W app and pause it through the app. The speaker sounds really well balanced and well rounded. If your looking for high resolution audio than be aware that air play is buggy. If your looking for a good bluetooth speaker that has really good vocals this speaker is amazing in bluetooth mode still. For loseless audio on apple music I woild recomend going with a different speaker because of the air play bugs. Another mention is the spread angle pf the music isn’t as wide as the formation edge and you cant tilt the speaker pointing up or down some because its just a fixed base.
AlaskaJaxx –
I started with 600 series B&W’s in the late 90’s. I was quickly swept up by the sound of the Nautilus series and bought a pair of 802’s and an HTM-1 center channel – moving my 600’s to the surrounds before my 805s arrived and a paor of DS6 dipolar back surrounds. Again. 90’s so we were still using component for video and toslink or coax for multichannel digital audio transmission from the transport. Its amazing what the company’s done over the last three decades. And the Zeppelin is a true representation of B&W’s under the radar and somewhat unknown sound quality and popularity. From their P7 cans to their 800 Diamonds, it’s hands down the best manufacturer of affordable, high quality speakers and headphones on the market. This is a truly fantastic Bluetooth/wireless speaker with energy (volume/clarity) to spare. It’s tone is pure B&W and is an excellent example of their continued refinements and trickle down technology B&W’s incorporated into their ‘consumer products’ today. While maybe a bit more than consumer, (I had to buy mine from the in-house Magnolia), everyone spending the 300-400-$500 on Bluetooth speakers from Sony, JBL, and other companies who consider the speaker’s ability to float in the pool more important than the sound quality, really ought to check this guy out. Assuming they dont need a pool toy.
Unknown –
Easy operation and wonderful sound. I should say that I pretty much stay with Bowers and Wilkins for all my speakers, because I prefer their naturalistic sound. This doesn’t disappoint. It is a bit pricey.
JUMPYFROMTHENORTHSIDE –
The Zeppelin speaker bass and treble go hard!!! Get you one today. I can hear it in the shower and the bass is crisp with punch. Very easy to setup and get going fast. You can operate everything from your phone. I love it.
DanielG –
Looks great, sounds great, I love it.
Can be connected by WiFi or Bluetooth.
grantperry –
I have the previous zeppelin model. Purchased as a floor model open-box, for $500, after sitting on the show room floor for god knows how long. When I say this is literally the best thing ive ever owned, im not joking. I have taken this speaker to countless parties, roughly 40 to play music. Mostly at maximum volume. All low end songs, i have literally torturered this speaker. It has been dropped off of counters, onto the hard wood floor, its been outside, in the grass or rolling around in my backseat. Undeatable sound quality, i plug it into my router and can use the app to change settings (this speaker is literally ancient), connect via airplay or bluetooth, ive used it for a samsung tv via bluetooth once. Absoutle tank and for sure worth what i paid, bought it years ago and still use it often. Its impossible to replace this speaker with anything else but a set of bookshelf speakers and a literal reciever. I would give it six stars if i could.
Phillip –
Sound quality is normal B&W greatness. App isn’t great though. Connectivity is weird to deal with coming from other speakers app integration with music platforms works great though.