Reviews for Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air

First, a few things that didn't win me over right away was expecting it to be loud at a very low volume. To receive a decent loud volume you have to raise it to about 65%. However, I never thought I would enjoy music at low volumes, due to its built-in new and improved DAC. B&W recommends that you turn off your EQ, on your iOS device, or set it to "flat" due to the DAC. You can the "Tone Control" (Bass) using an iOS device while its docked under "Settings".

The AirPlay feature has a few bugs with the Zeppelin Air, although B&W shifts blame toward Apple when they emailed me. I would say it works about 70% of the time when I use it with my iPhone 4S. iPad 2 and MacBook Pro seemed to work well; I usually just dock my iPhone 4S.

Also, the first song you play has a major part in making you decide if this is the iPod speaker dock for you. When I first tested it, in person, I wish I would have played "This is my Life" by Edward Maya to listen to the full clarity. I later did try it with that song and I was able to discern just about every musical note being played; as if were the band was playing right in front of me. B&W is renowned for their engineering pedigree. Definitely worth the $600!

10 of 10 people found this useful

I purchased this unit about 9 months ago and have been using it extensively.

The sound is terrific given its limitations with respect to size Certainly, it sounds better than the competition from Bose and Bang & Olufsen. However, as with all smaller speaker systems, on types of music that have a big soundstage or great complexity, it seems to me that the Zeppelin "works" really hard and the music starts to sound a little strained. This is more a limitation of size than a fault with the Zeppelin.

A few caveats: first, the dock for the iPod/iPhone is VERY delicate. It breaks VERY easily and should be treated accordingly. Second, you must follow the directions for Airplay meticulously because if you do not, it may not work properly. This is easily remedied by performing a Reset of the Zeppelin. Remember NOT to plug in the power cable before plugging in the Ethernet cable; Ethernet cable first! Finally, if you are using the device via Airplay, make sure that you disconnect the Airplay connection via iTunes before you try to switch to the iPod dock, otherwise it glitches and won't let you play via the dock.

20 of 22 people found this useful

One of the worse product I have ever bought. There is no comparison with the sound. The Zeppelin Air is by far the best in sound. However, AirPlay support on that device is zero. The connection is often, way too often lost.

If I had the chance, I'd return it

23 of 32 people found this useful

The Zeppelin air is simply amazing. The sound quality of this little machine is spectacular. Clearly the price point is high, but listening to this vs. other speaker docks is truly a "get what you pay for" experience. It's well worth the price paid and is really on a different level than any of the $300-400 range wireless or wired ipod docks. I have a Klipsch iGroove SXT and have listened to the Bose Sounddock which both pale in comparison to the Zep, in fact there really isn't a comparison at all in terms of sound quality. While both those products are substantially cheaper, and quite good at their respective price points, the Zep offers similar "value" in terms of sound quality to price. I also love the styling of the Zep, but obviously that's a subjective and personal preference. Unfortunately, I can't compare it to the Sounddock 10 which would be a peer priced product, but given that the Sounddock 10 does not offer wireless streaming (bluetooth or airplay) without the purchase of an additional product, even if the sound is comparable, the Zep Air provides that additional and extremely useful feature. I've read several reviews that complained about Airplay streaming dropping randomly and I have to say I have experienced some streaming drops. There is a pattern to these drops as follows: iPad 2 and Macbook air to Zep = flawless. IPhone 4s to Zep Air problems everytime, but based on my searches of the web, this is a problem with the 4s and Airplay, not the Zep. While this is pretty frustrating, I assume that Apple will take care of this in one of the next updates for the 4s. If I wan't confident about this, I would be on the fence about keeping this product since my main devices for streaming at home are the 4s and the iPad, but I'm confident this will get ironed out. Finally, streaming from iTunes running on a PC (Vaio laptop) = random drops from time to time.

In sum, after trying 3 products during this buying experience (and only planning to spend $300 at the start) I am completely satisfied with the Zeppelin Air despite doubling my budget. If sound quality is a premium for you and you can justify the $600 price point, you should definitely give this product a try.

17 of 20 people found this useful

By far the best sounding dock!

3 of 5 people found this useful

Set up couldn't have been easier and I was playing Dave Brubeck's Take Five within 10 minutes. Bass is clean and sounds are detailed......pure delight!

8 of 10 people found this useful

The setup was quick--following the step-by-step instructions. I was easily able to power up the unit, join my wireless network, and start playing music within 5 minutes of plugging it in. The only problem was when testing the speaker for the first time the sound was apparently set very high--problem woke up a few of my neighbors too early in the morning. In the Zeppelin's defense, the sound was very clear even at such a high level.

My only concern is that the speaker is quite large, though the sound and features won overall and made it easy to accept it into my smaller apartment. I had considered the Zeppelin Mini, but having Airplay built-in and the sound difference made the Zeppelin Air a clear winner. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this speaker to anyone considering it!

10 of 12 people found this useful

I will not bore you with my bonafides as some expert on sound reproduction to justify my positive rating. I'm just like you, I love music. Anyone who would spend $600 on a boombox has to LOVE music! I've also owned a Sounddock for 4 years. It has been a flawless performer and I'll continue to use it for my portable needs. Having said that I can safely say that the Zeppelin outperforms the Sounddock in every way. Imaging, accuracy and sheer volume. The Airplay works fine for me. My Macbook, Ipad and Itouch work well with the Zeppelin. I've only had it for a few days but, so far so good. My Apple Lpssless files recorded from advanced resolution CDs (XRCD, HDCD, SHM-CD, K2HD, Mobile Fidelity, etc.) sound glorious! I must recommend you get one...NOW! Happy listening!!!

8 of 9 people found this useful

The Zeppelin is an excellent speaker set, but it doesn't work with iPhone 4s via AirPlay (check the support forums). Most unfortunately there is no statement from B&W and they do not show any reaction on emails to their support. Very disappointing service for a product in this price range!

18 of 25 people found this useful

Terrible connection issues! The unit sounds great but if you prefer to connect via the home network then forget it, this thing is rubbish!. I cant find a fix anywhere for it so it's going back. This thing costs £500.00 here in the UK. I think I'll go for the Bose instead. Hugely disappointed with the wireless facility :-(

13 of 21 people found this useful