Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin review

The Zeppelin automatically accepts any AC power from 100V to 240V, so it'll work anywhere in the world (North American models, naturally, come with a standard two-prong AC cable). The 30-pin docking port accepts all recent generation iPods and iPhones, but--like all iPod accessories--compatibility can be somewhat uneven. For instance, our third-generation 15GB iPod had no trouble playing music, but its battery wouldn't recharge while in the dock; later models, such as our second-generation 8GB Nano and fifth-generation video iPod, worked fine.

Previously, newer iPod Nano (third generation) and iPod Classic models couldn't take full advantage of the Zeppelin's features. As of the 1.0.3 (fall 2007) Apple firmware update, however, both models should be able to display the volume changes made through the Zeppelin and show the "speakers" menu when plugged in. The latter menu item offers tone control (five-position bass adjustment), backlight toggle (you can have it stay permanently lit when mounted on the Zeppelin), and large album art toggle (for easier viewing at a distance).

A bigger issue--again, not limited to the Zeppelin--is some incompatibility problems with the latest iPod Nano (third generation) and iPod Classic models. As noted on Bowers & Wilkins' Web site, these models currently have the following shortfalls:

• Volume changes made by Zeppelin's own controls are not shown by the volume bar on the iPod's screen.
• The extra speakers item in the iPod's main menu does not pop up when the iPod is docked in the Zeppelin. This prevents users from accessing the Zeppelin's variable bass level menu.

B&W's site goes on to say that "Apple has been made aware of these issues and is working on a patch to the iPod's firmware" due before the end of October 2007.

Other iPods should be able to access the full panoply of features, including the Zeppelin's "Speaker" menu, which offers a five-position bass EQ to tune response for system placement or individual preference.

With its hefty price tag, we were disappointed by the Zeppelin's dearth of step-up features: it lacks the AM/FM radio found on many competing models (the $500 Polk Audio I-Sonic Entertainment System 2, for instance, adds HD Radio as well). And the sort of wireless remote found on the Chestnut Hill George would've gone a long way to taking a bit of the sting out of that $600 price tag.

Performance
Antony and the Johnsons I Am a Bird Now sounded better over the Zeppelin than any iPod speaker we've tested to date. Antony's soaring vocals reached for the heavens, the band's acoustic accompaniment was very natural. Guitars and various string instruments were remarkably clear. Stereo separation, limited by the Zeppelin's two-foot width, wasn't any better than we've heard from other similar stubby single-enclosure speakers (the Bose SoundDock, the aforementioned Chestnut Hill George, Cambridge SoundWorks 745i, and so forth). The Zeppelin sounded best when we were sitting within three or four feet of it, much farther than that, and it started to sound, well, like an iPod speaker.

Piano jazz with Duke Ellington highlighted the Zeppelin's refined qualities. The piano, bass, and drums were all vivid, but their sound was miniaturized by the Zeppelin. The speaker's weaknesses were further revealed when we switched to heavier hitting genres. The quieter tunes on Arcade Fire's Neon Bible CD sounded great--the speaker delivers more, if not better, bass than the vast majority of its more affordable competitors. But when the band starts to work up a sweat, the Zeppelin's bass turned muddy. Turning up the volume certainly didn't help matters, but it will get fairly loud.

We couldn't resist cranking a few Led Zeppelin tunes over the B&W, but the sound fell flat. The speaker doesn't have the power to put across heavy metal with any real conviction, and the more we pushed the Zeppelin's volume, the less we liked it. The same was true on more pop-oriented songs like Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right"--the B&W was fine at medium volume, but strained at higher volume levels. Contrast that to the late, great Klipsch iFi--the 2.1 iPod speaker system will never compete with the B&W for looks, but it's still a clear-cut winner for overall sound quality.

Conclusion
The Zeppelin is an undeniably great iPod speaker: it looks amazing, and is far better built than most competing models, which are little more than hunks of plastic. But the hefty price tag and the B&W name may have raised our level of expectations to an almost unreachable level. For an iPod speaker, the overall sound quality is impressive, but it suffers when the material moves away from acoustic and instrumental music to harder-driving rock and hip-hop. If your musical tastes run to more mellow music--and you're looking to invest in an audio objet d'art--the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin may be just the ticket.