Customer Reviews

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Loudspeaker Dock System for iPod and MP3 Players

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you go to the B&W website, you'll see that the Zeppelin has won several awards and rightfully so. The little details on this bad boy set it apart from the rest. Here's my take on it.

I like the chrome trim down the middle that discretely contains the power switch and volume up & down buttons. The sound quality and fit and finishes remind me of Bang & Olufson stereos in the 90's. It feels very heavy and sturdy. The packing was well done too.

Is it just me or am I the only one that doesn't like being surrounded by 4 towers speakers, a center channel, stereo components, and subwoofer? Not to mention the tons of wires going between all those things. I cleared out the surround system in the living room and bedroom and I feel a lot happier. Simple is better and Zeppelin hit it on the mark in the style and simplicity category. I also like that there isn't a huge power adapter eyesore; just one cord.

There's a line in jack on the Zeppelin, so it would be a great speaker for a flat panel tv as well. What a clean setup that would be sitting on the glass open shelf of a black BDI Vista stand. Reminds me of that Audi commercial where the camera goes around the room as furniture gets replaced with modern furniture.

I was a bit concerned that there is no subwoofer out jack but the Zeppelin turned out to be loud enough for my bedroom. If one really wants to attach a subwoofer, it would be possible to add a Y cable to splice the line in so it goes to both the Zeppelin and the subwoofer. One could link an ipod or other auxiliary source that way. However, it is not possible to add a subwoofer when an ipod is playing in the holder.

The shape of the speaker really disperses the sound well. The sound that comes out of the Zeppelin is very interesting. I'm sitting here 90 degrees to the side of it but the sound is coming at me rather directly and the highs are not muted like feeling like I'm behind the speaker.

I bought the unit for $493 new as a buy it now including shipping on that other bay. In this economy there are still great deals out there.

The speakers are everything the other reviewers have commented on, and more. I am upgrading from an Apple iPod HiFi (not a shabby speaker itself), but this is better, both sound and design. Note that only the Z-2 version of the Zeppelin is fully iPhone compatible (the older Z-1 will pop up the annoying "Airplane mode" warning, but still have good sound quality). According to B+W support, the version on this web site is currently not a Z-2. I suggest contacting them before purchasing, since that will undoubtedly change.

Let me say right away I would give this six stars if I could for sound quality and opinion it's a good looking piece. That being said I do have a couple of grips....1st, when you turn it on(everytime) it makes a popping noise, this is not a big deal for me but be aware. 2ndly, while it is possible to play Pandora Radio you have to use the aux port on back and plug it in the headphone jack on your ipod. All this being said this (by far) is the best sounding dock i've tried and I tried ALOT of them. As far as the price..[...] is a little steep but trust me you get what you pay for, i'm a cheap b*****d and don't regret a thing.

Pro:
1, There would be no electricity noise AT ALL when you pause the music, which is a common problem in most speakers in the market even in Bose Companion 5 (I should know, had it before).

2, Music sounds continuous and balanced because it has 4 speakers and one bass in the middle

3, Easy to connect to ipod iphone and computers.

4, They also have firmware upgrade.

Cons:
1, The remote is not very sensitive. It would work fine if pointed directly at the front of the Zeppelin, but would struggle from the sides or if facing away from the Zeppelin.

2, There would only be a power cord in the box. If you want to connect to computers or other thing like CD player, you need to get your own cord which is easy to get at radio-shack.

Arguably, the best sounding boom box in history. The sound is super balanced. Much more honest to the source (less artificial) compare to the other products, including apple ipod speaker, Bose etc. I can call Zeppelin a true audiophile grade product. Midrange is very intimate, high is not harsh but very extended, bass is not boomy and has realistic weight. I wish the design was less design conscious. It has too much attitude in my living room.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Loudspeaker Dock System for iPod and MP3 Players (Silver/Black)

Got this one month ago!! Have not had a single day without total pleasure!! Excellent built quality and the sound is so so good! Its crisp,, loud when needed,, easy to use,, and more!!! It can replace many bulky speakers we all own! Its a beauty to see it on a stand ,, even when its not playing!
It is a bit heavy so carrying around is a bit difficult also given there is no handle ( But I carry it like a child - and aint complaining at all!!) Its been the center of attraction when ever i've taken her out!!

You will need to re-rip your CD library if you are to really enjoy good music!! And beleive me you will!! I've spent almost the last month re-ripping my library of 40,000+ songs!!! So this baby does make you spend more time at home!! Also I note it is even better when I stream the music from my MAC,, so thats a recommendation!

All in all 5 stars!! BUY IT!! It sure will please you for years to come!!

I ordered one on Dec. 22nd and Amzon delivered in 2 days without extra charge. Thanks.
Product is designed in U.K. assembled in China. Look real good and sound real good. Perform very well with voice but you will hear bit of metal sound for piano music. I believe the sound quality will be improved after certain period of aging. Stronly recommended if the sound quality is as important as the design. Most of High-end speaker do not have EQ software because it try to reproduce the original recording quality without any modification. This system also charge you iPod real fast! The only reason for 4 star is the material and design of the iPod connection part(unsecure light black plastic and cheap looking metal)need to be improved. I love it.

Thanks to the new iPhone 2.x Firmware, my previous systems, the Apple iHiFi and the Griffin amplifi do not work anymore. Not only is the cellular cross transmission bad also the charging has been disabled. Looking for a new system, I was able to test the B&W Zeppelin in the store and it did not only works perfect with teh iPhone, but it does not have the cellular signal issue (I have found out that B&W did not cut corners and used shielded wiring) and it still charges the iPhone. It's sound is crips and clear. If the iPhone EQ is used the "added bass" setting makes it sound to over the top. I can only highly recommend this system.

I just purchased Zeppelin for my brother, who is a professional classic guitarist. Although I did not hear his personal opinion, I already know what he is going to say. As an audiophilia myself, I alwasy have pursued to hear the best quality sound relative to my budget. This little (it is bigger and heavier than it looks.) system made my day! Sidenote: Please, don't compare this to Bose. THIS IS B&W!

We got our Zeppelin in December 2007 not long after it came out. I'm still amazed every time it's in use how good it sounds. You want to look over and make sure it's really that little thing that plays so well.

We use it with our iPods (Classic and Nano) and iPhones and from iTunes via an Airport Express connected via the optical input.

Only downside is that we keep misplacing the remote, but since you can easily control the iPod while it's docked it's not such a big deal. There are three ways to control the volume: on the controls on top, from the remote and directly on the iPod/iPhone.

Unlikely most other iPod speaker systems B&W also make firmware updates for the speakers to make sure the system stays compatible with new iPods and iPhones.