There are few wireless speaker systems that can truly lay claim to having an iconic design — but the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin is one of the rare examples that can.
First introduced way back in 2007 complete with iPod docking station, and re-imagined for the modern streaming age in 2021, a new and improved Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition has just been revealed, looking to elevate the design for the audiophile ears of today.
It’s still, of course, blimp-shaped, with the ovoid speaker floating on a metallic base. And though new colour options are available — Solar Gold and Space Grey, each with a customisable downlight to finish off the sci-fi aesthetic — it’s the internal audio wizardry that will catch the attention of the discerning listener.
The Zeppelin Pro now makes use of Titanium Dome tweeters — the same found in Bowers & Wilkins award-winning 600 Series — kept isolated at either end of the enclosure from the distorting effects of the larger drive units present elsewhere. Another cue taken from Bowers & Wilkins’ floor standing offerings is the use of the proprietary Fixed Suspension Transducer (FST) tech for the 90mm mid-range drivers, which have been “upgraded with increased cone damping, reducing the effects of cone break-up leading to a more open midrange sound.” This is rounded off with a 150mm subwoofer, centrally mounted, for low-end punch.
Add in a revised DSP and, altogether, Bowers & Wilkins promises “an even more revealing, room-filling sound.”
If you’re lucky to find yourself in possession of more than one Zeppelin Pro, each speaker can be used across the home in a multiroom configuration, letting your tunes play anywhere you want throughout your house. And the high-resolution capable Zeppelin Pro is happy enough to play nicely with almost every conceivable wireless format or streaming service, including AirPlay 2, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive, Spotify, Deezer, Last.fm, Qobuz, TIDAL and TuneIn, with the accompanying Bowers & Wilkins Music app letting you control the services from one central hub.
Available to buy today, expect to pay £699 / $799, with the speakers sold direct from the Bowers & Wilkins website.