Zeppelin Pro: B&W's connected speaker takes on a new musical flight
Since 2008, Bowers & Wilkins has positioned itself in the all-in-one speaker market with its iconic Zeppelin, which combines sound performance and premium design. Initially designed to ride the democratization of MP3 players, the first generation proudly displayed an iPod dock. The Zeppelin was then modernized over the years, getting rid of obsolete accessories to include Wi-Fi connectivity, compatibility with voice assistants, etc.
The Zeppelin is still in the Bowers & Wilkins catalog, with its latest version marketed in 2021. Building on its success, the British brand is today unveiling a new and improved edition. Taking its iconic oval design, the Zeppelin Pro is at first glance identical to its predecessor. However, it has new downlighting, the color and brightness of which can be adjusted according to the user's preferences. Bowers & Wilkins also announces two new finishes called Solar Gold and Space Grey, as always both sober and refined.
Improved lighting system and sound performance
The Zeppelin Pro owes its evolution to a revisited acoustic architecture accompanied by a new DSP. Bowers & Wilkins actually announces better sound performance thanks to the integration of titanium tweeters borrowed from the 600 S3 series hi-fi speakers. Arranged at the ends of the enclosure, these units dedicated to the treble would be insensitive to the vibrations generated by the other speakers.
Like the previous iteration, the Zeppelin Pro features 90mm bass/midrange drivers combined with FST technology. The brand would however have taken care to improve the damping of their cone with the aim of obtaining a medium ” more open “. The bass is still entrusted to a 150 mm woofer which has also been optimized. It would now benefit from a better controlled excursion allowing it to deliver bass “ sharper and more precise “.
Connectivity remains unchanged, with AirPlay 2, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive and Spotify Connect compatibility. Plus, Zeppelin Pro still works in concert with the Bowers & Wilkins Music app. The latter centralizes all streaming services and allows the speaker to be integrated into a multiroom ecosystem made up of compatible devices, in particular.
The Zeppelin Pro all-in-one speaker is already available for €799. No price increase is therefore to be noted. A good point considering the sound improvements promised by Bowers & Wilkins.
