PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
When you make speakers that would be more at home on the set of Aliens than your average three bed semi, your iPod speaker is going to look a bit different. But can the Zeppelin from Bowers and Wilkins offer more than just interesting looks?
Looking like an airship from the 1930s, the weighty speaker system is covered in the same cloth that you used to find on your hi-fi speakers, giving it a matt texture rather than one of glossy bling.
Hovering in front of the speaker system on its own silver plinth is the iPod cradle. Designed to take all sizes of the Apple music player, a slightly flexible base means that smaller, thinner players won’t look out of place and are held snugly in place against the rubber covered stand plate at the rear.
Around the back there are a handful of connections: Composite, USB, S-Video and AUX for those wanting to connect it to a device other than the iPod or to a PC/Mac for transferring songs to and from the iPod.
Included in the box is the standard remote control that allows you basic playback controls as well as the ability to switch the input. For once the remote actually looks the part rather than something that has come straight out of a Chinese knocking shop and it’s shaped like a pebble to give you some sense of belonging to the Zeppelin.
When it comes to performance, the Zeppelin works hard to justify its £400 price tag, providing a loud but clear sound. The performance is thanks to Zeppelin’s mid range driver and tweeters, which have been derived directly from those in B&W’s Mini Theatre. You’ll also get an internal subwoofer driver, centrally located in the deepest part of the Zeppelin’s enclosure.
If you are looking to bring down the house, the Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin is a thing of beauty both in looks and sound.
