Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin smart speaker review: is this $800 speaker really worth the price??
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- Get one here: amzn.to/38skaQt
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I love getting suggestions for new reviews from my RUclips audience… and this one is one a few of you have asked me to try… this is the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin.
In this review I’ll take a look at what this speaker is, what it can do, how it sounds and if I think it’s a good pick for you.
What is Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin?
Simply put this is a premium connected speaker with the option of adding Alexa voice control. It’s designed to be a bigger, louder and more beautiful alternative to the standard smart speaker or digital assistant device. It’s AC powered, but can play music wirelessly using Bluetooth, or AirPlay.
It may be important to point out this is a big and heavy speaker, so you’ll want a special place to show it off, that’s stable. It weighs about 6.5 kg or 14.5 pounds.
For those looking for the details on this speaker:
HF 2x 25mm (1”) Double dome tweeters
MF 2x 90mm (3 1⁄2”) FST midrange
LF 1x 150mm (6”) Subwoofer
Set up Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin
The setup process for the speaker was a breeze; plug it in and it will be in pairing mode. You can download the Bowers & Wilkins Music app for remote control and additional functions. Tap to add your speaker into the app and in seconds it will find the speaker and connect.
Integrated adjustable LED light
One of the cool extra touches as part of the speaker is the Undermount LED that almost makes the speaker it look like it's floating on soft light. You can turn the LED light on or off, and adjust its brightness to suit your room or your mood. It glows a soft whitish blue, but won't turn any colors.
Setting up Amazon Alexa
If you want to take advantage of the smarts of a digital voice assistant, and add it as one of the speakers in your smart home, you’ll want to set up Alexa.
Using Alexa will allow you to treat your Zeppelin as if it were a smart home speaker; asking questions, setting timers, making lists, and controlling other smart home gadgets.
Getting this set up happens inside the bowers and Wilkins app; just tap on the Alexa button then follow the on-screen instructions to sign into your Amazon account, and link these two services. From there, you'll be able to talk to your Zeppelin speaker and ask it to play music, adjust volume, and lots more.
With your speaker connected to Alexa you can play music on one speaker or the whole house. Bowers & Wilkins says the system will be upgradable too, as new music services or technologies are added. It does not appear, however that it has Google Assistant contreol.
Playing music
There are three ways to play music; you can use the Bowers & Wilkins Music app to choose music and play, pause and navigate your music using Bluetooth. You can use your iPhone and Apple Airplay if you’re an Apple user, and you can use voice control to ask Alexa to play music using one of her approved connected services. (it should be pointed out here that it's not possible to use Apple Music with this speaker if you’re using Alexa voice control. You can use AirPlay from your phone, but not Alexa voice control. It seems kind of weird, but I guess Airplaying from your Apple Music app is the workaround.
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin: audio quality
One of the first things I noticed is that this speaker is not just room-filling; it’s house filling. At this size, perhaps that’s not surprising, but it gets quite loud. At about one-third volume, it’s plenty loud enough to head from another room; and almost too loud to sit close to.
It’s got bass you can feel; with a vibrant thrum, you get all the low end you could ask for and then some. The highs and the mids are clear and delicate and the vocals come across wonderfully.
Volume stops?
One wee oddity I did notice is that when using Alexa to control volume, the steps between each level are huge. Asking Alexa to turn the volume down “a little” makes it too quiet, and asking her to turn it up makes it too loud too fast. I needed to use either my phone or the buttons on the speaker to gain more subtle ups and downs.
Overall review
Overall this speaker is a beautiful addition to my home. It’s gorgeous lines are modern but unique, and it looks sculptural and sexy.
It was a breeze to set up, and Alexa connects easily for seamless, helpful voice control. And the sound quality makes it one of the best and most powerful speakers I’ve head in a long time.
Downsides? Perhaps just that wee oddity where Alexa’s control over the volume stops makes them too big a jump. I’m hopeful this is a software thing that can be remedied in a future firmware update.
Overall I can definitely recommend the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin for you and your smart home.
It sells for about $899USD and you can get it from Bowers & Wilkins website or on Amazon. 
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Hi Erin,another great review! I'd love one of these but very expensive here in the UK!😘
Thanks Tony!
Thx u. Great info.
Nice review. I just ordered the Zeppelin on sale for $599 US dollars. Looking forward to receiving it this week.
Sweet, enjoy!
Zeppelin arrived this afternoon. Looks sounds real nice!
How's the bass?
Thanks Erin. Good looking speaker.
Glad you like it!
Hi Erin. I have one of these speakers and you're having problems with the volume control if you ask Alexa to turn the volume up she generally turns up in quite large increments but if you say Alexa turn the volume up to 20% and so on you should find that helps
Thanks!
Erin great review! How does this compare to Naim Orb muso cube ? You did earn a new subscriber by the way 🤗
Thank you so much Steven! Now you have vexed me with a new product I have not heard of… I will have to look that cube up. Thanks for subscribing and I look forward to seeing you in my feed.
How much better is the Formation Wedge than the Zeppelin?
Since you've reviewed the Echo Studio, how does this speaker compare in sound? This looks to be slightly bigger, but that doesn't always mean better quality. So, since it wasn't mentioned in this review, was curious if you've compared them.
Interesting idea for a comparison…I’d have to dig my old studio out for a side by side sesh.
@@ErinLawrenceTV The Studio has gotten quite good as Amazon has released firmware updates. I had issues with it for a couple months, but the most recent firmware update within the last couple weeks seems to have fixed the issues I had started having with it. The audio seems more balanced as well. So, before you do the comparison make sure you have the latest firmware, and also disable the spatial audio enhancement for the studio, so the devices are on more equal ground.
I actually just tested this out in the store in comparison to the Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20. Needless to say, the Beolit 20 blew this speaker out of the water & for a lot less $$$$. I was so disappointed to see this speaker (B&W) end up being such a disappointment! I really wanted to like it but it just didn’t hold up. Clarity was good, but bass & mids just weren’t hitting the target.
Sorry to hear that.
Mr Rossi. You have never tested Zeppelin 2022 on that case.
Great review, Erin but the price is daunting.
Definitely! Thanks for watching ☺️
In that case, just get a used Zeppelin or Zeppelin Mini. Im quite sure you can't hear the difference most of the time. I have got mine from a garage sales.
Can I use it with my smart TV?
Not as far as I know.
Come on Erin! Why would you spend $900 on a single smart speaker. I would think for $900, you could buy a fairly decent soundbar with speakers, and accomplish much more.
We could do both couldn’t we? 🤣😎
I like the sound but they use the cheapest capacitors that make this unit unreliable.
Just to let you know, this video has been stolen by the channel "Unbox N Review".
Thanks for letting me know Steve. Much appreciated.
its not very good . iv had one !
This is a crap speaker for the money.
What’s been your experience with it?