An important point after buying a device Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. This needs to be done for a few simple reasons:
- to know how to use the device correctly
- to know how to maintain / periodically check the correct operation of the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning product
- to know how to behave in the event of a Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning accident
If you have not bought Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First, look at the first pages of the instructions that you will find above. You should find there the most important technical data of Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning - thus you can check whether the equipment meets your requirements. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information you receive about the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning will certainly help you make a purchasing decision.
In a situation where you already own Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning, but you have not read the instructions yet, you need to do it in connection with the above. You will learn then if you correctly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the life of your Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning.
However, one of the most important roles that the service manual performs for the user is to help solve problems with Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Lightning failures and problems along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem yourself, the instructions will tell you the next steps - contact the customer service center or the nearest service center.
- Acoustic system B&W Zeppelin Air
- Power cable
- Ethernet cable
- User's manual
- Remote control
Bower & Wilkins is a well-known company and hardly needs to be introduced. Personally for me (as well as for many) the office is associated with expensive, "pompous" speakers. Of course, there are companies with products that are more expensive, but B&W is a premium brand, whatever one may say.
But this is from a distance. Up close, things are not so good. The site had reviews of both the iPod/iPhone speakers and the P5 headphones. The column was reviewed by Sergey Kuzmin, and as far as his sound reviews seem indetailed to me, he noted the excess bass (even if he wrote it down as a plus). With the P5, the situation is also not very good - here the engineers also tried to squeeze more low frequencies out of a miniature device - in the end everything turned out somehow not very well.
Well, it was all the more interesting to look at something "bigger", namely Zeppelin Air. The "regular" Zeppelin is a well-known thing, but there was no review on the site, so let's jump straight to the new flagship with support for AirPlay technology. This is another Apple invention for transmitting sound wirelessly. A distinctive feature is the ability to transfer Apple Lossless, that is, no clamping in the process (but there is a link to the "apple" infrastructure).
Let's also talk about prices right away. Zeppelin Air costs in Russia from 30 thousand rubles (there are some "muddy" offers for 28 and even 25 thousand - but I would not expect that there is a column for this money). Overseas price is $600 plus tax. If you order from eBay, don’t count on savings especially, the delivery of a heavy package (about 8 kg) will cost a pretty penny. I didn’t find a “regular” Zeppelin for sale anywhere, but, I remember, the price was about the same - so everything is stable and good. Another thing is that not everyone needs AirPlay support.
By the way, the site also had a review of the Klipsch G17 Air system - also with AirPlay support.
Packaging and equipment
A huge package (for comparison, I used an iPhone 4 in the photos), inside there is a column, pieces of paper (instructions, a booklet), a power cord (the usual "eight"), an Ethernet cable.
Nothing more - what else would you like? Maybe a 3.5mm connecting cable, but that's a nitpick.
Appearance and ease of use
Zeppelin looks cool - both in photographs and in real life.
Glossy plastic, fabric - everything is well assembled and fitted, looks like a single whole.
The first thing that attracts attention (after the shape of the speaker) is the solution with the docking station, as if it “hangs” in the air. In terms of reliability, this is not the best solution, but it looks stylish. Mount "continues" in the form of a chrome strip with volume buttons and a power button. On the dock itself there is an LED that displays the operating modes.
On the back there are two phase inverters, power connector, Ethernet, USB, 3.5 mm audio jack, optical RCA connector.
If everything is clear with the minijack and "optics", then I will say a few words about Ethernet and USB. The network connector is required to set up AirPlay and connect to the network (if there is no Wi-Fi router). The USB port is used to update the firmware (you need to connect the speaker to the computer), the latest version is 1.1.3.
Setup and operation
To set up AirPlay, turn off the speaker, unplug the power cable, connect an Ethernet cable to the speaker and computer, turn on the power of the speaker, wait until the devices “find” each other, and enter the IP address 169.254.1.1 in the browser. Next, you can configure the connection to your home Wi-Fi, as well as the “name” of the speaker. Then you need to remember to turn off the speaker, disconnect the Ethernet cable, and then turn on the speaker again and wait a minute - everything will work.
What can I say - I came across a similar one with Klipsch G17 Air, the technique is familiar, except that Air must be completely turned off a couple of times during setup. For a person who is infinitely far from technology, such a process will not be very easy to implement. But with at least a little experience and methodical following of the instructions, everything will be in order.
Problems begin with further use - sometimes, after waking up from sleep mode, the column cannot connect to Wi-Fi, and it has to be turned off and on again.
Remote control
The complete remote control is made in the form of a “pebble”, there are buttons for controlling playback, as well as a button for switching inputs (it is not on the speaker itself, which is strange).
Sound
I guess everything that is said above is much less interesting than how the speaker sounds.
Well, I'm telling you, it sounds good. At this size, you expect a completely different sound. The only real "cant" is the bloated and undetailed bass. I personally do not like this sound, and such "details" immediately spoil the impression. The middle is good and "live", natural, the high frequencies are a bit harsh - but I won't find fault here. By the way, it’s worth playing around with the location of the speaker – in my case, it turned out to change the sound a little. The stereo panorama is wide enough, the column "fills" the room with sound. The detail is good, but not great - on fast tracks, the Air starts to "smear".
Competitors
If we compare the Zeppelin Air with the Klipsch G17 Air - of course, from memory - then Klipsch will win in everything except the vocals - the Air is still more interesting. At a lower price (as a result, the G17 Air costs not 30 thousand, but 18-20 - this is comparable to the price abroad), the product from Klipsch seems to me a more reasonable purchase.
Conclusion
Well, the “airship” looks great, but you can’t “fly” with it - for 30 thousand you expect a much better sound, even though you shouldn’t make such a bass, it corny “ruins” all the advantages. Do not forget about the buggy of the column.
Although, you can talk about the shortcomings as much as you like, the design of the accessory is excellent, and it is thanks to him that the Zeppelin Air will sell, and sell well. Sound quality is not important for everyone, not everyone will notice glitches either (after all, AirPlay is not so easy to set up).
And the acoustic system will look great in the corresponding interior, period. Plus, it's a well-known brand. In short, I wouldn’t buy it for myself (I remind you that I like the G17 more), but you decide.
| Declared characteristics | |
| Model | Zeppelin Air |
| Description | Acoustics for iPod® / iPhone® |
| Specifications | Apple® AirPlay® technology Universal docking port Digital Signal Processing (DSP) digital amplifier Switching power supply USB Audio Streaming from PC/Mac® Synchronization with iPod® / iTunes® Flowport™ port Pool |
| Speakers | 2x 25mm (1.0 in) Nautilus™ aluminum dome tweeters 2x 75mm (3.0 in) midrange drivers 1x 125mm (5.0 in) subwoofer |
| Frequency range | 51Hz - 36kHz ±3dB at reference axis - 6dB at 36Hz and 42kHz |
| Amplifier output power | 2x 25W (tweeters) 2x 25W (midrange) 1x 50W (subwoofer) |
| Supply voltage | 100V - 240V ~ 50/60Hz |
| Consumption (nominal) | 100W |
| Standby consumption | 0.8W |
| Inputs | iPod® / iPhone® (30-pin connector) network (RJ45 Ethernet or Wi-Fi) Aux - analog / optical digital (3.5mm mini jack) Audio streaming, sync, software update (USB 2.0) |
| exits | composite video (RCA Phono) |
| Height | 173mm (6.8in) |
| Width | 640mm (25.2in) |
| Depth | 208mm (8.2in) |
| Net weight | 6.2kg (13.5lb) |
| Frame | Polished black with stainless steel trim |
| Protective grille | black fabric |
| Compatible with Apple | The dock connector works with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPhone, iPod touch (4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st generations), iPod classic, and iPod nano (6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd generations). AirPlay works with iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch (4th, 3rd and 2nd generation) running iOS 4.2 and iTunes 10.1 (Mac and PC) or later. |
The editors thank the store
I am very partial to sound and regular readers know this. To the acoustics of this class, I’ll honestly say that it’s cold, because. after home HiFi, you understand, however, being an ardent admirer of the British company Bowers & Wilkins, I was extremely happy to become the owner of such acoustics, because. the company knows how to do its job, but now is not about that.
Acoustics Zeppelin Air "sharpened" for playing music via AirPlay. As a whole, we got a universal speaker capable of playing sound from Ipod, Iphone and via AirPlay from your Mac.
The design is beyond praise! Elliptical shape, everything is so well assembled. In the hands of the feeling of a heavy expensive device.
The kit comes with a remote control, LAN cable and a bunch of pieces of paper.
Connected Ipod to Zeppelin Air. Easily controlled from the remote control or from the iPod itself.
There is a bunch of useless stuff on the back, why?
LAN necessary for connecting acoustics to a computer and its initial configuration for connecting to a home router.
USB- to connect to a computer in order to update the firmware of acoustics.
AUX- an analog 3.5mm input for connecting is not clear what, because basically now the best players are iPods, but here is such an input.
COMP- video output, if you turn on the clip from your phone, you can output the video signal to the TV.
That's all and it's sad, there is no sound output, but I really wanted to connect a home active subwoofer and try to drive acoustics with it, alas ...
I did the connection like this.
- connected to the macbook directly via LAN, manually indicated the ip 
By typing in the browser 169.254.1.1
got into the control panel, and then not the first time, until I realized that the indicator on the column itself should be red, i.e. it should be in standby mode and not in ON mode and this is important.
As you can see, there is nothing tricky in the settings, we set up a WiFi connection to the home router and this completes the setup.
The second tab shows us which IPs are assigned to the gadget and which firmware version.
So I reserve IP columns in my home router like this:
You can now use Zeppelin Air via AirPlay wirelessly.
Also did not deprive my attention of my favorite program
I checked the possibility of updating the firmware via USB cable - it works without any problems and difficulties. I downloaded the latest firmware version from the site and updated it, everything is simple and clear.
After the update, an updated control panel appeared with the same modest functionality :) 
Column setting method number 2. You can download and install the Bowers & Wilkins Control app and set up using it.
By sound
Speakers:
2x 25mm (1.0 in) Nautilus™ aluminum dome tweeters
2x 75mm (3.0 in) midrange drivers
1x 125mm (5.0 in) subwoofer
Frequency range:
51Hz - 36kHz ±3dB at reference axis
- 6dB at 36Hz and 42kHz
Power:
2x 25W (tweeters)
2x 25W (midrange)
1x 50W (subwoofer)
30 pin connector compatible with:(there is a Zeppelin Air version with a light-in connector)
iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPhone, iPod touch (4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st generations), iPod classic, and iPod nano (6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd generations).
AirPlay works with iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch (4th, 3rd and 2nd generation) running iOS 4.2 and iTunes 10.1 (Mac and PC) or later.
The speaker sounds very decent, the bass is soft and audible, the middle and top are present, there is airiness, but the volume is not enough, unless of course compared with homework.
In general, a very good home solution, especially for design lovers, however, given the price of $ 1000, you can definitely assemble the sound yourself much better, but not more functional. Therefore, the design, usability and functionality can be rated a solid 5, although I was personally upset by the lack of an audio output. The sound for portability is definitely 5, but this is not talking about HiFi.
Most recently, we reported on the announcement of the updated Zeppelin Wireless speaker from Bowers & Wilkins. She's already with us!
The hero of today's review is the direct successor of the Zeppelin Air model, which two years ago was one of the few speakers that support the technology Airplay from Apple. This was not only an advantage, but also a disadvantage, because the device did not recognize other wireless connection protocols.
In Zeppelin Wireless, this annoying miscalculation has been corrected: now, in addition to the "apple" method of sound transmission, Bluetooth(with aptX codec support) and Spotify Connect.
But we will start, as usual, with the appearance. The form has remained the same: it is still the same black "blimp", incredibly stylish and fits perfectly into the interior.
Immediately striking is the lack of a docking station for the iPhone, which was in the previous model. Along with it, the silver stripe in the middle also disappeared. In my opinion, the device only benefited from this in terms of design - it has become more solid and strict. A direct smartphone connection can be replaced by one of the many ways.
The front side is covered with high-quality fabric covering the speakers. The back surface has turned from glossy to matte, which is also a definite plus: fingerprints are not so noticeable.
Bowers Wilkins Zeppelin Air Wireless
The phase inverter holes also disappeared without a trace. The volume and playback buttons have been redesigned and moved to the top of the rear panel. Despite this, it is convenient to press them when the speaker is facing you.
Also at the back are two more buttons (Power and Reset) and four ports: power, AUX, microUSB for service and Ethernet. The latter, to be honest, looks like some kind of archaism: it is unlikely that anyone will connect the speaker to the home network using a network cable - everyone has had Wi-Fi for a long time.
Connection
The easiest way to connect Zeppelin Wireless to a sound source that has an analog output is wired, ie. a regular analog cable with 3.5 mm jacks - to the AUX connector. We connect one end to the port on the rear panel, and the other to a smartphone, tablet, or whatever your heart desires. The speaker will automatically switch to the appropriate mode, which will be signaled by the glowing white inscription AUX on the front to the left of the Bowers & Wilkins logo.
But the eloquent word Wireless in the title, of course, implies a wireless connection. To connect a device via Bluetooth, just press and hold the blue tooth button for a couple of seconds to activate the pairing mode (this should only be done the first time you connect). After the beep, it remains to select the column in the list of devices on the smartphone. Ready!
It is a little more difficult to connect the speaker to your home Wi-Fi network. This is required if you want to stream music to your device via AirPlay or Spotify Connect. Let's take a look at the process using the Bowers & Wilkins Connect app for iOS as an example.
After downloading the application, you must select Zeppelin Wireless from the list of devices, turn off the column, pull out all cables (except for power) and turn it on again. Then we select our network and wait about a minute.
After a successful connection, the application immediately offers to download and install the latest firmware.
The update has been successfully completed, now you can stream music from any Apple device. By the way, the above setup can also be done on Mac and Windows by downloading the corresponding applications from the official website. But Android users will have to perform these actions through a web interface in a browser.
You'll need a premium subscription to use Spotify Connect, but there's nothing stopping you from using the Spotify app with AirPlay or Bluetooth.
It will be loud!
The company's engineers have worked not only on the appearance and functionality, but also did everything possible to improve the sound. Responsible for it 5 speakers: two 25-watt tweeters and a mid-range driver, as well as a powerful 6-inch subwoofer with a power of 50 watts. Each speaker has its own Class D amplifier.
The front panel of the case has become 50% thicker, which, according to the developers, has a great effect on sound by suppressing unwanted vibrations. And this is very handy, because This system has plenty of power..
Column plays very loud. For an average room, a volume level of 75% will be sufficient. But if you want to pump sound into a larger room, the Zeppelin Wireless won't let you down either. Thanks to a powerful DSP processor, excellent detail is maintained even at high volumes without extraneous wheezing and humming bass.
The sound of the device is very clear and balanced. All frequencies play as expected, except that a slight prevalence of the low-frequency range is noticeable. By the way, the placement of the device in the room plays a big role, so you should pay special attention to this process and experiment a little.
Specifications
- Drivers: 2x25mm double dome tweeters (2x25W), 2x90mm FST midrange drivers (2x25W), 1x150mm woofer (50W)
- Frequency range: 44 Hz - 28 kHz
- Supply voltage: 100V - 240V - 50/60 Hz
- Consumption: Sleep - less than 1.5 W, Standby - less than 0.3 W
- Inputs: Ethernet, AUX, microUSB
- Dimensions: 188x660x183 mm
- Weight: 6.5 kg
The new creation of Bowers & Wilkins will appeal to fans of cool design and loud, high-quality sound. The column looks like an alien spaceship, but at the same time it fits very harmoniously into the interior. With a wide range of connection options, you can connect Zeppelin Wireless to most modern devices and enjoy your favorite music wirelessly.
Do you know about Bowers & Wilkins. No other is given. And today you will learn even more. B&W A5 is a wireless home speaker with great, balanced sound designed for Apple devices. Minimalist, strict, carefully thought out. Everything we love.
The Bowers & Wilkins A5 is tailor-made for those who listen music, not frequencies. For those who love listen rather than hear. Deep bass adepts go by because this league of sound is higher. In the literal and figurative sense. A guest from Europe sounds gallant and honest in English. Now we will tell about it.
Look
Modesty adorns. But do not confuse modesty and stinginess. The Bowers & Wilkins A5 column is not from a defiant series, because it has something to be proud of. Forget about crazy colors, surreal shapes designed to hook on an impulsive purchase. The A5 is an all-black body minus the mild aluminum. So it is necessary.
Acoustic fabric wraps around the oval body, converging behind the round recess of the phase reflex. The sheet of fabric lies firmly, does not gather, does not wrinkle, and internal dynamics are not visible through it. The rubberized stand absorbs excess sound vibrations.
The oval aluminum panel with circular perforations is the only truly decorative element - it does not perform any function. And it's also the hallmark of B&W speakers, whether it's MM-1, A5 or A7.
The aluminum strip is eye-catching, and for good reason. It has physical buttons for turning on the speaker and adjusting the volume. In a miniature recess on the left side, an LED is embedded that communicates with the owner with color signals: purple when connected to AirPlay, yellow during initial setup and red in standby mode.
All other actions - for example, switching tracks - you will perform through the proprietary oval remote control included with the B&W A5.
From legendary to glorious, Bowers & Wilkins knows how to design. Applied with a laser.
Connect
All connectors in the B&W A5 are located at the back, under the matte block crowning the bass-reflex channel. There is ethernet to connect to a router or home network, AUX input for minijack cables and a port for the power supply. The block itself is external, two-segment, and the total length of the cable from the socket to the speaker is at least two meters. This is because the A5 does not have its own battery, and it runs exclusively on mains power. You still should not carry this column with you - it weighs three and a half kilograms.
You can connect any device to the A5 thanks to the AUX input, from players to home appliances. However, if you have an Apple device, it is much easier and more convenient to use wireless connection via AirPlay. The main purpose of this column is to play music from any “correct” device in the house in two clicks, wherever it is.
Yes, Bluetooth it doesn’t smell here, but you don’t need to miss it. The weak point of BT is the decrease in sound quality when transferring a recording from a device to a speaker. You also need to regularly turn on the transmitter on iOS, do not go out of range, monitor battery drain ... AirPlay does not suffer from these limitations: as long as the A5 and your iPhone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, everything else does not concern you.
For the initial setup of the column, you need to download a proprietary application Bowers & Wilkins Control from the App Store [link]. There is no equalizer and other toys. Instead, the program guides the user through the configuration steps: you set a name for the new speaker, make friends with your home Wi-Fi, and, if desired, register the product on the official website. You can also link several B&W speakers into a single network, and then synchronously play music in different rooms of the apartment.
Please note that you do not need to run the program or store it at all in order to connect to the Bowers & Wilkins P5 in the future. Enough to open "Control point" (Control Center) on iOS 7 or click on the icon Airplay in the status bar on your Mac. Your new column will appear in the list. You select it - and the sound from the device is redirected automatically.
Listen
The modest shape of the B&W A5 hides many surprises. Two 25mm load tubes are responsible for high frequencies in this model. Nautilius, which in themselves look unusual. You will not be able to see them without violating the integrity of the column. Judging by the images from the manufacturer, this is the legacy of the speakers of the same name Nautilius whose appearance is impossible to forget. Their power is 20 watts each.
The A5 system is designed to give the highest quality audio files sound airy and open. Speakers from M-1 satellites, anti-resonance cap and port dimples flowports combined with a high-quality DAC and a powerful processor, the digital signal does not spoil the distortion and fills the whole room.
Engineers know what they are doing. Two 100-mm speakers with a power of 20 watts are responsible for the mid and low frequencies. A separate subwoofer, as in the flagship A7, is not provided - but you should not be upset about this.
Due to the well-thought-out design, B&W A5 well play the full spectrum of frequencies without strong accents on something specific. The highs are crisp and clear, the mids are bright and detailed, and the lows are fast but neutral. Live sound is achieved due to the lack of unnecessarily deep and booming bass, which is commonly expected from portable speakers. Mass audience purchasing Beats by Dr. Dre, is unlikely to be satisfied with how restrained and soft A5 play. Serve: this product is not for them. After all, a good wedge sound did not converge at low frequencies alone.
Bowers & Wilkins A5 proved to be excellent in popular genres of music, coping with heavy dance tracks with dignity: they emphasized how melodious the tracks of the Russian group Tesla boy…
...and the chaotic technicality of famous guys from Israel - Infected Mushroom:
B&W A5 also do not "choke" from hard rock and do not make noise up to the highest volume. At maximum power, the A5 case begins to rattle easily, as if the speaker can no longer cope with its own speakers. On the one hand, this is a minus - but on the other hand, at such a volume, you run the risk of becoming deaf along with guests and even neighbors. The stock of this very volume, by the way, is very large.
When jazz or instrumental tracks are played through the A5, it is difficult for her to find equals among portable acoustics. Except A7, of course. It is possible that Bowers & Wilkins intentionally achieved a neutral frequency balance, knowing the preferences of the target audience. Due to the absence of inadequate bass, which prevails in low- and middle-class portable acoustics, B&W A5 can be listened to for a very long time - without fatigue and tension.
enjoy
