There are only a handful of audio products that could be called iconic. But Bowers & Wilkins' Zeppelin, which first appeared as the ultimate iPod dock – remember those? – returned as a reworked Zeppelin just three years ago. It was instantly one of the best wireless speakers upon release and, in my mind, remains an icon today.
But Bowers & Wilkins wasn't content with stopping there, so I was invited along to a listening room in London where the brand was showing off its latest: the Zeppelin Pro. So what exactly is so 'pro' about this upgraded speaker, what new features does it offer, and does it sound every bit as dreamy as its new Solar Gold finish (pictured) looks?
What's new?
In the shot above you can see the 2021 Zeppelin, finished in black, lurking behind the Zeppelin Pro. Struggling to tell the difference? That's because they are exactly the same size, the physical nature of both products is identical – on the exterior anyway.
It's what's inside where Bowers & Wilkins has gone to work, though, boosting the audio platform and making it "more grown up". Inside there are five speakers – one 150mm woofer, two 90mm midrange drivers and one 25mm tweeter – which, from a size perspective, are an echo of what's also in the original Zeppelin.
The changes are subtle: it's out with the aluminium tweeter of old and in with the titanium dome tweeter (as found in the 607 floor-standing speakers), while the midrange drivers have a new anti-resonance plug, revised motor and damping – to achieve less distortion.
In addition to the Solar Gold finish (there's also Midnight Sky – which I'd call 'black'), the downlight at the front of the product can now be adjusted to output different colours – as selected from the associated app. And, interestingly enough, Amazon Alexa has been banished from the Pro – there's no voice assistant of any kind baked in because apparently too few Zeppelin owners used it.
Sounds like a dream
At our listening session, I got to hear all manner of tracks to give a wide range of audio experiences – from Heaven by The National, to Big Bw by Fat Freddy's Drop and A Foggy Day by Oscar Peterson.
All sounded exquisite in A-B testing against the original Zeppelin, with the bass being given a little more room, vocals (where present) having a marginal greater clearance in the mix, and, to my ears, the high-end actually being more rolled-off compared to the original speaker in my view.
All in all, that makes the Zeppelin Pro a dream for those who love clear, crisp vocals that can resonate with your feelings – and not the speaker itself! It's a coherent listen overall, nicely expressive, while louder tracks – the thumping drums of James Blake's Fall Back cutting through – are delivered assertively.
Side by side I feel the listening experience is a subtle upgrade. This isn't going to be a reason to bin that Zeppelin you already own, it's aimed at bringing the Zeppelin Pro's sound profile more into line with Bowers & Wilkins' full product catalogue.
Looks like a dream too
Visually, though, the Zeppelin Pro's looks are undeniably iconic. The cloth-covered speaker is designed as to be standalone only – you can't pair multiples in stereo, but you can set up multiples as part of a multi-room system – and I think it'll be the focal point of any living room.
That new downlight adjustment is a bit of fun, with the orange one in my hands-on pictures complementing the new Solar Gold finish nicely. It's a caramel-gold colour, which the mixed lighting in these pictures might not convey with absolute accuracy, but it's just the right side of beige to be an attractive future classic.
The plinth isn't included, that was just for demo experiences, but the footing of the Zeppelin Pro means it'll sit firmly on any flat surface and look the part whilst doing so. There are some out-of-sight controls sat towards the curve at the top, so if you're not using the app you can physically intervene.
Conclusion
Overall, the Zeppelin Pro is a subtle upgrade over the Zeppelin from three years ago. The Pro model aims to be a more grown up listen, and I think its internal upgrades see the speaker fit more naturally into Bowers & Wilkins' product portfolio.
It's done so without a price increase, too, with the £699 / $799 asking price remaining reasonable for a speaker of this kind. The only loss to speak of, really, is Amazon Alexa – but using app controls over voice input gets my vote. If that's a deal-breaker then it's worth considering the previous Zeppelin model, which is on sale in various outlets at present.
