Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Air speakers

iPod dock with AirPlay for high flyers

Wed 30 Mar 2011 // 06:00 UTC

Sound investment?

AirPlay generally worked fine, but there were occasional glitches where the music would occasionally stutter, though it never stopped altogether. It’s the sort of thing that tends to happen with wireless devices, especially if you have other gear running on your network or site the Zeppelin Air at the opposite end of the house from your router – it’s not a major issue, but shows that using AirPlay is only as robust as your Wi-Fi network.

Ethernet is also a built-in for option for streaming, but there's no Internet radio

Verdict

No doubt about it, the Zeppelin Air ain’t cheap, costing a full £100 more than the original did when it was released three years ago. Yet its stylishness endures, it still sounds great, and now comes with added AirPlay, though there’s still no option for radio or Internet radio, despite the Wi-Fi connection. The enhancements in audio quality probably won’t be enough to justify trading in your old Zeppelin for the new one, but the addition of AirPlay gives you a much more flexible multi-room option, especially if you have more music on your computer than you can fit on your iPod. ®