Eight... AirPlay speakers

Tunes from the wireless

Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Air

The B&W Zeppelin Air has garnered plenty of plaudits since its release last year. But to my ears it’s too heavy on the bass. And those low frequencies are a little muddy, too. There’s plenty of warmth in the overall output, but it’s not what you would call subtle – something you could deduce from the way it looks. Set-up was tiresome. This was the only unit on test which called for the speaker to be connected by Ethernet cable to the router in order to pass it an IP address. It looks stunning, but there are better-sounding AirPlay speakers here.

Reg Rating 75%
Price £499
More info Bowers and Wilkins

JBL On Air

Even at a shade over £200, I wouldn’t buy the On Air for its audio fidelity. It’s not bad, just not as good as say, the Philips or Audyssey. That said, it has plenty of other goodies to offer. There’s an iPhone/ iPod dock, an FM radio and alarm, and an LCD which displays album artwork and track names. That display and the buttons beside it also make the On Air very east to set up. This is definitely one for the bedroom or kitchen, but at this price it has plenty to commend it.

Reg Rating 70%
Price £230
More info JBL