Bowers and Wilkins has updated its popular Zeppelin Air sound system for iPhones and iPods with Apple’s new Lightning connector. The refreshed model will continue to be sold alongside the legacy 30-pin version for the time being. The company has also introduced a new Lightning port-equipped speaker, the Z2, that sits below the Zeppelin Air in its lineup.
In addition to the updated dock, the Zeppelin Air also incorporates Apple’s AirPlay technology for lossless audio over the air. The device works wirelessly with all of Apple’s AirPlay equipped mobile devices including iPhones, iPods and iPads, along with its Mac desktops and MacBooks. To help keep audio at the highest quality, the Zeppelin Air also utilizes Digital Signal Processing and a Digital amplifier. It includes two 1.0-inch Nautilus tube aluminum tweeters, two 3.0-inch midrange speakers and one 5.0-inch subwoofer. It weighs in at 13.5 pounds.
The new Z2 also incorporates Apple’s AirPlay tech and similarly uses Digital Signal Processing, but switches to Class-D amplifier. Its two full range speakers produce 20W RMS each, which should be good for filling small to medium-sized rooms. Frequency response is rated at 50Hz-20kHz, while it weighs around a third as heavy as the much larger Zeppelin Air.
Both new speakers are available now with the Zeppelin Air retailing for $600 and the Z2 for $400.
