Hands-on Review: Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin iPod Speakers

Why Zeppelin? Not because Bowers & Wilkins is a big fan of "Whole Lotta Love," but because these speakers really do look like an airship. If you're an iPod enthusiast who wants big sound without the hassle of a complicated stereo system, these could be just the ticket.

The speakers are monolithic and connected. Don't expect to break this Zeppelin apart, Hindenburg-style, and put one speaker on each side of the room. The design of this set is undeniably unique and striking and it immediately becomes a conversation piece. It's bigger and heavier than it looks in the pictures: Over two feet long and 16.5 pounds of heft. This thing isn't going anywhere (at least once you get it on its rubber stand).

It's also pretty brainlessly simple to use: You dock your iPod on the stainless steel connector that juts out the front of the device and use the egg-shaped remote control to handle the music. (Auxiliary inputs let you play non-iPod sources as well.) The remote is simplistic, with only seven buttons to manage volume, play, rewind, fast-forward, and the like. In other words, don't expect to be managing or even browsing your playlist from afar.

How's the sound? Fantastic, an audiophile's dream. A built-in subwoofer thumps out the bass, while mids and highs are completely crisp. It gets plenty loud, too, though total wattage is only 100W. My only complaint is that there is some hum if you leave the unit on pause; turning it off completely makes the buzzing go away.

Now for the bad news. Bowers & Wilkins isn't some cheap importer, it's a high-end speaker company, and the Zeppelin will run you $600 retail. Not cheap, but for the style obsessed (and that tends to include most iPod fans), it indeed might be worth the price.