Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Loudspeaker Dock System for iPod and MP3 Players

Welcome to the speaker system your iPod has been waiting for. Zeppelin sounds fantastic--and it looks great, too. It uses drive unit technologies and design principles refined and perfected for Bowers & Wilkins' most advanced reference-standard speakers. Compact, stylish, and beautifully simple to set up and use, Zeppelin releases all of the detail and atmosphere that standard iPod speaker systems miss, whether you're listening to standard MP3s or high-quality formats. It's time to set your digital music free.
Zeppelin is an integrated speaker system from Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), makers of the speakers used to monitor the recording of much of the music on your iPod. B&W developed its iPod speakers with the same exacting standards as the speakers that are used in Abbey Road Studios and Skywalker Ranch.

Technical Details :
* An iPod dock/speaker system that also can be seamlessly integrated into your home stereo/theater system.
* Comprised of two 1-inch aluminum tweeters, two 3.5-inch fiber cone mid-range drivers, and one 5-inch bass driver.
* Uses Bowers & Wilkins' state-of-the-art technology to create flawless sound reproduction; charges iPod while docked.
* The spring-loaded dock flexes to accommodate all dockable iPod models; compatible with iPod classic (3G, 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G), iPod touch (1G, 2G), iPod nano (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G), iPhone (1G, 3G), and iPod mini.
* Various other devices can play sound through Zeppelin using the 3.5-mm mini-jack analog/optical digital input.



Design
Form follows function; the body of Zeppelin follows the form of its components, with two tweeters at each end, two mid-range drivers next, with a subwoofer/bass driver in the center.
B&W has complimented the iPod user interface by designing a docking port that allows the user to grasp the iPod as if it were in the hand as normal. It also cleverly accommodates iPod/iPhone of differing depth through a spring-loaded docking arm that flexes to accommodate each model without adapters or other manual adjustment.

Technology
Not only is the shape of Zeppelin pleasing to the eye, but it also is based on sound acoustic principles. The less physical material there is around tweeters and midranges, the better they sound. By minimizing the baffle area around the drive units, the cabinet reduces diffraction effects, making for ultra-wide sound dispersion and a much smoother response. In other words, it sounds as good as it looks.
The twin midrange drive units that supply the bulk of Zeppelin's amazing sound rely on glass fiber cones optimized using laser interferometry. Drive units are the "engine room" of any speaker, and Zeppelin's midrange and tweeter derived directly from those in B&W's award-winning M-1, regarded by the world's specialist audio press as class-leading compact speakers.

Simple Operation
Zeppelin is simple to set up and use: plug it in, place your iPod on the docking port and hit the play button. The connections at the back let you play other sources through Zeppelin or channel images from your iPod or iPhone to a television. In addition, there's a USB input for internal updates available through B&W's website for download.

Remote
Accompanying Zeppelin is a pebble-like remote, which allows you to change tracks, volume, and mode.

Pros:
1. There would be no electricity noise AT ALL when you pause the music, which is a common problem in most speakers in the market even in Bose Companion 5 (I should know, had it before).
2. Music sounds continuous and balanced because it has 4 speakers and one bass in the middle.
3. Easy to connect to ipod iphone and computers.
4. They also have firmware upgrade.

Cons:
1. The remote is not very sensitive. It would work fine if pointed directly at the front of the Zeppelin, but would struggle from the sides or if facing away from the Zeppelin.
2. There would only be a power cord in the box. If you want to connect to computers or other thing like CD player, you need to get your own cord which is easy to get at radio-shack.