TechCrunch notes that high-end audio firm Bowers & Wilkins has introduced its first two Lightning-equipped speaker docks for iPhone 5 owners, with both the Zeppelin Air and Z2 also supporting AirPlay wireless music streaming from iOS devices.

zeppelin_air_lightning

Zeppelin Air

The new Zeppelin Air is essentially a Lightning version of the company's original Zeppelin Air wireless speaker with 30-pin dock connector, which Apple has carried in its stores for some time. The new version with Lightning connector will begin shipping in May and be priced at $599.

bowers_z2

Z2

The Z2 offers a more compact design intended for bedrooms, bathrooms, and other smaller spaces but supporting the same Lightning dock and AirPlay capabilities as the larger Zeppelin Air. The Z2 will be priced at $399 with a black version launching next month and a white version following in June.

Top Rated Comments

Tulipone Avatar
163 months ago
These systems NOT worth their money for their sound quality, the lack of split speakers is one reason.

There only advantage I've ever found is that as you turn up the volume on these units it's handled quite a bit better than on a $70 speaker system. Sound quality is not necessarily 6 or 7 times better for 6 or 7 times the price though.

If you're into magically good sound and love your music DO NOT be fooled into purchasing these systems for those ends. This is nothing more than a piece of aural furniture.

Without doubt, if you have the space and want to fill it with separated speakers and wires then I am sure you'd get better sound. That is not what these units are about. If you want a small factor that need only have one (power) cable then they are great.

Cheaper speakers, in my opinion, do not have the richness and tones of the better quality ones.

Everyone to their own.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tulipone Avatar
163 months ago
I have a B&W A5 and the sound reproduction is without the best I have heard. I previously owned a Sonos Play 5 and the A5 is much better, to the extent I have reripped all my CDs to a higher quality. The music fills a large space.

As they claim, the A2 is for smaller spaces and I'd imagine it will do it excellently.

You tend to get what you pay for.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Koodauw Avatar
163 months ago
Nice updates. I think the Z2 will get some consideration from me.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone Like 'Two Titanium iPhone Airs' Joined at the Hinge

Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

Some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Users Experiencing Intermittent Wi-Fi Issue

Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues. Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1

Monday September 22, 2025 10:05 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The new betas are the first updates to the iOS, iPadOS, macOS 26, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS releases that came out last week. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going...