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Hear Zeppelin, on a Zeppelin

By Ella Morton on 09 April 2008

Tags: speaker | dock | tweeter | watt | midrange | bass | we've | ipod | output | behemoth

We've seen tubular, rectangular and spherical iPod speaker docks, but this is the first time we've encountered a speaker in the shape of a rigid dirigible.

Everyone loves a dirigible

The Zeppelin -- created by high-end British speaker company Bowers & Wilkins -- makes its Australian debut on April 14. Retailing for a slightly shocking AU$999.95, it weighs in at 7.5 kilos and resembles the Hindenburg, in its pre-inferno incarnation.

Underneath the black speaker cloth is an assemblage of drive units: one 125mm (5-inch) bass, two 90mm (3.5-inch) midranges and a pair of 25mm (1-inch) metal dome tweeters. That adds up to 50 watts of bass output and 50 watts of tweeter/midrange goodness.

The design of the dock connection is quite nifty; instead of being a rigid dock that traps your iPod between the speakers, the Zeppelin has a spring-loaded arm that allows you to hold the player when it's plugged in.

In addition to the dock, the B&W behemoth offers a 3.5mm analog/optical input for listening to tunes from other audio devices. S-Video and composite video outputs allow you to hook the Zeppelin up to your telly.

Fancy this football-shaped funkatron? If you've got a spare thousand clams you can pick one up from Apple's online store, David Jones or through authorised B&W resellers. Swing by the e-hifi Web site to find a local retailer.

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Mr_Gadget
09/04/2008 01:46 PM

Also available at http://www.mrgadget.com.au - Victoria's authorised reseller of the B&W Zeppelin.

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CharlesEdward
11/04/2008 09:14 AM

I think they are great but in the US they only cost $599. Why are Australian consumers expected to pay a 60% premium? The mark up seems ludicrous given the excellent exchange rate.

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dw070
14/04/2008 07:51 PM

Agreeing with CharlesEdward. That's not right.

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