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As far as usability goes, well, the Zeppelin has a number of options. There’s the Music App we’ve already mentioned, for starters: as well as the broad strokes of operability, it also offers some minor EQ adjustment and will, in time, be the place you set up your Zeppelin-based multiroom system. And for good reason too. In terms of new features, the Era 100 boasts Bluetooth 5.0, a USB-C port, Ethernet connectivity, two tweeters angled away from each other to create a larger soundstage and a 25% larger woofer that gives it additional bass extension.
If you're wondering about the original Apple HomePod, you can still buy it and Apple still supports it, but it has been discontinued. A new model is rumoured for a 2023 launch. Those in search of a big, bassy party speaker will likely find the Zeppelin’s sound a little analytical but there’s no doubting it has the muscle to fulfil the role. Anything over about 50% volume and I felt in danger of being the subject of a noise complaint.Compared to the first generation of HomePod, there's better clarity around the upper mids, which really benefits classical and acoustic music, and the Dolby Atmos performance is incredible if you have two in a stereo pair. However the second generation HomePods are not as loud as the first gen, and the bass is a bit lighter too. They're still a huge step up from the HomePods mini, though, and the sound quality you get for the money is excellent. Sonos was generous enough to launch two new wireless speakers to its range in 2023. And out of the two, the Era 300 is the more premium version – we went as far to say in our review that it is on a whole new level when it comes to dispersing sound. Given that it does loads more than either the Bowers & Wilkins or the Naim speakers, Ruark has done well to keep to look of the R5 as clean as it has. Like all Ruark products, it’s first and foremost a lovely bit of cabinetry – tactile wood veneer and flawlessly smooth curves delivering perceived value. At 52cm wide it’s actually less space-hungry than the Naim – but the 30cm depth makes it seem bulkier. Yet despite the disc-loading slot and (crisp) OLED display sitting inside the grey fabric grille, the R5 is just as decorative a proposition as the other products here. The most interesting aspect of the new Zeppelin is that it's built to last a long time. Its "digital brain" can be upgraded over time, with multi-room support being added in early 2022. That means you'll be able to fill your home with sound by pairing the new Zeppelin with other speakers in the Bowers & Wilkins Formation range - and it also means that the speaker should last you a long time. And you'll be glad of that when you find out how much it costs.
The Beauty of SoundThe new Zeppelin wireless speaker updates an iconic design for the streaming age, combining high-resolution sound with smart, connected features and services. Compatibility with AirPlay 2, aptX Adaptive, alongside Spotify Connect, all making a welcome return, plus, it now includes integrated Alexa voice control and streaming service support for a wide range of providers, all accessed by the Bowers & Wilkins Music App. With the new Zeppelin, you no longer have to choose between a speaker full of features and a beautiful design with room-filling sound. Now you can have it all. Pushing the volume northwards does result in the stage losing some of its definition, but it’s remarkable how composed the Naim remains at such hefty volumes – it simply gets louder without becoming coarse or shouty. One of the rare downsides to the device is that the treble can be a bit dull, and overpowered by the bass. This can have in impact on the intelligibility of voices, which could have an impact on its value as part of a movie-viewing experience. The spatial performance was solid, though we expected more wideness considering the physical shape of the Zeppelin, which allows significant separation of speakers.
Bowers & Wilkins takes to the air once more
It wins points for its ease of use. Sonos' app makes it easy to set up, and easy to tune it to your room, helping to make the spatial sound come across even more dramatically. It's bigger than most of the options here (but not all), but it can certainly fill a large room on its own, which is an advantage. All of which serves to make the R5’s complement of two 75mm full-range drivers, plus a 130mm downward-firing woofer driven by a total of 90 watts of power seem, perhaps, a little tentative. This is Class AB power we’re talking about here, though, which is always preferable (in sonic terms) to Class D – and the Ruark’s 32bit/192kHz DAC is, on paper at least, the best of the three here, too. The Era 100 is the latest offering from the wireless multi-room speaker company and replaces the Sonos One, which we rated as the best wireless speaker option for most people since it came out in 2016.
During our testing, we decided it sounds better than ever, too. If your priority is finely balanced and full-range sound that has the kind of natural sound and attention to detail of hi-fi speakers, Bowers and Wilkins has you covered. And while it isn’t a substitute for an actual pair ofstereo speakers, the Zeppelin serves up a wide, well-defined and endlessly engaging sound, no matter the genre of music – though the Sonos Era 300 maybe has is slightly beaten on the stereo effect. It's not exactly cheap, but in this case the price seems absolutely justified. It's important for us to compare the performance of these speakers against the specs claimed by their manufacturers too, which is why we take the time to make sure the claims are legit. The new processor puts to rest any doubts you might have about future compatibility and firmware updates (even though the older Play:5 was already compatible with the company's S2 platform). Given the amount of power it can call on, it’s hardly surprising to find the Zeppelin well capable of dealing with big dynamic variations in a recording. But it’s equally adept when it comes to the more nuanced harmonic discrepancies in, say, a solo piano or a steel guitar string, which makes it one of the more revealing and insightful wireless speakers you can buy for less than four figures.Sonus Faber is well-known for its high-priced, luxury hi-fi equipment and its latest product, the Sonus Faber Omnia, is no exception. This is a sleek, sophisticated and fairly big all-in-one system that’s easy-to-use thanks to comprehensive wireless connectivity, with built-in support for the major streaming services, AirPlay, Chromecast, and Roon. You've also got AirPlay 2 and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth compatibility, so you'll be able to stream high quality music from your iPhone or your Android device. For Spotify users there's Spotify Connect, while the Bowers & Wilkins Music App gives you access to lots more music streaming services, such as Deezer, Tidal, and Qobuz. The Zeppelin is compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 and supports the AAC, AptX Adaptive, and SBC codecs. The speaker supports up to 24-bit/96kHz audio from various streaming services including Deezer, Qobuz, Tidal, and others, assuming you pay for a subscription that lets you stream at that quality. The Zeppelin also works with Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect. Zeppelin App Controls and Smart Features What you’re not getting is Chromecast or DLNA support – although B&W tells us an upgrade to add compatibility for the latter is in the pipeline. B&W has gone for Alexa and AirPlay 2 here, rather than Google Assistant and Chromecast – and if you’ve never used the last two before, you won’t miss them now. But if these features are important to you, it’s important to note that they’re unavailable here. The number of Audio Pro speakers able to form part of a multiroom system seems to be increasingly daily - and yet the company has managed to ensure every new model upholds its hard-won reputation as a manufacturer of some of the best pound-for-pound wireless speakers on the market. No matter if it’s from the Addon ‘C’ range (see below), the smaller ‘A’ range or the mighty Drumfire (again, below), it will offer prodigious sound quality for the money. It will be as well made as anything else at a similar price. It will look and feel good. And it will make setting up a multiroom system about as straightforward as it ever can be.
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