Bowers & Wilkins Z2 iPod/iPhone Dock Preview

Update: We now have a Full B&W Z2 Review

Back with B&W released the Zeppelin, we all sort of thought it was a joke. The weird UFO shape. The departure from what B&W normally made...we were skeptical. But then we reviewed it (here) and our reviewer called it "the best speaker system for iPod I have had the pleasure of listening to". Consider us humbled. They have since updated the Zeppelin to include Apple AirPlay (preview here). But now that Apple has released a new iDevice lineup with a new connector, all those products have to be updated. While B&W has updated the Zeppelin to be compatible with Apple's new Lightning connector, they've also taken the opportunity to release a new, less expensive, iDevice dock. This one the are calling the Z2.

The Z2 has a completely new and decidedly less head-scratching form factor. Now, essentially in the shape of an elongated and flattened cylinder, the Z2 is no less unique than the original Zeppelin but it doesn't call nearly as much attention to itself. Like the Zeppelin, the Z2 is both a iPod and iPhone dock that also uses Apple AirPlay technology. This allows you to stream content to the dock without having to physically connect the two (as long as you're using an iDevice or have an app that gives your Android or other smartphone AirPlay). This is particularly useful for people with iPads or iPad Minis as the Z2 does not accept docking of these larger devices.

The B&W Z2 will accept the new iPhone 5, iPod touch (5th gen), and iPod nano (7th gen) at the dock. In order to have AirPlay, you must have an iDevice with iOS 4.3.3 or later or a Mac with OS X Mountain Lion or iTunes 10.2.2 or later (Mac or PC). This gives you tremendous flexibility in how you can access and playback your content with the Z2. In addition, there is an 3.5mm mini jack for accessing music from other devices, as well as a network port. The enclosure is 7" tall by 12.5" wide by 4" deep. It weighs 5.7 pounds and is constructed out of glass-filled ABS. The grilles around the outside are metal and the Z2 comes in either white or black. 

Most importantly to all Audioholics, however, is sound. B&W promises that that Z2 will hit 50Hz (-3dB) and 42Hz (-6dB). It sports dual 3.5" full range drivers and is ported (with their patented "Flowport" technology) for deeper bass. Because it's hard to get a really clean sound out of so compact a package, B&W has included dual 20 watt Class D amps, a low-noise power supply, and their latest proprietary Digital Signal Processing to tune the Z2 to their exacting standards. Lastly, B&W has a control app for your iDevice that will help you set up and manage the Z2.

Conclusion

The B&W Zeppelin retailed for $600 when it was released. That was a hard pill for people to swallow. But the new Z2 is coming out with a much more affordable $400 price tag. While it certainly isn't an impulse buy, the Z2 is much more in reach for most of us. In the end, we've found that with B&W, you get what you pay for. What you're getting with the Z2 is a top of the line Apple dock and AirPlay-streaming speaker with the heritage and know-how of the legendary Bowers & Wilkins behind it. For many, $400 will be a small price to pay for the promise of that sort of sonic performance. We are very keen to see how well this new dock holds up to the flagship Zeppelin.

For more information, please visit www.bowers-wilkins.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.