Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Mini

It would have been a shame if Bowers & Wilkins had rested on its laurels with the design success of the Zeppelin iPod dock, so we're glad to see that the manufacturer has decided to capitalise on its success by releasing a more affordable Mini version.

Hardware: can it still fly?

Bowers & Wilkins used a daring design on the original Zeppelin, but the Mini is a little less eye-catching.  Although the metallic bezel under the iPod stand retains the oval shape, the whole thing has a more traditional blocky frame. 

We were disappointed by this change, but it's hard to fault the overall quality of the design and the materials used.  The black elastic fabric that covers the speakers fits perfectly and feels great to the touch.  It covers a coloured LED which indicates whether the speakers are switched on, what type of connection you're using and acknowledges signals from the remote; the rest of the time, it remains entirely invisible.  The only real disappointment is that the controls are on the right-hand side, making them difficult to reach if this dock is in a narrow spot.

Two other elements caught our attention.  Firstly, the iPod/iPhone stand can turn through 90°, so you can enjoy CoverFlow (see inset).  Secondly, the remote control, which has been inherited from the first generation Zeppelin, has the same pebble shape which is so much nicer than the more common 'credit card' format.

Audio Quality: USB port

The good news doesn't stop there, though: the Mini comes with a USB port which means it can update and sync your iPod or iPhone and use it as a speaker system for your computer.  It won't replace a decent 2.1 speaker kit, but it will be a welcome change if you normally use a pair of small stereo speakers.

Turning to less welcome news, the 2 x 2 channel system with extra bass has made way for two 3'' full range speakers with a vent  That's an interesting choice when you consider the Zeppelin Mini's main rival is the Bose SoundDock.  Listening to them both, we found the Mini was better at producing mid-range and treble, with a detailed, rich sound that Bose can't match, but its bass is much less impressive.  As usual, Bose's speakers aren't just pleasant to listen to, but are specifically engineered to give a full, rich sound, and next to that, the Zeppelin Mini is far from guaranteed an easy ride.

It's not all over for the Zeppelin Mini though: overall, the sound quality is good, with a good spatial reproduction of stereo sound.  After a few hours' listening, you begin to realise how good it is.

Let's finish with two other dubious decisions: the Zeppelin's optical S/P DIF port has gone, as have the video outputs, leaving only an auxiliary input.  This was no doubt done to help bring costs down, but it's still a shame given how expensive the Zeppelin Mini still is.