Curvy iPod speaker also makes desks more stylish

 

The Zeppelin Mini from Bowers & Wilkins is certainly a sight to behold. This elliptical iPod speaker dock slickly incorporates a pair of three-inch drivers with a swiveling dock connector that allows you to rotate your device 90 degrees, which makes it easy to take advantage of Cover Flow navigation. It’s beautiful and well designed, and though the sound performs equally well, the bass on this $400 dock is a bit underwhelming.

While its larger sibling is intended to fill rooms with music (Apr/08, 4 out of 5 stars), the more compact Zeppelin Mini is better suited to your desktop. At 12.6 inches wide by 4 inches deep, it’ll fit nicely next to your Mac, and it can also serve as both a syncing cradle for your iPod or iPhone (when connected via an optional USB cable) and an external speaker for your computer’s audio. There’s even an audio input on the back that’s handy for using the Mini to pipe out audio from other external sources.

Bowers & Wilkins includes a small seven-button remote that controls playback, adjusts volume, and switches input between the dock connector and the auxiliary input. Disappointingly, it doesn’t let you navigate menus or playlists, which is an odd oversight. When it’s not in use, the rounded remote sits snugly on the Zeppelin Mini’s concave top. That’s a good thing--the main unit only features Power and Volume Up and Down buttons, so if you lose the remote, you’re out of luck (which is also a good argument for keeping a spare battery on hand).

To our ears, the Zeppelin Mini sounds great for its size. It gets plenty loud (especially since most people will probably use it on a desk near their workstation), and the tone is even and clear. Zeppelin Mini avoids the common problem that many small speakers have in overemphasizing the treble, although after extended testing, we still wish the Mini’s bass was a bit stronger, especially given its relatively high price and ported design. We were also bummed that spending four bills on a Zeppelin Mini doesn’t get you a printed manual or a USB cable for connecting with your Mac.

You definitely get what you pay for. Style and sound quality are leaps and bounds better than cheaper, similarly sized speaker docks. But the absence of basic accessories made us feel like we were being nickel-and-dimed.

Zeppelin Mini
COMPANY: Bowers & Wilkins
CONTACT: www.bowers-wilkins.com
PRICE: $399.95
REQUIREMENTS: Dockable iPod, iPhone, or other audio source
Great sound. Compact unit. Very stylish and solidly built.
Can't navigate menus and playlists from remote. 400 bucks doesn't buy you a USB cable or a printed manual. Bass is adequate but not impressive.