Most wireless speaker manufacturers have abandoned Apple's AirPlay functionality in favor of Bluetooth's improved audio performance (and more reliable streaming). But why choose between the two? For $699.99, the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless allows you to stream via AirPlay (using your Wi-Fi network), Bluetooth (directly from your device), or even Spotify Connect. The Zeppelin Wireless has been upgraded considerably since its last iteration as the Lightning dock-equipped Zeppelin Air—not just cosmetically, but also in terms of audio performance. The result is a graceful design piece that also outputs impressive clarity in the highs, richness in the lows, and subtle depth in the sub-bass realm. Despite a very high price, the Zeppelin Wireless earns our Editors' Choice for its versatility, performance, and style.

Design
The speaker retains the same, well, Zeppelin-like contour of its predecessors. This iteration is larger, but you'd need them side-by-side to really notice a difference in the Zeppelin Wireless's 7.5-by-27-by-7.5-inch dimensions. The most obvious difference is the lack of a docking arm—those now-extinct appendages that were prevalent on many a speaker back in 2007. Other than a small compartment below with the Bowers & Wilkins logo, the front face is devoid of any real markings—it's all grayish-black woven speaker grille, and it looks pretty striking. The side of the aforementioned compartment houses a capacitive touch Bluetooth pairing button that immediately sends the speaker into pairing mode, and the front of the compartment houses the system's LED status indicator.

Beneath the grille, the Zeppelin Wireless packs two 1-inch tweeters, two 3.5-inch midrange drivers, and, a larger subwoofer (6.5 inches) than its predecessor. All drivers are individually powered, with the tweeters receiving 25 watts each, the midrange drivers also receiving 25 watts each, and the sub receiving 50 watts. Internally, an improved digital signal processing (DSP) chip manipulates audio to prevent distortion on deep bass at higher volumes, and all audio is upsampled to 24-bit/192kHz through an improved digital-to-analog converter. B&W also redsigned the chassis for the entire system with the goal of drastically decreasing vibrations caused by bass frequencies.

On the back panel of the system, three buttons near the top control Volume Up, Volume Down, and Play/Pause. Surprisingly, there's no way to navigate tracks with any of these controls—and with no included remote, this means all track navigation will be done on your streaming device. This also means that, as you might have guessed, there is no speakerphone functionality.

Along the rear panel of the speaker's base, there's a Power button, an Ethernet connection (for wiring directly to a router), a connection for the power cable, a 3.5mm Aux input, a micro USB connection for service and firmware updates, and a pinhole Reset button. Unfortunately, other than the audio cable, there are no accessories, like an Ethernet cable or a 3.5mm audio cable for the Aux input, which seems like an oversight at this price.

Pairing is a simple process, but of course, the Zeppelin Wireless is not simply a Bluetooth speaker—you can also stream via Apple's AirPlay (a rarity amongst speakers these days), and the new Spotify Connect feature. Setting all of this up is actually very simple, thanks to a free B&W app that manages the whole process for you.

AirPlay continues to hold an advantage over Bluetooth/AptX streaming from a fidelity standpoint (particularly if you are listening to lossless files), but it also continues to have limitations based on your Wi-Fi network. To put it another way, if you have several devices and computers using your wireless network, you can expect the stream to stutter. This limitation of AirPlay is not an issue with most Bluetooth connections, so it becomes, for many users, a trade-off between audio quality versus having an uninterrupted stream. That said, Bluetooth has made vast strides in terms of audio streaming in the last few years, and the difference in audio quality between it and AirPlay might be less noticeable to some listeners. Like AirPlay, Spotify Connect also streams music over your Wi-Fi connection.

Performance and Conclusions
On tracks with powerful sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the Zeppelin Wireless delivers robust, powerful bass response. At top volumes, the DSP kicks in and the effect on the bass is subtle, but noticeable—at maximum volume, the system is (obviously) louder, but seems like it outputs less bass response than at, say, 80 percent volume. There is never any distortion.

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Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with less in the way of deep bass, gives us a more nuanced understanding of the speaker's sound signature. Callahan's baritone vocals sound rich and full here, but also get plenty of high-mid presence, giving them a pleasant, crisp treble edge. The drums on this track, which could easily sound thunderous on a system that goes crazy on the bass, here sound only subtly boosted—the drums sound full, but never overpowering. The same can be said for the electric bass part—it has a rich presence, but nothing that stands out too much. The drivers aren't inventing bass where it doesn't exist.