B&W's Zeppelin Air gets AirPlay-friendly

B&W has announced the new Zeppelin Air iPod speaker, upgrading the original Zeppelin for AirPlay compatibility.

Matthew Moskovciak Senior Associate Editor / Reviews - Home theater

Covering home audio and video, Matthew Moskovciak helps CNET readers find the best sights and sounds for their home theaters. E-mail Matthew or follow him on Twitter @cnetmoskovciak.

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Matthew Moskovciak

Jan. 7, 2011 11:05 a.m. PT

LAS VEGAS--B&W's series of Zeppelin iPod speakers have always been known for their striking design and better-than-average sound quality and at CES 2011 the company announced the Zeppelin Air, now compatible with Apple's new Airplay streaming audio platform.

AirPlay compatibility means you'll be able to stream music wirelessly directly from iOS devices (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch), either from apps or your own music collection. You'll also able to stream music directly from iTunes on a networked computer. The Zeppelin Air still includes a dock, which is handy in case you want to charge your iOS device.

Aside from the AirPlay update, B&W is also promising a number of audio tweaks, including individual amplifiers for each of the speakers' drivers and improved bass.

As you probably guessed, the Zeppelin Air is going to set you back quite a bit. B&W says its scheduled to come out in March with a list price of $600.