Short answer: the B&W Zeppelin for better sound quality, the JBL Authentics 500 for the lower price. The B&W Zeppelin ranks #2 of 4 powered desktop speakers at $899. The JBL Authentics 500 ranks #3 at $600, $299 cheaper.
What the B&W Zeppelin offers: Amazingly neutral, quite a wide soundstage due to the width. Watch for: Nothing besides the lack of battery, lack of waterproofing, high cost and the Earfun Uboom X that’s so close to it in terms of sound quality for 7x less money.
What the JBL Authentics 500 offers: Quite powerful sound, and quite deep bass for the size. Watch for: No battery.
Buy the B&W Zeppelin if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the JBL Authentics 500 if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| B&W Zeppelin | JBL Authentics 500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $899.00 | $600 |
| Ranked | #2 of 4 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #3 of 4 in Large Size Powered Desktop Speakers |
| App | No | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~32Hz | - |
| Battery Life | No Battery | No Battery |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX Adaptive, AAC, SBC | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 25.6" x 8.3" x 7.6" (650 x 210 x 194 mm) | 17.6" x 9.4" x 10.1" (447 x 240 x 255.7 mm) |
| Drivers | 150mm woofer, 2x 90mm FST midrange drivers, 2x 25mm Decoupled Double-Dome aluminium tweeters | 6.5" (down-firing subwoofer), 3x 2.75" midranges, 3x 1" (25mm aluminum dome) tweeters |
| EQ | No | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 35Hz - 24kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 40Hz - 20kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None | None |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room) |
| Power Bank | No | - |
| Power Input | AC Power cord | - |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect | AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Alexa MRM |
| TWS | No | - |
| Weight | 14.6 lbs / 6.6 kg | 17.2 lbs / 7.8 kg |
| Wifi | Yes | Yes (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4GHz/5GHz) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | - |
| DSP | No | - |
| Output Power | 240W (80W woofer, 2x 40W midrange, 2x 40W tweeter) | 270W (Max @ THD 1%) |
| Dolby Atmos | - | Yes (virtual) |
| Ethernet | - | Yes |
| Power Supply | - | 100 - 240V AC, ~ 50/60Hz |
| Sound System | - | 3.1 channel |
| Stereo | - | Yes |
| USB | - | Type-C (USB playback US only) |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant (simultaneous) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- B&W Zeppelin Pro vs KEF LSX II LT
- B&W Zeppelin Pro vs Sonos Move 2
- B&W Zeppelin Pro vs Devialet Mania
- B&W Zeppelin Pro vs JBL Authentics 500
- B&W Zeppelin vs B&W Zeppelin Pro
The Two Speakers In Full
B&W Zeppelin: $899.00 Amazon
Pros: Amazingly neutral, quite a wide soundstage due to the width. Bass extension deeper than all others in category.
Cons: Nothing besides the lack of battery, lack of waterproofing, high cost and the Earfun Uboom X that’s so close to it in terms of sound quality for 7x less money. Basically an indoor only speaker. Although at this price point I’d generally recommend some Top Recommended Bookshelf Speakers instead which will have even better soundstage.
Full B&W Zeppelin review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~32Hz |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX Adaptive, AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| DSP | No |
| Dimensions | 25.6" x 8.3" x 7.6" (650 x 210 x 194 mm) |
| Drivers | 150mm woofer, 2x 90mm FST midrange drivers, 2x 25mm Decoupled Double-Dome aluminium tweeters |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 35Hz - 24kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Output Power | 240W (80W woofer, 2x 40W midrange, 2x 40W tweeter) |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | AC Power cord |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 14.6 lbs / 6.6 kg |
| Wifi | Yes |
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JBL Authentics 500: $600 Amazon
Pros: Quite powerful sound, and quite deep bass for the size.
Cons: No battery. Boosted upper bass. Peaky upper mids.
Full JBL Authentics 500 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 17.6" x 9.4" x 10.1" (447 x 240 x 255.7 mm) |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes (virtual) |
| Drivers | 6.5" (down-firing subwoofer), 3x 2.75" midranges, 3x 1" (25mm aluminum dome) tweeters |
| EQ | Yes |
| Ethernet | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 40Hz - 20kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Output Power | 270W (Max @ THD 1%) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room) |
| Power Supply | 100 - 240V AC, ~ 50/60Hz |
| Sound System | 3.1 channel |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Alexa MRM |
| USB | Type-C (USB playback US only) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant (simultaneous) |
| Weight | 17.2 lbs / 7.8 kg |
| Wifi | Yes (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4GHz/5GHz) |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons