Harman Kardon Aura Wireless Speaker System User Manual

Harman Kardon Aura Wireless Speaker System

The Harman Kardon Aura Wireless Speaker System is a premium wireless speaker that delivers immersive sound with versatile connectivity options, including Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, AirPlay®, and DLNA®.

Introduction

• Thank you for purchasing the Harman Kardon Aura Wireless Speaker System. This iconic wireless speaker allows you to stream music from any smartphone, tablet, or other wireless devices via Bluetooth®, AUX, Wi-Fi, AirPlay®, and DLNA®. We at Harman Kardon always aim to create new products with high-level functionality, beautiful design, and amazing sound quality. If you are also interested in other Harman Kardon speakers, check out the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9 Bluetooth Speaker for another high-quality wireless audio experience.
• Harman Kardon Aura is a 7-speaker, advanced acoustic platform that delivers a truly fantastic sound experience with a balanced soundstage and powerful bass response.
• The Harman Kardon Remote app simplifies the setup and lets you stream all your audio content. With its simple setup and quality sound, the Harman Kardon Aura is an essential audio component for every house.

Included Items

Harman Kardon Aura speaker system consists of the following accessories:

• Harman Kardon Aura speaker

• One AC power adapter 

• Regional power cord

Controls and Connections

This section will help you identify the controls and connections of the Harman Kardon Aura Wireless Speaker System, including the buttons and ports available on the front and rear panels.

Front Panel Controls

The following control buttons are available on the front panel of the HK Aura..

1. Source
2. ON/OFF
3. Wi-Fi
4. Volume control

Source

Use the Source button to switch between the sources as required.

• Press the source button for 0.5 seconds to change the source from Bluetooth/Optical/Aux-in.
• Press the source button for more than 2.5 seconds to disconnect all the Bluetooth connections and switch to Bluetooth source.

ON/OFF

This button turns the Harman Kardon Aura ON and OFF. Press and hold this button for more than 2.5 seconds to put the unit into Standby mode. Press the button again to bring it back to Operational mode.

Wi-Fi

This button helps you connect a Wi-Fi-enabled device to the Harman Kardon Aura.

Volume control

These touch-sensitive buttons control the volume of the unit. Roll your finger on these buttons to increase or decrease the volume.

• Roll your finger in the direction of (+) to increase the volume.
• Roll your finger in the direction of (-) to decrease the volume.

Rear Panel Controls

The rear panel of the Harman Kardon Aura allows you to work on the following:

• Service
• Aux in
• Optical
• Power

Service

The USB port is used for firmware upgrade or Wi-Fi setup only and will not charge attached devices.

AUX-IN

The speaker includes a 3.5 mm stereo mini analog auxiliary input.

Optical

The speaker supports Digital Optical Input. Connect your optical input cable here.

Power

Connect the AC power cord here.

Connections

This section helps you understand how to connect your device correctly to a power source
source, and different input sources.

Power Connections

• Connect the supplied AC power cord to the rear panel of the Harman Kardon Aura.

Source Connections

• The speaker offers the following source connection options:
  • Wi-Fi (Using AirPlay or DLNA)
  • Bluetooth
  • Aux input
  • Digital Optical Input

Wi-Fi

You can connect your speaker to your Wi-Fi in three different modes, depending on the device you are using.

• iOS Wireless Wi-Fi sharing – If you have an iPhone or iPad with Bluetooth
• iOS Wi-Fi sharing – If you have an iPhone or iPad and a USB to 30-pin or USB to Lightning cable
• Ad-hoc mode – If you want to set up the speaker from a computer or other device

Bluetooth

To wirelessly stream audio to the Harman Kardon Aura from a Bluetooth-enabled device:

1. Confirm that the Harman Kardon Aura is in the Bluetooth pairing mode (the Bluetooth button LED will be flashing blue). If the LED is not flashing blue, press and hold the source button until its LED begins to flash blue.
2. Use the device’s Bluetooth pairing menu to pair it with the Harman Kardon Aura. The unit will appear as HK Aura BT in the list of Bluetooth available devices. When the Harman Kardon Aura’s source button LED illuminates blue constantly, it is paired with the device, and you can stream audio via Bluetooth from the device to the Harman Kardon Aura.

Aux Input

Connect your source device to the Harman Kardon Aura’s Aux In. Press the source button until the LED turns off. This indicates that the source input is set to Aux in.

Digital Optical Input

Connect your digital optical input here. Harman Kardon Aura supports PCM raw stream. Press the source button until the LED turns white. This indicates that the source input is set to optical input.

Headphone Output

The Harman Kardon Aura also has a 3.5 mm headphone output jack to enable easy connection of headphones for personal listening. Connect your headphones and use the capacitance touch control to adjust the volume to the desired level.

iOS Wireless Wi-Fi Sharing

If you have an Apple device, use the following method to connect your Harman Kardon Aura to the Wi-Fi network. work

1. Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the speaker’s Bluetooth connection.
2. Ensure your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch is connected to your Wi-Fi network.
3. Press the Wi-Fi button on the Harman Kardon Aura for less than a second. A pop-up window will be displayed on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch with a message: Share Wi-Fi Settings?
4. Press Allow.

The iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch will then share Wi-Fi settings with the Harman Kardon Aura, and it will be connected to your Wi-Fi network. This takes at least 40 seconds. Once the Harman Kardon Aura is connected to the network, the Wi-Fi LED will light constantly, and a sound prompt can be heard.

iOS Wi-Fi Sharing with Cable

If you have an Apple device without Bluetooth connection, use the following method to connect your Harman Kardon Aura to the Wi-Fi network:

1. Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the speaker using the USB to 30-pin or USB to Lightning cable provided with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
2. Ensure your iPhone, iPad,d, or iPod touch is connected to your Wi-Fi network.
3. Press the Wi-Fi button on the Harman Kardon Aura for less than a second. A pop-up window will be displayed on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch with a message: Share Wi-Fi Settings?
4. Press Allow.

The iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch will then share Wi-Fi settings with the Harman Kardon Aura, and it will be connected to your Wi-Fi network. This takes at least 40 seconds. Once the HK Aura is connected to the network, the Wi-Fi LED will light constantly white, and a sound prompt will be heard. To connect using the Harman Kardon remote app:

1. Go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and download the Harman Kardon Remote app.
2. Click the + icon on the home screen to add a new device to your network and choose Harman Kardon Aura from the list.
3. Follow the setup instructions in the app.

Ad-hoc Mode

If you have a Mac or PC, or other phone or tablet, use the following method to connect to the system:

1. Put the Harman Kardon Aura into Ad-hoc mode by touching the Wi-Fi button for more than 5 seconds (ensure there are no USB devices plugged into the USB port). The Wi-Fi LED will flash twice.
2. Go to the Wi-Fi Settings page on your Mac, PC, or Phone and connect to the network with the name HK_Aura*****. This may take around 40 seconds, depending on your device.
3. Open your web browser and enter the IP address 192.168.1.1 in the address bar of your browser.
4. Select the name of the Wi-Fi network you want to connect to from the drop-down menu.
5. Enter the password for your network and click Save.
6. Ensure that you have entered the password correctly. If you are not sure, enter the password again without any mistakes

The Harman Kardon Aura will then attempt to connect to your Wi-Fi network. This may take up to one minute, depending on your Wi-Fi router. If the connection is successful, the Wi-Fi LED will turn green and the connection successful tone can be heard. If the connection is unsuccessful or your password is incorrect, the Wi-Fi LED will flash quickly. To try again, start from step 1.

Operation

Switching to Different Power Modes

The power button on the side panel of the HK Aura allows you to set the wireless speaker to any of the following power modes:

• Operational mode
• Sleep mode
• Standby mode
• Off mode

To change the power modes

• Press the power button to enter Operational mode from Standby mode.
• Press the power button again if you want to make the system enter Standby mode from Operational mode.
• If the speaker remains inactive for more than 10 minutes, it automatically enters Sleep mode.
• Press the power button to enter standby mode while the speaker is in sleep mode.
• The speaker can also enter into standby mode from sleep mode if it remains inactive for more than 30 minutes without a Wi-Fi connection.
• Press the Volume and the Source buttons to enter operational mode from sleep mode.
• The speaker also enters operational mode from sleep mode if Bluetooth is active.

Adjusting Volume

The volume buttons on the side panel allow you to increase or decrease the volume. These touch-sensitive buttons allow you to control volume with a gentle finger touch on the buttons. Adjust volume using the Volume Up (+) and Volume Down (–) buttons located on the system.

• Short press – Increase/decrease volume by 1 step
• Press and hold – Increase/ decrease volume continuously (1 step per 0.2 second)

Playing Music through Wi-Fi

To play music in your Harman Kardon Aura through Wi-Fi:

1. Press the Power button.
2. Connect to your Wi-Fi network following the above procedures.
3. If Harman Kardon Aura is on the Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi LED becomes constant white.
4. Control playback from your Wi-Fi-enabled device.

Playing Music through Bluetooth

Harman Kardon Aura supports the audio played from Bluetooth-enabled devices.

1. Connect the Harman Kardon Aura to the Bluetooth-enabled device.
2. Control playback from your Bluetooth-capable device.
3. The Harman Kardon Aura will appear as a Bluetooth speaker called HK Aura BT.
4. Check your phone or tablet manual for more information.

Playing Music through AirPlay

AirPlay® allows you to wirelessly stream audio content from your Mac or PC, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to Harman Kardon Aura.

• iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad (running iOS version 4.2 or higher)
• A MAC or PC running a compatible version of iTunes.The Harman Kardon Aura will appear as a Wi-Fi speaker in the AirPlay menu named HK AURA WF. Check your iPod or iPhone’s manual for more information on how to stream music.

Harman Kardon Remote

The Harman Kardon Aura Wireless Speaker System can be operated through the Harman Kardon Remote app, available in the App Store for Apple products or Google Play for Android devices. You can use the app to stream music and control your Harman Kardon Aura Wireless Speaker System from your smartphone or tablet.

LED Indication Table

LED Ring Pattern Indication

Specifications

Troubleshooting

If your Harman Kardon Aura is not performing the way you think it should, check if the problem is covered in this section before calling your dealer or contacting a Harman Kardon representative.

One App

With the Harman Kardon One app on your Android™ or iOS device, you can set up a multi-channel sound system by wirelessly pairing your Enchant Sub with:

• Enchant 900 / 1100 (soundbar, sold separately): to enhance the bass performance.
• For more information, see “5 SETUP”.

Customer Service

• Address: Open Source, Gregor Krapf-Gunther, Parking 3, 85748 Garching bei Munchen, Germany.
• Website: www.harmankardon.com.
• Tel: (800) 422-8027
• Timings: Mon – Fri – 9:00 am 11:00 pm (ET) Sat – Sun – 9:00 am 5:00 pm

© 2013 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

FAQs

Q: Can I use the Aura with Apple AirPlay?

Indeed. Apple devices can broadcast to the Aura via AirPlay. Choose “Harman Kardon Aura” from the AirPlay menu in programs like Apple Music or Spotify after you’re both on the same Wi-Fi network.

Q: Can I connect the speaker using a cable?

Indeed. For gadgets that don’t support Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, the Aura has optical and AUX input connectors. These offer low-latency, high-quality audio.

Q: Can I pair multiple Aura speakers together?

Indeed. Using the Harman Kardon Controller App, you can group several Aura speakers (or other compatible Harman Kardon models) when you’re connected by Wi-Fi.

Q: Can I control the speaker remotely?

Indeed. You can control playback, change inputs, and adjust volume from your connected device—even from a different room on the same network—by using the Controller App or AirPlay.

Q: How do I clean the Aura speaker?

Wipe the outside dome and base with a gentle, dry microfiber cloth. Apply a small amount of water to the towel to get rid of obstinate spots. Never pour liquids directly onto the speaker, and avoid using solvents, alcohol, or abrasive cleaners.

Q: Why does my Aura automatically turn off?

After a few minutes of inactivity or when all devices are disconnected, the Aura automatically switches to standby mode to save energy. When it detects a fresh signal, it will immediately wake up.

Q: Can I use the Aura as a speakerphone?

A built-in microphone in certain Aura models enables hands-free Bluetooth calling. Press the Phone or Play/Pause buttons on the top panel to answer or end a call.