How To

Many Harman Kardon, JBL and AKG products run on rechargeable batteries. In most cases, these batteries will provide years of excellent service and keep the music playing for many hours.

WARNING – the rechargeable batteries inside our products are not user-serviceable. Please do not attempt to open the product or replace the battery. Doing so will void your warranty.

Battery issues fall into three categories:

• Your speaker or headphones run out of power after only a short time.

• The speaker will not play at all because the battery will not hold a charge.

• When you plug in the cable to charge your speaker, sometimes it charges and sometimes it does not- the red charging LED or other indicator might not come on.

  Here are some things to try that often fix these issues.

1. It could be as simple as a bad USB charging cable. If you have other charging cables, give them a try. (Be sure that the cable has the same type of connector as the original one that came with your product.)

2. Same for the charger- if your product charges by USB, try a different USB charger. Be sure that it is rated at least 2.0a (2 amps) output.

3. Try other electrical outlets at your location to be certain it is not a local wiring issue.

4. Charge the product overnight for at least 8 hours.

5. When you plug the charging cable into the speaker or headphones, is the connector stable, or can it be wiggled around? If it can be wiggled, this could indicate that the charging port has been damaged or come loose. Sometimes wiggling the connection restores charging power.

IMPORTANT: Some products such as Xtreme, Xtreme 2, Boombox, Partybox 100 & 300, GO+Play and the Onyx Studio series do not use USB charging. Instead, they have a specialized charger. Do not attempt to charge these products with other cables or chargers.

If none of these fixes the issue, it could be that the battery has died or is losing its capacity, or that the charging connector on your speaker is damaged. Please contact us so we can assist you. Be sure to mention that you have tried the steps in this Battery & Charging FAQ so that our agents do not ask you to repeat these steps.

Please note: this text concerns Lithium-Ion batteries only.
 
HOW TO CHARGE
If a charger (power supply) comes with your product, use the original charger.
If you have a device with standard charging socket (such as micro-USB plug that goes into the device, and USB plug that goes into the charger) use chargers with approximately 0.5 to 2.0 Amperes capacity. While you can get chargers with a capacity of 5 A or more, only use them if your device was designed to be charged with this much power. Around 1 A is fortunately close to what you can expect from the majority of computer USB sockets.
Charging should take place at between 5 and 45 degrees Celsius (41 to 113 F).
It is wise to charge only where you can observe the device, so you can stop charging if overheating should occur. A smoke alarm is a good idea if you want to charge while sleeping. It is also possible to use a safety bag, sometimes known as a LiPo bag, to increase safety. You simply put your device into the bag, then seal the bag and begin charging.
 
BATTERY LIFE
The life expectancy of Li-ion batteries is 500 to 1000 recharging cycles. You can expect full capacity until you have recharged about 500 times. From 500 to 1000 recharging cycles, capacity will decrease gradually, until almost no capacity is left, and the battery will need replacing, if this is possible and economical. Life expectancy is optimal when the battery is being used between 10 and 50 degrees Celsius.
 
WHAT NOT TO DO
First, never charge too quickly! This may damage the battery, and may even be dangerous, so do not use high-capacity chargers, unless your device comes with one as standard.
There is no memory effect in Li-ion batteries, so do not treat them like old Nickel-Cadmium types (which you had to run dry regularly).
This means that you should never run Li-ion batteries completely dry. Actually, this will damage the battery. Whenever you can, keep them between 20 and 80 per cent capacity, where they perform best. However, it is better to charge the battery to 100% capacity than to run it dry.
Never charge if temperature is at freezing point or lower (0 degrees Celsius, 32 F), since this will almost certainly damage the battery. Never carry out express charging (charging with high-capacity charger) if temperature is between 0 and 5 degrees and over 45 degrees Celsius, but only use a lower-capacity charger in this temperature interval. Do not place devices in direct sunlight at all, and never charge them in direct sunlight.
Never place the device that is being charged on a sofa, rug or clothing when charging. This can cause heat to build up, which can in turn cause overheating. Always place it on a flat, hard surface, where heat can dissipate quickly.
 
 
GENERAL BATTERY INFORMATION
Most rechargeable devices use Lithium-Ion (Li-ion) polymer batteries these days.
This type has high energy density, very low memory effect and low self-discharge.
You can find them in electric cars, golf carts, power tools and other applications, besides portable headphones, telephones and loudspeakers.
Various subtypes exist that have different strengths and weaknesses, depending on the chemicals and metals used.
Batteries gradually self-discharge, even if they are not connected to anything. Usually, you can expect a self-discharge of about 2% per month when the battery is new, and this may increase somewhat with battery age and temperature.
 
 

Getting started with the checklist

• A Harman Kardon Citation device(s).
• Latest version of the Google Home app installed on your mobile device. 
• Latest version of the Google app  (Android only) installed on your mobile device
• A Google Account (you can create one online via Google).
• A mobile device with either iOS or Android support.
  • ​Must have iOS 10 or higher
  • Must have Android 5.0 and higher
  • There is no support for PC set up.
• Your mobile device must support 5 GHz Wireless Network connection in order to set up our Harman Kardon Citation device. Note: Wireless Network with WPA2-Enterprise encryption is not supported.
• An internet connection from your local ISP (Internet Service Provider).
• Your Wireless Network must secured with WPA2 Encryption (Enterprise mode NOT supported). 
• Availability and performance of certain features, services and applications are device- and network-dependent and may not be available in all areas; subscription(s) may be required, and additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply.

Once you have all requirement and what is needed then follow the video below that shows you how to install your device.

 

Three things to know about Bluetooth (BT)… 
   

1. For most speakers, quickly press and release the speaker’s BT button.  However, with some speakers you may have to press and hold the BT button for a few seconds.  Most speakers make a noise or have a blinking LED to let you know they are in pairing mode. 
   
   If this does not get you into pairing mode, check your owner’s manual or look for an article pertaining to your specific speaker.
2. Go into BT settings on your phone.  Search or scan for available devices.
3. A list of available or discoverable devices will appear on your phone.  Select your speaker.
4. Two things have just occurred:
   • Your phone and speaker are now paired.
   • Your phone and speaker are now connected so that you can listen to music.

 

• Some phones may not work like this.
• Someone else may have connected to the speaker.
• Perhaps you connected to a different speaker while outside of your home.

• Go into Bluetooth settings on your phone and make sure BT is on.
• Select your speaker to re-connect and play music.

• Go into the other phone’s BT settings and disconnect the speaker or turn off BT.
• Then follow the steps above to manually re-connect your phone to the speaker.

Yes, with OMNI+ you can add speakers to both bands, but your smart device is not required to be on the same band, just be sure they are on the same network.

Not yet, because this feature is not implemented in our system. We are working on future updates to add the functionality that will make Harman Kardon Allure work in a Multi-room environment.

No, this feature is not supported in our Harman Kardon Allure speaker. This might change with future updates. You can call your Amazon friends by using the Alexa app.

Yes, you can see all voice interactions with the Harman Kardon Allure by using the Alexa app and visiting History in Settings. Your interactions are grouped by question or request. Tap an entry to see more detail, provide feedback, or listen to audio sent to the Cloud for that entry by tapping the play icon. Sometimes Alexa may not understand you perfectly, and the translations you see in History may not always reflect exactly what you said (for example, they may be inaccurate or incomplete). You can help us improve your experience by providing feedback on inaccurate translations in History.

Yes, you can take can incoming call from the Onyx 4 by pressing the call button located between the power button and volume + button.

Yes. Go into our HK Alexa Setup app, tap on the 3 line icon and click on "Lightning" to toggle it on and off.

Yes, When an update is available, you will find this on the product website of the Harman Kardon Aura Studio 2, in Manuals and Downloads. You will need to connect your Harman Kardon Aura Studio 2 by USB, and run the software update from a compatible computer.

No, the Allure speaker requires an internet connection in order to use Alexa voice commands. You can always listen to music via the Bluetooth connection if you are out of range with your Wi-Fi network

No, stereo pairs must be two of the same type of speaker. For example, two Omni 10 or two Omni 10+ speakers will work, but not one Omni 10 and one Omni 10+.

No, When connected from multiple mobile devices ( up to 3 ) to one Harman Dual Sound enabled speaker, only the last one that connected will stay connected when enabling Harman Dual Sound. You can however connect from one mobile device to one of the 2 Harman Dual Sound enabled speakers, and activate Dual Sound afterwards. This will give you the option to interrupt the playback, in the same way as Social Mode works when connected to only one speaker.

Streaming via Bluetooth or direct aux in connection are supported without the HK Controller app. For OMNI+ devices that you already have placed in a room, they are capable of using either Spotify Connect or Chromecast built-in without the need of using the HK Controller app. Use only the HK Controller app for setting up any OMNI+ devices you may have.

Yes, in case your Wi-Fi does not work then simply press and hold the Bluetooth button for 3 seconds, your speaker is now in pairing mode. The button is located on the back where you connect the power cord. Please be aware that Alexa will not work on Bluetooth.

There is a buffer inside the speakers that processes the incoming signal. This buffer delays the audio signal compared to the video signal, causing a delay. For this, we do not recommend using Omni+ speakers with a TV. Our Omni bar will work with your TV sound and you can create wireless 5.1 surround sound system with the Omni bar.

Wireless dual sound can be used to pair two speakers which has the wireless dual sound technology, Which are Aura Studio 2, GO+PLAY, Onyx studio 3, Onyx mini. Please note: Dual Wireless Sound only has the capability to connect no more than 2 speakers at a time. NOTE: The Onyx Studio 5, which also has Dual Wireless Sound, can NOT be used together with other products which feature DWS. Only 2 Onyx Studio 5's can pair with eachother.

You have the option to turn the Noise Cancellation on and off by using the switch that is located on the right side of the NC box. When choosing the switch option, you will see a green light inside the the switch will indicate that the Noise Cancelation is on. To turn off the Noise Cancelation, move the switch down towards the cable and the green light will turn off. When charging this device with the micro USB charging cable included in the packaging, you will see the light turn orange to indicate that it is charging.

General information about WiSA:

WiSA is a wireless system designed specifically for audio and speakers. An audio system that incorporates WiSA technology has it's own internal wireless system. It is capable of doing 96kHz/24bit audio with an audio latency of only 5ms, virtually undetectable by the human ear.

For more information on WiSA technology, please go to the official WiSA website.

If a product is WiSA Certified, it can be used with any other WiSA certified product. For example a WiSA Ready TV with at transmitter.
Note: The overall sound quality is dependent on the processing and setup in the WiSA TV & transmitter, and may result in a performance (EQ, crossover and levels) not intended by the speaker manufacturer. To be sure that the Citation products sound the best, use a Citation Bar product as the main "hub".

Current WiSA Certified products:

Citation Surrounds
Citation Sub
Citation Sub S
Citation Towers

Current products making use of WiSA technology:

Citation Bar
Citation Multibeam 700
HK surround

Limitations:

WiSA does not offer 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X yet, so at the moment it is limited to 5.1 or 7.1 Dolby Digital. So regardless of which brand of WiSA speaker you choose, Dolby Atmos will not be available yet.

The ADAPT+ is made to connect an external subwoofer. The subwoofer needs to be an active device, which means that it must have its own, built-in amplifier.

No, this feature is not yet embedded into our Harman Kardon Allure speaker. Future updates might include this feature, therefore keep an eye on the release notes in our HK Alexa setup app.

Yes, there are three settings: high, low and off.

The Harman Kardon Allure speaker listens for the hotword "Alexa", and when our speaker detects it then it will open up a connection to the Amazon server and store your search history on your account. You can mute the mircrophone by tapping the Microphone button on the Allure speaker, this will stop the speaker from listening and will not react to Alexa until you unmute it.

Yes, The Harman Kardon Aura Studio 2 supports Harman Dual Sound. With this feature, you can connect 2 Dual Sound enabled speakers with eachother.

Yes, When connected by Bluetooth from an iOS or Android device, pressing and holding the Bluetooth button for more than 2 seconds on the Aura Studio 2, the Voice Command will open ( iOS > Siri, Android > Google Now )

Yes, The Harman Kardon Aura Studio supports Social mode. With this feature, you can connect up to 3 mobile devices simultaneously by Bluetooth. The last device to start playback will take over.

Harman Kardon Allure/portable will only work in selected countries such as United States, Germany, United Kingdom and soon France. To use the Allure on your network requires two different apps. 1. HK Alexa setup - To connect it to your Wi-Fi network (Only available in the countries above) 2. Amazon Alexa app - To control Alexa and add streaming services to your Allure speaker. However, in some countries, French, German or English is spoken, but you still cannot use the Allure, because the Amazon Alexa app cannot be downloaded. This is a decision made by Amazon. The Alexa app is only available in some countries, and this is not only dependent on language. Therefore, if you plan on buying an Allure speaker, and have it shipped to a country outside the selected regions, you will not be able to use it on Wi-Fi, and Alexa voice commands will not work. Only Amazon knows if and when they will extend the app availability to more countries.

No, this feature is not supported in our Harman Kardon Allure speaker. This might change with future updates. You can write text messages to your Amazon friends via the Alexa app.