We shouldn't be surprised really: Harman Kardon is a renowned audio specialist. From the iTunes side digging through the menus didn't reveal anything else to help our musical mish-mash and volume level plight. As no manual is included in the box we duly downloaded the online one which doesn't offer any way to switch Wi-Fi off - we pressed and held the Wi-Fi button to the side of the Aura and watched its flashing condition change, but never managed to get it to disengage. It's frustrating because all our music is stored on the MacBook Pro and we don't use iTunes for everything.

As the Aura is an Apple Store sold product we'd have thought it'd be airtight on this front. But, no, after receiving our second Aura device we've had exactly the same volume level issues - but only via this Mac. Obviously we thought the product was broken. This erratic volume behaviour would often continue with a pulsing up and down of the volume, or just sit maxed out to an uncontrollable loudness that would require the plug to be pulled or sound muted from paired device. Other times the volume would dip to near-silent only to then jump to full volume without pressing any buttons. A quick read of the manual to make sure you're doing things right and things aren't too complicated to understand. Well, that last one is a stretch because the source/connections are represented by different LED colours, but as these colours display central to each button your finger will cover it when pressing and holding. These buttons don't give any feedback when pressed, however, which is a bit odd, because there's no distinct physical protrusion, audible or visual feedback. Other lights and buttons are kept to a minimum: there's a touch-sensitive (and we mean very touch sensitive) volume slider, next to which are light-up source, power and Wi-Fi buttons. The plastic dome top catches some illumination from a ring of light towards the centre of the structure that represents the volume level and it looks cool when the lights go down. We've had the Aura's company to see us through a house move where its scale has made it easy to plug in throughout various rooms, depending on where there's been a spare bit of space in among the cardboard boxes.

That makes it the perfect size to sit on a desk, a shelf, the floor - or wherever you want to display this eye-magnet of a design. The Aura has a circular footprint with a diameter approximately 21.5cms, while the height measures around 28cms. We say interesting in its most positive light - whereas some others might look at the Aura and think 'what the heck is that?'. Speaker designs have gone through all sorts of visual forms over the years, with the HK Aura being one of the most interesting to look at.

In a bustling market having a product that stands out is important. But does its distinctive design enhance or hinder its ability to deliver quality audio? We've been living with the Aura for a number of weeks to find out.

If you're seeking a showstopper in speaker design that is also small and compact enough to live anywhere in the home, then the HK Aura certainly ticks the box.

always seeking Wi-Fi network can interrupt Bluetooth connection.

Occasional erratic volume behaviour after turning on.

omni-directional output produces all-encompassing sound.

loud output warm bass sits perfectly in the mix.

Control Wi-Fi-enabled products such as the AVR 370, AVR 3700 by connecting the product to your home network via wire or wirelessly. Note that Harman Kardon products using wired network connections only, such as the AVR x70 Series A/V receivers and the Harman Kardon BDS x75/77 Series home theater systems need a wired Ethernet connection to your home network access point (router) in order to be discovered by this app. Visit and check for the latest firmware update for your Harman Kardon product to assure compatibility with this app. Wirelessly stream content to your Harman Kardon products. This is the centerpiece of your Harman Kardon ecosystem.Įasily control all of your network-enabled Harman Kardon products. Control and enhance your Harman Kardon products with this remote control and music player app.

Hk aura app