DILLINGER LABS Helix Wireless Headphones Owner’s Manual

: June 8, 2024
: DILLINGER LABS

DILLINGER LABS Helix Wireless Headphones

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Introduction

Thanks for choosing Dillinger Labs. You’re now the proud owner of Helix, our ﬂagship headphones, powered by SKAA wireless technology.

SKAA prides itself on ease of use and ﬂexibility. Combine these values with Dillinger Labs’ commitment to audio quality and you get Helix. Truly great headphones.

We know you are eager to ﬁre up your new gear and we don’t want to keep you waiting. Refer to 4. Quick Start Guide to have your headphones up and running in no time. Once you’re moving and grooving, come back and learn all about the ins and outs of Helix.

A few important bytes of information

Have you seen this icon before?

The SKAA Compatible Badge certiﬁes that this Product has been tested and is fully compliant with all of the requirements of the SKAA Standard and has been granted SKAA Certiﬁcation. This Product will work seamlessly with all other products sporting the SKAA Compatible Badge.

If your transmitter is capable of SKAA Pro, so is Helix! SKAA Pro reduces the latency of SKAA from 36ms to 19ms. Check out the video on SKAA Pro here.

For more information on the SKAA Standard, please visit SKAA.com. The SKAA® name as well as its associated marks, logos, and icons are trademarks or registered trademarks of Eleven Engineering Inc.

Live in the moment

Using SKAA technology, Helix has a latency as low as 19ms. Just switch your transmitter into SKAA Pro and Helix will switch into SKAA Pro automatically.

But what does this mean and why is it important?
Unlike other wireless headphones which lag behind, Helix breaks free from the status quo by having no noticeable delay between you and the audio source. This allows you to feel directly plugged in but with the freedom of wireless headphones.

Super simple control!

As depicted in the image on the right, Helix headphones integrate simple-to- use button controls for you to interact with.
All the controls you need: Bond Button, track control, power, and volume controls are intuitively laid out on the left cup. Keep this info in mind as it will come in handy as we traverse through the manual.

Quick Start Guide

Step 1: Connect your chosen SKAA Transmitter to an audio source and, if required, turn the Transmitter on. DILLINGER-LABS-Helix-Wireless-
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Ursula and Cassandra PC Users:
Mac OS: Navigate to System Preferences > Sound, and set the output device to SKAA Transmitter. Microsoft OS: Navigate to Sound Settings and select SKAA Transmitter as your output device.

Step 2: Play audio on your device.

Step 3: Press n’ hold the power switch for 2 seconds. Helix will instantly Bond to the Transmitter and the Bond Indicator will shine solid Amber. You should now hear audio playing.

If the Bond Indicator stays dim Amber and you don’t hear any audio, carry out a factory reset by quickly clicking the Bond Button 6 times. Your click speed should be similar to multi-clicking a computer mouse.

Step 4: Adjust volume by pressing the volume button up or down
Note: The output volume of your source device will affect the volume from Helix.

Bonus Links :
SKAA Wireless Audio Beginner’s Guide SKAA YouTube Channel

SaffronTM – The Brains

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SKAA technology is known for reliable, high-ﬁdelity audio. To take this one step further we present to you SaffronTM by Eleven Engineering.

Utilizing the advanced multithreaded architecture that Eleven’s chips are known for, Saffron is able to run multiple tasks simultaneously, which is key for reliable high-ﬁdelity audio. What makes Saffron really special is that it accomplishes this while consuming the least amount of power of any SKAA chip on Earth, making it the perfect choice for Helix.

DSP/DAC – The Brawn

Sound quality and battery life can sometimes be at odds in a product like Helix, but not when designed around Texas Instruments’ DSP/DAC technology complete with built-in ampliﬁer.

Your headphones harness the ﬂexibility of PowerTuneTM to control power consumption while delivering professional audio quality.

Design – The Beauty

Form may follow function, but that doesn’t mean that high-quality audio can’t ﬂow through beautifully styled headphones. Helix boasts a minimalist yet bold red and black colour scheme tailored by a team of Canucks who want to give a little more OOMPH to your audio collection.

Helix was crafted for comfort during long-term use. A plush headband and ear cups will keep your head just as happy as your ears. Dillinger Labs partnered with Audio Technica, leveraging their design and manufacturing expertise to realize the luxurious powerhouse that now sits in front of you.

Printed F Antenna

Wireless headphones are only as good as their range and Helix comes out on top. We’ve paired SKAA’s groundbreaking ﬂexibility and Eleven Engineering’s top-of-class Printed F Antenna to maximize your wireless freedom.

Ingenious engineering choices allow Helix to reach up to 25 meters of indoor wireless range when Bonded to a SKAA Transmitter such as a Dani, Ursula, Akiko, Talisa or any Nadja Hubs.

Intuitive track control

Using the power button as shown in the image below, audio playback can be controlled with just a few simple clicks. A single click will play/pause. A double click will skip over the song that should never have made it onto your playlist. Lastly, a triple click will jump you back to the previous track.

Power modes

Helix and SKAA Transmitters work together to optimize battery life when audio isn’t playing.

2.5 minutes after audio stops – The Transmitter drops its Bond with Helix, turning Helix’s Bond Indicator dim.
3 minutes after Bond loss – Helix enters Standby, reducing power consumption but ready if your transmitter becomes active again.
15 minutes after Bond loss – Helix turns itself off to save battery life. You’ll have to power it on with a 2-second press of its power button to get going again.

Charging

Helix can continuously play audio while charging, allowing you to keep the tunes blasting on high when battery levels are low.

Each pair of Helix headphones ships with a standard micro USB cable for fast reliable charging.
The micro USB charging port is located on the bottom of the right cup, under a protective cover, as shown below. DILLINGER-LABS-Helix-Wireless-
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Batteries

Helix doesn’t just sound and look great but also has the battery life to back it up. With two 1100 mAh AAA rechargeable batteries, Helix will keep you jamming for up to 10 hours of continuous use!

10 hours of battery life is great but how long will they last in 2 years, 5 years, or longer? Battery degradation sucks but we’ve got you covered. In less than 5 minutes you can swap out the batteries with easy-to-ﬁnd replacements, ensuring that Helix will last as long as the day you bought them.

We’ve even created a quick replacement guide we’d be happy to send you, just contact us at dillingerlabs.com/contact/.

Battery care

Unlike Lithium Ion batteries that want you to keep their charge between 20-80%, Helix uses batteries that you can drain all the way down to 0% and charge to 100% for a longer run time.

It is recommended to charge Helix after completely draining the battery to ensure the longevity of the battery cells. But as mentioned in Section 12, if this isn’t always possible don’t sweat it as the batteries are easily swappable if needed down the road. DILLINGER-LABS-Helix-Wireless-
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When Helix approaches low battery, the Amber Battery LED will begin ﬂashing beside the Bond indicator. The ﬂashing LED lets you know to plug in the charging adapter.

During the charging process, the Battery LED will stay illuminated indicating that headphones are charging.

When the Battery LED goes out during charging, Helix is fully charged and ready to go.

From a depleted state, the battery requires ~4 hours to be fully recharged.

During charging, if the charging LED begins ﬂashing slowly, we recommend replacing the batteries. A Video tutorial can be requested from dillingerlabs.com/contact/

SKAA cmd App

The SKAA cmd App provides a useful set of additional features to your headphones & speakers. For example, you can add custom names to each pair of headphones or speakers, easily mute all headphones & speakers or adjust individual volumes. It also lets you quickly identify which speakers & headphones are currently bonded to your phone’s Transmitter and much more.
The SKAA cmd App is available for iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows platforms. It can be download from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and on www.skaa.com/tlc/skaa-cmd/.

Check out www.skaa.com/tlc/support/ for the dedicated SKAA cmd App user’s guide. DILLINGER-LABS-Helix-Wireless-
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The Receiver Bay shows you when a SKAA Receiver or Cluster is bonded.
Move this slider to modify the volume of each individual speaker.
Click “i” to see the App Info Screen.
App Info Screen will show you the app version, app license, libraries used, Transmitter ﬁrmware, and screen size.
Master volume control. Use this slider to change volume on all speakers and headphones simultaneously.
Master mute. Click on the triangle and a laser beam straight out of sci-ﬁ movies will mute all bonded speakers and headphones.
This button allows you to customize the power mode.
RED: Keep Transmitter always ON
WHITE: Turn OFF Transmitter after 2.5min of no audio GREY: Keep Transmitter OFF even when audio is being sent to the Transmitter.
Customize the name of your Transmitter.
IMPORTANT: The green Bond Block lets you choose whether a Receiver is playing left, right, mono, or both channels.
Press to mute individual speakers or headphones.
Press again to unmute.
Customize the name of your headphones & speakers. Like “Gaming Headphones” or “Rocking Right Speaker”.

Specifications

Important Information

Please read the following information carefully. Failure to follow the safety guidelines may result in personal injury or user dissatisfaction.

Never operate or store headphones in close proximity to a heat source.
Do not operate Headphones in rain. Headphones are not water resistant.
Do not charge headphones during electrical storms.
Do not leave headphones plugged in and charging for extended periods of time.
Drain the battery fully before charging to prolong battery life.
Remember with great audio comes great responsibility. Listening to headphones at maximum volume may lead to partial hearing loss.
Do not take headphones apart unless replacing the batteries (contact for detailed instructions). The warranty will be voided.

Dillinger Labs advises the reader that this owner’s manual is being continuously updated to reﬂect the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding Helix Headphones. Please check our website periodically for the most recent version of this manual.

Should you have any comments or questions about SKAA or Dillinger Labs products, we invite you to write to us here.

Check out SKAA’s YouTube channel to familiarize yourself with an array of fantastic SKAA products.

SKAA® RECEIVER USER’S GUIDE
Each SKAA receiver uses a Green List to remember your favorite audio sources (SKAA transmitters). A Green glowing Indicator on your receiver means you are listening to a favourite, or hunting for one. You can also explore to find new transmitters—an Amber Indicator means you are exploring for transmitters which are not on your Green List. The Bond Button on your receiver lets you select which audio source (SKAA transmitter) you’re listening to.

Essentials

DILLINGER-LABS-Helix-Wireless-Headphones-12 More Commands

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

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Helix Use Case #1

Music on the go

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Helix Use Case #2

Studio Recording

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Helix Use Case #3

Podcasting

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Helix Use Case #4

DJ with Headphones

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Helix Use Case #5
Computer with Helix
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Helix Use Case #6
Gaming *Check your game console manual to see if it supports USB audio At the time of writing, the following SKAA Transmitters are console compatible

SKAA Transmitter Compatibility| Cassandra (USB-C)| Ursula (USB-A)| Akiko (3.5mm)| Talisa (SPDIF)
---|---|---|---|---
Nintendo Switch| No| Dock| Handheld| No
Playstation 4| No| Yes| No| Yes
Playstation 5| Console| Yes| No| No
Steam Deck| Yes| No| Yes| No
Xbox One X/S| No| No| No| Yes