DILLINGER Aquarius SKAA Wireless Speaker Owner’s Manual
- June 8, 2024
- DILLINGER
Table of Contents
DILLINGER Aquarius SKAA Wireless Speaker
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.
One and Done
Your Aquarius speakers feature a single control that combines the SKAA Bond Button and a rotary knob for volume control.
Embrace the knob. Become one with the knob.
Quick Start Guide
Step 1: Connect your chosen SKAA Transmitter to an audio source and if required, turn the Transmitter on.
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 1 second.
Aquarius 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 there is no audio, Factory Reset by
clicking the Bond Button 6 times. The Bond Indicator will flash Red if the
reset is successful.
GinsengTM
SKAA technology is known for robustness and reliability. This was possible by taking a ground-up approach to design a chip to meet strict performance goals. We present to you GinsengTM by Eleven Engineering.
Unlike alternatives that utilize task switching architecture, Ginseng utilizes multithread architecture to process audio data. The ability to run multiple tasks simultaneously is the key to SKAA’s superior audio quality.
Flush External (FE) Antenna
Wireless range is just as important as computing power. Ginseng is connected to an in-house engineered, artisanal farm-to-table, non-GMO, class-leading antenna. Brace yourself – here comes the antenna hype…
Look carefully at the location of your Aquarius’ internal antenna. Follow the copper cable from the PCB to the black emblem on the side of the speaker. This is the antenna. We have done everything in our power to put it in the ideal position – elevated and away from metal and electronics. We went so far as to put it on the OUTSIDE of the speaker. Choices like this enable your Aquarius to achieve a 50-meter wireless range when paired with a transmitter capable of that same range.
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Analog Devices is a world leader in Digital Signal Processing technology making their DSP Chip the perfect choice for your speakers. The DSP commits one channel to the woofer and one channel to the tweeter, preserving audio fidelity in the process. We’ve programmed the DSP to supply a flat EQ to give you a listening experience akin to that of a recording studio. Analog Devices and SKAA have allowed Aquarius to boldly go where no speaker has gone before. Where high fidelity wireless solutions reign supreme.
Class-D Amplifier
At the heart of Aquarius is its MerusTM amplifier – Infineon’s most efficient audio amp. Merus boasts a stellar 92% efficiency, meaning that more of your battery’s power is converted into sound and not into heat. More power savings means more hours of music giving Aquarius its 36+hour battery life at normal listening levels.
Antenna hype complete.
Drivers: Woofer/Tweeter
We have selected the drivers for Aquarius with great care.
The woofer’s frame is a cast aluminum basket with a carbon fibre cone. The ceramic core screams “attitude” with a punchy, dynamic and clean sound. The tweeter, on the other hand, provides a smooth, mellow response from its silk dome.
Besides the superior material quality of the woofer and tweeter, the mounting location of the tweeter plays an important role. To widen the stereo image delivered by Aquarius, the tweeters are pushed to the extreme left and right in their respective speaker.
Feet
Keeping a powerful speaker like Aquarius in one place is no small feet. Get it? Feet??
Take a moment and gaze upon Aquarius’ Feet. Whatever surface you place these speakers on, the Feet will never allow the speaker to creep. Aquarius speakers will stay exactly where you want them even at maximum volume.
The Back Plate
The back plate serves as the backbone of Aquarius – holding it all together
and looking good while doing it.
Aquarius’ back plate is manufactured by machining a large block of aluminum into its final shape. This manufacturing technique is deliberately chosen to achieve the rigid structure required to endure the extensive vibration your speakers will experience through their long lifetime.
The back plate acts as a two-pound aluminum heatsink for the electronics — especially the Class-D Amplifier. Thanks to the large surface contact between the amp and the backplate, any heat dissipated is effortlessly diverted into the aluminum. Excellent heat transfer ability allows us to drive the amp at its maximum power level indefinitely.
The backplate also sports the SKAA icon. When you see this, you know good things are coming.
One Control
The Bond Button/Knob gives you full control of your speakers with a push
and twist.
Want to change the volume?
— rotate the knob.
Want to search the Green List for your favorite Transmitters?
— single click the Bond Button.
Want to play audio from a new Transmitter?
— double-click the Bond Button.
Check out the SKAA Receiver’s User Guide later in this manual for a complete list of SKAA commands.
Power users: check out our video diving deep into the Bond Button and the Green List here.
The Tuned Port
The Port of Aquarius has a few seemingly unremarkable traits that make it quite remarkable, indeed. We’ve made it as long as possible with a 45° slice inside the speaker which leads to a gentle flare on the back plate; choices that achieve four important goals:
- Improve bass performance — all the way down to 55Hz
- Minimize resonant frequencies
- Near-perfect elimination of chuffing
- Port turbulence prevention
Charging
Aquarius has a phenomenal 36+ hour battery life at normal listening volumes, but eventually, you’ll need to charge them back up. Each speaker is shipped with a 24VDC 65W charging adapter: The charging jack is located on the backplate, below the power switch as shown here:
The Gravity LockTM
Gravity LockTM allows you to conveniently carry a pair of Aquarius speakers in one hand. Simply interlock two speakers back to back as shown in the image below.
As you bring the two speakers together, notice the bumpers align with pockets on the opposite backplate (circled in the image). Once they interlock, they stay firmly in place while you comfortably carry your speakers.
SKAA cmd App
SKAA cmd (“command”) is the app that you don’t really need. Though, once you hear about what it can do, you’ll certainly WANT it…
SKAA cmd provides a long list of additional features to your SKAA setup. For use with Ursula, Cassandra, Diz and Gemma transmitters – you can add custom names to Receivers, easily mute all Receivers, adjust individual volumes, see which Receivers are bonded to your Transmitter and so 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.
-
Your transmitter has 4 bays and you can park a receiver or Cluster (see no.17) in each bay
-
Local volume control. Move this slider to modify the volume of each Receiver
-
Click “i” to see the App Info Screen. Here you can view the app version and Transmitter version
-
Global volume control. This slider changes the volume on all Receivers simultaneously.
-
Once pressed, this triangle will summon a fearsome to all volumes to zero.
Fear not, it’s just a global mute button. Press each Receiver’s speaker icon to unmute. -
Transmitter Power Mode Customization
RED: Always ON
GREY: Always OFF
WHITE: ON only when there is audio -
Customize the name of your Transmitter.
-
Audio Routing: The Green Bond Block lets you choose whether a Receiver is playing left, right, or both channels. From the factory, your Aquarius speakers are configured with the left and right speakers playing their respective channels.
—— PLEASE NOTE ——
If you only use one speaker to play audio, you may want to set it to a Mono output. -
Press to mute an individual Receiver.
Press again to unmute. -
Give your speakers a snappy nickname like “Aquarius Almighty” …or something better. Or worse. You do you…
Clusters
Clustering is a power user feature that allows you to take a group of SKAA speakers and make them act as a single unit. Check out our YouTube video explaining the Clustering feature here.
The following Cluster example sets up the Left Aquarius as a master and the Right Aquarius as a slave.
Step 1: Place two Aquarius speakers near each other and ensure both of them are turned OFF.
Step 2: Using the Master (left) speaker, hold down the Bond Button, then turn the speaker ON Step 3: After a few moments the Bond Indicator will flash Red, release the Bond Button
Step 4: While the master speaker is flashing red, turn ON the slave
(right) speaker. You should now see the Bond Indicator on the Slave and Master
speakers both flashing red. Wait 10 seconds. Step 5: Once the Bond
Indicators turn solid red, turn OFF and ON both speakers.
Congratulations, you have made a Cluster of two speakers!
Step 6: When you connect the master speaker to the SKAA cmd app, you will see a window similar to the one shown below. Notice how a SKAA cluster is made using two speakers with the left speaker as the master.
You can cluster up to 4 receivers of the same type. Check out our YouTube Guide on Clusters here.
Specifications
Important Information
Please read the following information carefully. Failure to follow the safety guidelines may result in personal injury or user dissatisfaction.
- Do not poke woofer and tweeter cones. They don’t like it.
- Never place anything into the tuned port on the back side of the speaker.
- Only use the provided power adapter for charging.
- Never store or operate speakers near a heat source.
- Do not operate Aquarius speakers in rain. Contrary to their name, your speakers are not water-resistant.
- Do not charge speakers during electrical storms.
- Once fully charged, remove speakers from external power. This will lengthen their battery life.
- Listening to speakers at maximum volume nearby may lead to partial hearing loss. To preserve your hearing, we do not recommend listening to volumes beyond 90% within 3 meters of the speaker.
- Not for use by those under the age of 12.
- Any disassembly of the speakers will void your warranty.
- The acrylic which makes Aquarius so unique is also quite fragile. Handle your speakers with great care.
- Aquarius is not a sentient being capable of care and compassion. You will love them but they will not love you back.
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
More Commands 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Aquarius Use Case #1
Computer with a pair of Aquarius speakers
Aquarius Use Case #2
Home Theatre System
Aquarius Use Case #3
Cluster of speakers
If you wish to control a whole sound system using only one speaker, you can do
that by setting up a Cluster. Check out section 17. Cluster of Speakers and
SKAA RECEIVER USER’S GUIDE at the end of this manual for detailed info
.
Aquarius Use Case #4
Home-brew Party 
Aquarius Use Case #5
DJ House Party
Aquarius Use Case #6
Hybrid Speaker DJ Set-up
Aquarius Use Case #7
DJ with Mic & Headphones
Aquarius Use Case #8
ULTIMATE DJ Set-up
References
- Contact | Dillinger Labs
- SKAA Wireless Technology
- SKAA Wireless Technology – SKAAstore™
- Streetheart | SKAA Pro™ Receiver – SKAAstore™
- SKAA wireless audio | Downloads | Manuals | SKAA
- Support | SKAA
- Home | Dillinger Labs
- SKAA wireless audio standard | Speakers Headphones | SKAA
- SKAA cmd | SKAA
- Support | SKAA
- SKAAstore – SKAAstore™
- Streetheart | SKAA Pro™ Receiver – SKAAstore™