ION Audio Explorer Express Portable Speaker User Guide
- June 12, 2024
- ION Audio
Table of Contents
EXPLORER™ EXPRESS
User Guide
ionaudio.com/support
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Explorer™ Express. At ION, your entertainment is
as important to us as it is to you. That’s why we design our products with one
thing in mind—to make your life more fun and more convenient.
Note: Before you first use the product, please fully charge the batteries. Your
unit was purposely shipped with a reduced battery charge to ensure safe
transit. For optimal charging, power o the speaker while charging.
Use the included USB-A to USB-C® cable to connect the unit to a 5V, 2A power
adapter (not included) connected to a power outlet and let it charge for up to
3 hours (depending on the specifications of your adapter). This helps ensure
the longest life for your battery.
Box Contents
Explorer™ Express
USB-A to USB-C® Charging Cable (3.28 ft. / 1 m)
Quick start Guide
Support
For the latest information about this product (documentation, technical
specifications, system requirements, compatibility information, etc.) and
product registration, visit ionaudio.com.
For additional product support, visit
ionaudio.com/support.
SETUP
Charging and Battery Information
For the quickest charging time, power off Explorer™ Express and
use the included USB-A to USB-C® cable to connect the USB-C® charging port on
the rear panel of the speaker to a USB power adapter (DC 5V 2A, not included)
connected to a power outlet, or your computer (powered on). A full charge can
take up to 3 hours, depending on the specifications of your 5V, 2A adapter.
The lightning bolt icon on the display will light up when Explorer™ Express is
connected to a power source and charging. The battery icon will fill to display
the battery life percentage. When charging is complete, the lightning bolt
icon will disappear, and the battery icon will be completely filled.
If no audio is played through the Explorer™ Express speaker for 15 minutes,
the unit will enter a standby mode to conserve battery life. This may mean the
Bluetooth signal is paused, no audio is coming through a device connected to
the aux port, or the volume is set to 0. To wake the unit, simply resume audio
signal or press any button.
When the Explorer™ Express speaker is connected to a Bluetooth audio output
device and no audio is playing from any source, the speaker will automatically
power o after 60 minutes have passed.
Here are some other recommendations for getting the longest life from the
internal battery.
General Usage
Fully charge the battery before using it. Avoid full discharge of the battery
if possible. Li-Ion batteries are maintenance free, and the battery will last
longest when operating between30 and 80 percent charged.
Do not use the product while charging the battery.
Do not charge the battery in exceedingly hot (greater than 90°F/32°C) or
exceedingly cold (less than 32°F/0°C) temperatures.
Storage
For best product longevity, do not store at exceedingly hot (greater than
90°F/32°C) or exceedingly cold (less than 32°F/0°C) temperatures.
For best product longevity, store product with a 50% battery charge.
If you leave the battery level low and do not charge it for 6 months, it may
permanently lose capacity.
Repair
If the battery fails to charge, contact ION Audio at ionaudio.com.
Disposal
Bring the unit to a recycling center or dispose of in accordance with local
ordinances.
Outdoor Use and Care
Though Explorer™ Express is water-resistant and able to tolerate splashing
water, pleasere view the tips below to get the best performance from your
Explorer™ Express:
-
Bring Explorer™ Express indoors during extreme weather.
-
Please do not place Explorer™ Express in standing water.
-
Please do not connect the power adapter to an Explorer™ Express in a wet environment.
Make sure the power input, power adapter, and power outlet are all completely dry before making any connections. -
WARNING: Keep any non-water-resistant devices (phones, music players, etc.) in a dryplace where they will not be affected by water and cause a risk of electric shock.
FEATURES
Front Panel
Click a control below to jump to that section.
-
Power Button
Press and hold this button to turn Explorer™ Express on and off. -
Display
This screen shows information relevant to the current operation on Explorer™ Express.
Note: The Display comes with a plastic
protector on it. Remove this for optimal viewing. -
BOOM Button™
Press to simultaneously enhance the bass EQ and volume. -
Bluetooth® Button
Press this button to enter Bluetooth pairing mode. When connected to a Bluetooth device, double-press this button to disconnect a paired device and re-enter pairing mode, or single-press to disconnect a paired device and enter Aux mode. See Operation > Pairing a Bluetooth® Device to learn how to connect a Bluetooth device.
Press and hold this button to enable or disable voice prompts. -
Source Button
Press this button to cycle between FM, USB, and Aux modes. -
Stereo-Link™ / Repeat Button
See Operation > Linking Two Speakers to learn more about linking two Explorer™ Express speakers together using this button.
In USB playback mode, press this button to cycle between repeat modes. See Operation > USB Playback Mode to learn more. -
Previous / Next Buttons
In FM mode, press these buttons briefly to go to the previous or next station. Press and hold these buttons to seek the previous or next strong station.
In Bluetooth and USB modes, press the Previous or Next button to go to the beginning of the current track or skip to the following track, respectively. Press the Previous button again within one second to skip to the previous track. -
Play/Pause / Presets Button
Press this button to start and stop Bluetooth or USB audio.
In FM mode, use this button to save and recall radio presets. See Operation > Using the Radio to learn more. -
EQ Button
Press this button to cycle through the Low, Mid, and Hi EQ frequencies. Then press the VOL +/– buttons to adjust the EQ frequency settings. If no changes are made within five seconds, Explorer™ Express will exit EQ adjustment. -
Volume Up/Down Buttons
Press these buttons to adjust the speaker’s volume. Press and hold VOL + or – to navigate Bluetooth tracks.
Press and hold both VOL + and – buttons for 5 seconds to reset the speaker to factory settings. -
Mic Up/Down Buttons
Press these buttons to adjust the microphone volume.
Rear Panel
Click a control below to jump to that section.
Note: Pull the tab on the protective rubber panel to release it and access the rear panel ports.
-
USB-A Charge/Playback Port
You can use this port for charging the USB device, such as a tablet or smartphone. To charge a device that is streaming music via Bluetooth, pause the music first and then wait for it to reconnect after the USB cable (not included) is inserted. See Operation > Using the USB Charge Port for more information.
You can also connect a USB flash drive here to play music. See Operation > USB Playback Mode for more information. -
Aux In
Connect a CD player, MP3 player, or other audio source to this 1/8” (3.5 mm) input. -
USB-C® Charging Port
Connect the USB-C® end of the included cable to Explorer™ Express here. Then connect the USB-A end to a 5V, 2A USB power adapter (sold separately) and plug it into a power outlet, or your computer (powered on). See Setup > Charging and Battery Information for more information. -
Mic In
Connect a microphone (not included) to this input using a 1/4″ (6.35 mm) cable. Press the MIC +/- buttons to control the mic volume.
OPERATION
App Control
IMPORTANT: To ensure the best possible experience with the app, use the most
current Android OS or iOS on your device.
Follow these steps to download the free app on your device:
- Open the Apple App Store or Google Play on your device. Then, search for the ION Sound Control™ app.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the app. Once downloaded, the ION Sound Control™ app will appear on your device’s home screen.
- Connect your device to Explorer™ Express via Bluetooth. See Operation > Pairing a Bluetooth® Device to learn how to do this.
- Open the ION Sound Control™ app. If prompted, allow the app to access your device’s Bluetooth and Location Services.
- Follow the steps on screen to find and connect to your Explorer™ Express. Once connected, you can control various functions of the speaker, such as:
• Source Selection: Select the source to use (Bluetooth, USB, FM or Aux).
• Volume: Adjust the speaker’s volume.
• Mic Volume: Adjust the volume of the Mic input.
• EQ: Adjust the speaker’s equalization.
• Voice Prompts: Enable or disable the voice prompts.
• Battery Life: Check the speaker’s battery life status.
• Over-The-Air Firmware Updates: Stay up to date with the latest firmware installation.
Press and hold the Source button on Explorer™ Express to view the firmware version.
• Support: Visit ionaudio.com, contact Technical Support, and view Warranty information and Frequently Asked Questions.
Pairing a Bluetooth® Device
- Turn on your Bluetooth device.
- Power on Explorer™ Express by holding down the Power button for 2 seconds. When the unit is first turned on, it will automatically enter Bluetooth pairing mode. If necessary, press the Source button to select Bluetooth mode. The Bluetooth icon on the display will flash to indicate the speaker is ready to pair and if voice prompts are enabled, you will hear “Bluetooth Pairing.”
- Navigate to your device’s Bluetooth setup screen, find EXPLORER EXPRESS, and connect.
The Bluetooth icon will appear in the display, and if voice prompts are enabled, you will hear “Bluetooth Connected”.
Note: If your Bluetooth device prompts for a pairing code, enter “0000”.
To disconnect a paired device, do any of the following:
- Turn off Bluetooth from your device’s Bluetooth settings. The speaker will enter Bluetooth pairing mode to make it available for another device.
- Double-press the Bluetooth button to disconnect and re-enter pairing mode.
- Briefly press the Bluetooth button to disconnect and enter Aux mode.
Once you have disconnected, the Bluetooth icon will return to flashing, and you
will hear “Bluetooth Disconnected” if voice prompts are enabled.
Tip: Press and hold the Bluetooth button to turn voice prompts on or off.
Linking Two Speakers
If you would like to play music from a Bluetooth device, you can first “link”
two Explorer™ Express speakers together in order to listen to your music in
stereo. One Explorer™ Express will serve as the left speaker and the other
will serve as the right speaker.  To link two Explorer™ Express speakers together:
Note: When you begin the Stereo-Link™ process, any connected Bluetooth devices will be automatically disconnected. You can also disconnect your device prior to beginning by double-pressing the Bluetooth button.-
Press and hold the Stereo-Link™ / Repeat button on both speakers to enter Stereo-Link™ mode. You will hear a tone and the Stereo-Link™ and Bluetooth icons on each speaker’s Display will begin flashing while they search for each other.
Note: The linking process can take up to 30 seconds to complete. The closer the two speakers are to each other, the quicker the link is established. -
Press and release the Bluetooth button on either speaker to select Bluetooth mode and begin the Bluetooth pairing process. The speaker you use for Bluetooth pairing will serve as the primary speaker.
-
Navigate to your Bluetooth device’s setup screen, find EXPLORER EXPRESS, and connect.
The Bluetooth icon on the primary speaker will flash to indicate it is searching for a Bluetooth device to pair with.
When the connection is successful, you will hear “Bluetooth Connected” from the primary speaker (if voice prompts are enabled). When audio playback begins, you should hear it through both speakers. The primary speaker will play the left channel while the secondary speaker plays the right channel. Playback controls are active on both speakers.
-
To disconnect two speakers or cancel linking between the two, double press the
Stereo Link M / Repeat button on either speaker.
Note: Pressing and holding the Power button on the primary speaker while
in Stereo-Link™ mode will power o all connected speakers. Explorer™ Express
speakers powered o in Stereo-Link™ mode will automatically enter Stereo-Link™
mode the next time they are powered on and begin searching for secondary
speakers to connect to.
Using the Radio
To use the radio, press the Source button so that FM is selected and shown on
the display.
While in FM mode, briefly press the Previous and Next buttons (</>) to move to
the previous or next station. Press and hold the </> buttons to seek for the
next strongest station in that direction. 
To save a radio station as a preset:
- Press and hold the Play/Pause / Presets button.
- Use the </> buttons to select a preset number, 1–12, shown on the display.
- When you have selected the desired preset number, quickly press and release the Play/Pause / Presets button again to save it.
To recall a previously saved preset, briefly press the Play/Pause / Presets
button to cycle between the 12 presets.
USB Playback Mode 
When a USB drive with compatible files is inserted into the USB Charge/Playback
Port, Explorer™ Express will automatically switch to USB mode. If the USB
drive has already been inserted and you are using another mode, press the
Source button until USB mode is selected.
Explorer™ Express will automatically play the first compatible MP3 file. Files
are played in alphabetical order of what is on the root level, then
alphabetical by folder, and then alphabetical by track name. Media playback
will stop when all media has been played on the USB drive.
Note: The USB drive must have playable MP3 files for it to appear on the
media panel’s display.
Press the Next and Previous (</>) buttons to go to the next or previous track.
Press and hold these buttons to fast forward or rewind within the track.
Press the Stereo-Link™ / Repeat button to cycle through the options
(abbreviations will show on the display):
- Play the current USB track on repeat (OnE). This is the default mode when powered on.
- Play the tracks in random order (rAn).
- Play all the tracks on the USB drive on repeat (ALL).
- Play the current folder’s track list on repeat (FOLd). The folder used is based on what song is playing when it is activated. For instance, if a song playing is on the root level, selecting FOLd will repeat only songs at the root level. If a song is in folder “A”, then only songs in folder “A” will be repeated.
Using the USB Charge Port 
To use the USB charge port:
- Connect a USB type-A cable to the USB Charge Port on the rear panel of your Explorer™ Express speaker (see image).
- Connect the other end of the cable to the charging input on your smartphone, tablet, or other compatible device.
TROUBLESHOOTING
If the unit is not charging: Make sure the USB-C® cable is properly connected
to the power input, the power adapter, and the power outlet.
If the sound is distorted: Try lowering the volume control of your sound
source.
I hear a hum when cables are connected:
- Disconnect cables from the input jacks to see if it’s a faulty cable.
- Make sure the signal cables are not placed near power cables.
- Connect all audio equipment power cables to outlets which share a common ground.
If there is a high-pitched whistling noise when using microphones: This is
probably feedback. Point the microphone away from the speaker.
If you can’t hear the microphone over the music volume: Turn down the music
volume from your source.
If there is too much bass: Try adjusting the tone or EQ control on your sound
source to lower the bass level. This will allow you to play the music louder
before clipping (distortion) occurs. You can also check to see if the BOOM
function is enabled, and disable it by pressing the BOOM button™ to disable
it.
If you cannot connect your audio device to Explorer™ Express via
Bluetooth:
- Have your audio device (e.g., smartphone or tablet) and Explorer™ Express as close together as possible while trying to connect. Make sure both the audio device and Explorer™ Express are unobstructed by walls, furniture, etc.
- Double-press the Bluetooth button to disconnect Explorer™ Express from any other audio device and restart the search process. If this does not work right away, power Explorer™ Express and then power it back on. See Operation > Pairing a Bluetooth® Device for more information.
- Reset the Bluetooth connection on your audio device by turning Bluetooth and back on. You can find this under the Bluetooth menu in the Settings for your phone or other audio device.
If this does not work, and you have connected to Explorer™ Express before, find
Explorer™ Express in the list of available or previously connected devices in
your audio device’s Bluetooth menu, tap the “gear” or “i” icon located next to
it and then select Unpair or Forget. Turn Explorer™ Express and back on and
try pairing again once it reappears in your available devices list.
Note: If Explorer™ Express has been paired to another audio device
recently that is still within range, you may need to repeat this process with
that audio device to fully disconnect.
If you experience audio dropouts while playing music from a Bluetooth device,
this may be happening because your unit is trying to link to another speaker.
This can occur if you power offa speaker that was linked to your unit or if
you have just turned on your unit and it is in Stereo-Link™ mode. To stop the
audio dropouts, exit Stereo-Link™ mode by double-pressing the Stereo-Link™ /
Repeat button. Alternatively, you can wait for your unit to link to another
speaker if there is one within range.
APPENDIX
Technical Specifications
| Output Power | 65 W (peak) |
|---|---|
| Speakers | Low Frequency: 6.5″ (165.1 mm) woofer |
High Frequency: (2) 2.5″ (63.5 mm) tweeters
Frequency Response| 65 Hz – 16 kHz (-3 dB)
Bluetooth| Profile: A2DP, AVRCP
Bluetooth Version : 5.0
Range: Up to 100 ft. (30.5 m) *
Stereo-Link”‘ Range: Up to 100 ft. (30.5 m) between speakers
USB| Audio: Music playback from USB drive Supported File System: FAT32
Supported File Type: MP3
Maximum File Size : 4 GB
Maximum USB Drive Size :16 GB
Battery| Capacity: 2000mAh/11.1V, 22.2Wh Battery Life: Up to 10 hours a
Charge Time: Up to 3 hours
Power| Cable: USB-A to USB-C° Charging Cable Input Voltage: 5V DC, 2A
Dimensions (width x depth x height)| 13.48″ x 6.50″ x 13.23″
343 mm x 165 mm x 336 mm
Weight| 7.65 lbs. 3.47 kg
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
- Bluetooth and wireless reception and range are affected by walls, obstructions, and movement. For optimal performance, place the product so it is unobstructed by walls or furniture and is raised of the ground.
Battery life may vary based on temperature, age, and volume usage of product.
Trademarks & Licenses**
ION Audio is a trademark of in Music Brands, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by ION Audio is under license.
App Store is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Android and Google Play are registered trademarks of Google Inc. All other product names, company names, trademarks, or trade names are those of their respective owners.
ionaudio.com
Manual Version 1.1
Documents / Resources
| ION
Audio Explorer Express Portable
Speaker
[pdf] User Guide
Explorer Express Portable Speaker, Explorer Express, Portable Speaker, Speaker
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