background image

There are two options to power your wireless speaker: using the included AC power adapter or 
using 6 AA batteries (not included). 

AC Power Adapters

1.   Insert the small, round plug from the speaker AC 

power adapter into the DC IN jack on the bottom 
of the speaker.

2.   Plug the other end of the speaker AC power 

adapter into any standard 120V AC wall outlet.

Note:

 Be sure to use the speaker AC power adapter rated 9V DC 1200 mA.

Warning:

 This product is water-resistant, not waterproof. Avoid prolonged exposure to wet 

environments, such as rain, mist, dew, etc. In other words, you can take it out, just don’t leave it 
out. To avoid electrical shock, use this product with caution near water sources if powered with 
the AC adapter. Never submerge in water.

AA Batteries

1.   Remove the battery compartment cover on the bottom of the speaker.

2.  Insert six (6) AA batteries (not included) into the speaker following the polarity (”+” and “-”) 

as diagrammed inside the battery compartment.

3.  Replace the battery compartment cover on the bottom of the speaker.

Note:

 Place the rubber cap in the speaker power input jack when using batteries.

DO NOT

 mix batteries with different chemistry types (for example, a zinc battery with an alkaline 

battery). 

DO NOT

 mix new and used batteries. 

DO NOT 

leave batteries installed in the product 

when not in use for long periods. Always remove old, weak or worn-out batteries promptly and recycle 
or dispose of them in accordance with local and national regulations.

Introduction

The AWS5B3 portable wireless speaker is the ultimate in portable sound that goes wherever 
you go. 

Bluetooth

 wireless lets you stream and control your music from any 

Bluetooth

-enabled 

wireless product, great for anywhere you are. The 900MHz wireless transmitter gives you 
150ft of room to roam from your audio source, great for outdoor entertaining at home. And 
the speaker’s 3.5mm jack offers a convenient direct connection option to use everywhere in 
between—just connect your MP3 player and enjoy.

This manual shows you how to set up all three connection options: 

Bluetooth

 wireless, 

900MHz wireless, and the direct connect jack, beginning with a tour of the speaker and 
included accessories. If, after having reviewed the instructions, you have any questions, please 
call toll-free 1-800-732-6866 or visit www.acoustic-research.com.

Important Information

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.

DO NOT OPEN.

CAUTION

Caution:

 To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove cover (or back). No user 

serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualifi ed service personnel.

Product Information

Keep your sales receipt to obtain warranty parts and service and for proof of purchase. Attach it here and record the 
serial and model numbers in case you need them. These num bers are located on the product. 

Model No.: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Purchase Date: _________________________________________________________________________________________  

Dealer/Address/Phone: __________________________________________________________________________________

Important Safety Instructions

1.   Read these instructions.
2.  Keep these instructions.
3.  Heed all warnings.
4.  Follow all instructions.
5.  Clean only with dry cloth.
6.  Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
7.   Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifi ers) that 

produce heat.

8.  Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, con ve nience re cep ta cles, and the point where 

they exit from the apparatus.

9.  Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
10. Refer all servicing to qualifi ed service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been dam aged in any 

way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the 
ap pa ra tus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not op er ate normally, or has been dropped.

Care and Maintenance

• Always use a soft cloth to clean the speaker and transmitter. Never use any product containing alcohol or other solvents 

as they may damage the surface.

• Use caution when plugging the power transformers in an AC outlet to avoid the risk of electric shock.
• If the speaker are used outside on a deck or patio, make sure you take them indoors in the event of a rainstorm to 

prevent possible damage.

• Do not operate or store the system in extreme temperatures (below 32ºF/0ºC and above 122ºF/50ºC).

L

M

R

DC
IN

Tour of the Speaker

Tour of the Speaker

Speaker

Included Accessories

900MHz Wireless Transmitter

Front panel 

Power and Pairing indicator 

shows the status 

of the speaker. 

Blue, slow blinking:

 The speaker is on but not 

paired or connected (like when you turn the 
speaker on for the first time).

Blue, fast blinking: 

The speaker is in 

Bluetooth

 

pairing mode. See the Using

 Bluetooth 

Wireless 

section for more information.

Solid blue: 

The speaker is paired with a 

Bluetooth

-enabled device and ready to play 

audio.

Green, slow blinking: 

The speaker is on and in 

900MHz mode, but not linked with the wireless 
transmitter.

Solid green:

 The speaker is linked with the 

900MHz wireless transmitter and ready to play 
audio.

Rear panel 

Bass Boost

 button turns the speaker’s bass 

enhancement on and off.

On-Off / RF-BT

 turns the speaker on and off 

(press and hold for four seconds). It also toggles 
between 

Bluetooth

 wireless and 900MHz wireless 

reception (press). 

Scan-RF / Pair-BT 

scans for the 900MHz 

transmitter’s signal in 900MHz mode (press). 
In 

Bluetooth

 wireless mode, press and hold this 

button for four seconds to begin pairing with your 
device.

/–

 buttons adjust the speaker’s volume 

level

SIGNAL

 indicator lights green when the audio is 

present and the transmitter is broadcasting

POWER

 indicator lights when the transmitter is on

CHANNEL 1 2 3

 lets you fi nd the best transmission 

frequency for your environment

DC IN 

jack receives the small round end of the 

included 12V 200mA AC power adapter

AUDIO IN (R / L) 

connects to your sound source 

using one of the connection options shown here

Powering the Speaker

3.5mm audio in cable

Model 

AWS5B3

Installation and Operation Manual

Portable 

 

   

Wireless 
Speaker

Bottom Panel

L/M/R 

switch determines if the speaker plays 

sound in mono as a stand-alone speaker, or plays 
the left or right track in a stereo pair with an 
additional AWS5B3 when streaming audio with 
the 900MHz wireless transmitter

DC IN 

receives the small round end of the 

included 9V 1200mA AC power adapter; remove 
the protective cover to insert the adapter

AUDIO IN 

connects directly to your MP3 player, 

smartphone, or other portable audio device, using 
the 3.5mm audio in cable provided

Battery Compartment Cover 

(not shown) 

remove to install 6 AA batteries

using Bluetooth Wireless

Using 900MHz Wireless

Pairing

Any 

Bluetooth-enabled

 device that you wish to stream audio to your speaker system must fi rst 

be paired to the speaker.  The process is simple, and in most cases the pairing process needs to 
be done only once.

To pair your 

Bluetooth

-enabled device with the speaker:

1.   Make sure your device’s 

Bluetooth

 is turned on. See the wireless and/or network settings 

menu on your device to check.

2.  If the speaker isn’t already on, press and hold the On-Off / RF-BT button for four seconds to 

turn it on. You will hear a beep and the indicator light on the front of the speaker will start 
fl ashing blue.

3.  Press and hold the Scan-RF / Pair-BT button for four seconds to enter pairing mode. You will 

hear a beep and the indicator on the front of the speaker will start blinking faster. 

4. Open the 

Bluetooth

 settings menu on your device. Select “AWS5B3” from the list of devices 

available (you might have to scan for devices). If your device asks for a password, enter 
“0000”.

5. A confi rmation screen will appear on your device once the speaker and the device are 

successfully paired. The blue indicator turns solid blue to indicate successful connection. The 
speaker is now ready for you to stream audio from your device.

6. Start playing something on the device. You can control the speaker volume on the speaker 

itself, using the Vol +/– buttons in front of the speaker, or on your device, using its volume 
controls.

Note:

 If you notice the sound from the speaker is distorted, turn down your device’s volume.

Note: 

These power units should be plugged in so 

that they stay vertical or lie fl at.

Back panel

DC IN

CHANNEL

1 2 3

R  AUDIO  L

IN

Top panel

Streaming Audio With 

Bluetooth

Once you’ve paired and connected your device with the speaker, you can control music playback 
from the palm of your hand. Select your music, stop it, change songs and playlists, all right from 
your device’s screen. 

To adjust volume: 

Press the Vol +/– buttons in front of the speaker.

To disconnect from the speaker: 

Either turn 

Bluetooth

 off on your device or choose 

“Disconnect” from the list of options in your device’s 

Bluetooth

 settings.

To reconnect with the speaker: 

Just turn the speaker on and wait a few seconds for the 

speaker to fi nd and connect to your device. If the speaker still hasn’t found your device (which 
may happen if, for instance, another device has been connected after yours) make sure the 
speaker isn’t connected to another device currently. Then select the AWS5B3 from the list of 

Bluetooth

 connections available in your device’s 

Bluetooth

 menu to connect to it.

Powering the Transmitter

Connect the small, round plug from the transmitter AC 
power adapter to the transmitter’s DC IN jack. Plug the 
other end of the transmitter AC power adapter into any 
standard 120V AC wall outlet.

Note:

 Be sure to use the speaker AC power adapter 

rated 12V DC 200 mA.

Note:

 There is no transmitter ON/OFF switch. The transmitter is designed to be left plugged in 

and powered at all times. If you will not be using the AWS5B3 for an extended period of time, 
unplug the transmitter AC power adapter.

Summary of Contents for AWS5B3

Page 1: ...s such as radiators heat registers stoves or other apparatus including amplifiers that produce heat 8 Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the apparatus 9 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time 10 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel Servicin...

Page 2: ...th Wireless section for more information Solid blue The speaker is paired with a Bluetooth enabled device and ready to play audio Green slow blinking The speaker is on and in 900MHz mode but not linked with the wireless transmitter Solid green The speaker is linked with the 900MHz wireless transmitter and ready to play audio Rear panel Bass Boost button turns the speaker s bass enhancement on and ...

Page 3: ... 3 Replace the battery compartment cover on the bottom of the speaker Note Place the rubber cap in the speaker power input jack when using batteries DO NOT mix batteries with different chemistry types for example a zinc battery with an alkaline battery DO NOT mix new and used batteries DO NOT leave batteries installed in the product when not in use for long periods Always remove old weak or worn o...

Page 4: ...nt of the speaker or on your device using its volume controls Note If you notice the sound from the speaker is distorted turn down your device s volume Streaming Audio With Bluetooth Once you ve paired and connected your device with the speaker you can control music playback from the palm of your hand Select your music stop it change songs and playlists all right from your device s screen To adjus...

Page 5: ... flashing green which means the speaker is trying to link with the 900MHz wireless transmitter The indicator light turns solid green when the speaker is tuned to the 900MHz wireless transmitter you should hear sound coming from the speaker now Note If the speaker is not linked to the 900MHz transmitter or if the transmitter isn t connected properly the indicator light will continue to blink If this...

Page 6: ...urce is turned up Check that the speaker volume is turned up Make sure you have disconnected the 3 5 mm audio in cable from the AUDIO IN jack Turning the Speaker Off 1 Press and hold the On Off RF BT button on the back of the speaker to turn the speaker off 2 Confirm that the speaker is off by verifying that the indicator light on the speaker s front panel is no longer illuminated Making a Direct C...

Page 7: ...chnology generally can operate within a range of 35 feet However results may vary based on other factors such as room layout wall material weather conditions etc Make sure you have switched to the speaker s Bluetooth connection when streaming audio with Bluetooth Make sure you entered the correct passkey when pairing your device Make sure you have disconnected the 3 5 mm audio in cable from the AU...

Page 8: ...s with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B Digital Device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are de...

Reviews: