How to Connect to Sony SRS XB40

The dark Power button on the Sony SRS XB40 speaker.

This post shows how to connect to the Sony SRS XB40 wireless Extra Bass speaker via Bluetooth to typical wireless devices. E.g. These include the Apple line of device like the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. This routine also works for Android base devices as well, such as Samsung and LG phones, as well as Amazon Fire tablets.

How to Connect to Sony SRS XB40, Step by Step

With your SRS XB40 switched OFF (power lamp is dark), follow these steps to connect your source BT device to it. We use an iPad Air computer for this demo.

1. Go to the Home Screen on your Source Device

Firstly, press the Home button to reveal the smart device’s Home screen.

2. Find the Settings App

We found ours on the second page of the Home screen, as shown next.

iOS Home Screen with Settings App Highlighted

3. Bring up the Settings App

Thirdly, touch the Settings app icon.

The smart device then shows the first page of its settings, as shown in the next step.

4. Go to the Bluetooth Settings Page to Continue with How to Connect to Sony SRS XB40

Our Bluetooth Settings screen displays as follows. Note that our Bluetooth is enabled here. But since our Sony SRS XB40 is currently shut OFF (is not in Bluetooth discovery mode), it does not show up in the Other Devices list. Also, we don’t see it since we’ve never connected to this speaker with our mobile device before.

iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page showing nothing discovered

5. Turn On your Sony SRX XB40 Speaker

Turn on the speaker by quickly pressing its Power-Pairing button. See this, pointed at by the green arrow, in the next picture.

The dark Power button.

The unit then powers up, and its Power-Pairing button glows white, as we in the next picture.

The glowing Power button on the Sony SRS XB40 speaker.

But since our tablet does not know about this speaker, the SRS XB40 will not connect with it automatically.

6. Put the XB40 in Discovery Mode

Now, to see your XB40 on your device, place it into Bluetooth discovery / connecting mode. So to accomplish that, press and hold the Power-Pairing button, and release when you hear the rising pitch beep sequence and the speaker announces, “Bluetooth pairing,” in a lady’s voice. Find this button as shown above.

In addition to the voice announcement, the Bluetooth Status lamp begins flashing fast white, as we see next.

The Pairing lamp glowing white on the Sony SRS XB40 speaker.

7. Find the Speaker on your Mobile Device to Continue with How to Connect to Sony SRS XB40

See the screen shot next. We found our XB40, as pointed at by the green arrow.

The Sony SRS XB40 speaker showing as discovered on iPadOS.

8. Now Connect with the XB40

Tap the listed speaker in the discovered devices list.

Your mobile device then connects to this speaker.

E.g. The the mobile device’s Bluetooth Settings screen then changes to look something like the following. Note the now-connected SRS XB40 entry in the My Devices list, as pointed at by the green arrows in the next screenshot.

Our speaker showing as Connected on iPadOS.