How to Connect to Sony SRS XP500

The Sony SRS XP500 speaker showing as connected on iPadOS.

This post shows how to connect to the Sony SRS XP500 boombox party speaker from typical wireless devices. E.g. These include the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad line of Apple phones, media players, and tablets. A similar routine also works with Android tablets and phones as well.

How to Connect to Sony SRS XP500, Step by Step Guide

With your SRS XP 500 powered OFF (power button is dark), run through these directions to connect your source BT device to this speaker. We’re using an iPad Air tablet computer for this demo.

Left front view of the Sony SRS XP500 karaoke speaker while running.

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 XP500

Our Bluetooth Settings screen displays as follows. Note that our Bluetooth is enabled here. But since our Sony SRS XP500 is currently shut OFF (and so, is not in Bluetooth discovery mode), it does not appear in the Other Devices list. Also, we don’t see it since we’ve never linked this speaker with our mobile device before.

iPadOS -Bluetooth Settings- page showing nothing discovered

5. Turn On your Sony SRX XP500 Boombox

Additionally, turn on the XP500 by quickly pressing and releasing its Power button. See this, pointed at by the green arrow, in the next picture.

The -Power- button on the Sony SRS XP500 speaker.

The speaker then powers up, and its status lamp glows green, as we see in the next picture.

But since our iPad does not know about this speaker, the SRS XP500 will not connect with it automatically.

The -Power- lamp on the Sony SRS XP500 speaker, flashing green.

6. Put the XP500 into Pairing Mode

Now, to see your speaker on your device, place it into Bluetooth discovery / connecting mode. To do that, press the Pairing button, and release after a quarter second.

Find this button as we see in the next picture, pointed at by the green arrow. It’s the second button in from the left on the buttons panel, and is shaped like the Bluetooth logo.

The Bluetooth pairing / discovery button on the Sony SRS XP500 speaker.

Then the speaker announces, “Bluetooth pairing.” Also, the Bluetooth Status lamp begins flashing in a pulse-pulse-pause-pulse-pulse-pause pattern.

The Bluetooth pairing status light glowing blue on the Sony SRS XP500 speaker.

7. Find the Speaker on your Mobile Device to Continue with How to Connect to Sony SRS XP500

See the screen shot next. We found our 500, as pointed at by the green arrow.

The speaker showing as discovered on the Bluetooth Settings page.

8. Connect with your Speaker

Tap the listed speaker in the discovered devices list.

Your mobile device then connects with the SRS XP500.

E.g. The the mobile device’s Bluetooth Settings screen might then change to look something like the following. Note the now-connected SRS-XP500 entry, as pointed at by the green arrows in the next screenshot.

The speaker showing as connected on the test tablet.