This piece gives Sony SRS XB20 speaker charging instructions. Recharge this speaker easily through the micro USB DC power input port, behind the water resistant door in the rear of the unit. See this access hatch in the pictures below. Note that you can still play your XB20 while recharging it, without increasing the replenish time very much, especially if you are using a full-current USB charger.
Sony SRS XB20 Charging Instructions: Summary
First, the unit comes with a suitable USB-A to micro USB charger cord. But you must provide a strong enough AC or car converter with a USB-A female connector, to plug that lead into. This particular speaker requires about 7.5 watts (5 volts at 1.5 amps max) for the shortest charge time of four (4) hours. However, you can use a 500 milliamp charger so long as you don’t mind the charge time increasing to twelve (12) hours. We nonetheless recommend a full-current USB 2.0 adapter since they’re so inexpensive nowadays, to get the safest yet fastest recharge possible.
Now then, once you pick the charger you will go with, plug it into a “live” AC outlet.
Then after four hours with a full current charger, your XB20 finishes charging. So it’s ready to play once more for up to twelve (12) hours before needing another electrical refill.
Sony SRS XB20 Charging Instructions, Step by Step
1. Choose an Adequate Size AC or Car Adapter
As mentioned earlier, the power adapter you use should provide 5 volts and at least 1.5 amps (7.5 watts). So here, we use the Key Power model HDD15-3-PD USB power delivery system along with a medium current micro USB supply cable.
2. Open the Port Cap Door
Use a fingernail, dime, penny, or small screwdriver to pry open the waterproof seal port cover on the XB20 back.
See the opened power port compartment in the next picture. Take care not to scratch the delicate seal around the inside edge of this cap, lest it no longer seal properly.
Prying open this door exposes the micro USB charging port inside, as shown in the last picture, pointed at by the loud green arrow.
3. Power OFF the Speaker to Continue with Sony SRS XB20 Charging Instructions
Note that the SRSXB20 still charges when powered ON. But depending on how much extra charging energy your supply sinks, the speaker might recharge a bit faster when it’s not running. It will definitely charge more rapidly when you’re not playing it at louder volumes.
4. Plug the USB Cord into the XB20
Then, plug the matching end of your charging cable into the DC input micro USB port on the speaker, as we see in the next shot.
5. Plug the Other End of the USB Cable into your Charger Adapter
If the supply you use has a detachable wire, then be sure to connect the matching end of the USB power cable to the AC or car adapter you have.
6. Plug the USB Adapter into a Working Wall Outlet to Continue with Sony SRS XB20 Charging Instructions
Now that we connected the XB20 and our AC adapter, we then plug the mains end of the supply box into a working AC outlet, as shown next. We connected ours to a GE surge protecting power strip.
The CHARGE lamp then lights up solid orange on the speaker, as we see next.
If the CHARGE light does not glow now, then either the battery is already fully charged, or your charger is not delivering enough current to activate the charge management circuits inside the speaker. If this happens, make sure that you plug the USB-A end of the power cord into a high current port on your charger, as many multi-port chargers have different max current values depending on the port. So pick the port that can deliver the most current. Generally, this is a port that says something like, “for tablet or iPad”. These ports are designed to recharge bigger devices. On the other hand, other ports are for lower current output ports as, “for phone”. Thus to ensure that you get enough current, connect to the beefiest port on your charger. Or, if your charger has just one output port, verify that it indeed can deliver at least 1.5 amps.
7. Let the XB20 Continue Charging Until the CHARGE Light Goes Dark
Battery recharging finishes when the CHARGE lamp turns off, as shown next.
8. Unplug the Micro USB Charging Cable from the Speaker
9. Fully Close the Port Door / Cap
Note that unless you seat the port cap fully, water may run into its ports. And, since water and electronic components do not work well together, getting those connections wet might degrade them. So be sure to press this door closed with enough force to fully seat it, for maximum moisture protection.
10. Done with Sony SRS XB20 Charging Instructions !
We have now fully charged our XB20 speaker.
Finally, repeat this recharging every (up to) twelve hours of play, to keep the battery in top condition for at least several years to come.
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References
Revision History
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- 2021-10-21: First published.