Screenshot of the Sony Music Center app on iPadOS, displaying the Software Version 3900 Update Complete screen, with the OK button highlighted.

Sony XE200 Software Update

Here, we detail the software update procedure for the Sony XE200. This exercise can take ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes depending on the speed of your internet connection, speed of the update source device, distance between speaker and that device, Etc. Plus, you cannot reverse the update once you install it. That is, you’ll be unable to return to the old software after you finish this upgrade. So, be sure that you indeed want the update, and have thought through all ramifications before proceeding.

Sony XE200 Software Update: Preparations

You’ll need the following items:

    • High speed internet connection,
    • Bluetooth enabled mobile device,
    • The Sony Music Center app that runs on said mobile device,
    • The Sony XE200 BT speaker you’re updating.
    • Compatible power adapters and charge cables for your speaker and mobile device.

Sony XE200 Software Update: Summary

Next, do the following to update the speaker. In short…

    1. Connect your mobile device to the internet.  For fastest updating, we suggest using WiFi for this work, and not your cellular connection.
    2. Get the Sony Music Center app if you haven’t already.
    3. Then, plug your XE200 and your mobile device to AC power. Why? Because we don’t want either of their batteries dying while updating the software. In fact, a low battery could install corrupt software. This could, and probably would, brick the speaker. This would then likely render the unit useless and non repairable. So once again, connect the speaker to power before proceeding to prevent this !
    4. Disconnect any other Bluetooth speakers and devices from your source device for this process.
    5. Then, power up your speaker and source device, if not already running.
    6. Next, pair your source device with the XE200.
    7. Run the Sony Music Center app. The app should then find your speaker and display the home screen for the XE200, showing that a software update is available.
    8. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.




Sony XE200 Software Update: Step by Step Details

1. Connect the XE200 and your Mobile Device to AC Power

We connected ours to an AC outlet using the power supply that comes with the unit. E.g. See this in the next picture.

Picture of the Sony XE200 charging.
The Sony XE200 charging.

You’ll know that the speaker is receiving external power if you see the charging light glowing orange.

2. Pair the XE200 with your Source Device

Connect the speaker to your phone / tablet where you will run the update. Here’s an example screenshot of the XE200 connected to a test iPad.

Screenshot of the Sony XE200 showing as Connected on iPadOS.
The Sony XE200 showing as Connected on iPadOS.

Now keep both the speaker and your mobile device powered up and close to each other throughout the update, lest the update fail and result in a malfunctioning speaker.

3. Find the Sony Music Center App on your Source Device

We made a folder for all of Bluetooth speaker apps and put the Sony Music Center app in there on our test iPad, as you see in the next picture.

Screenshot of the Sony Music Center app icon on iPadOS.
The Sony Music Center app icon on iPadOS.

4. Run the Sony Music Center App to Continue with the Sony XE200 Software Update

As the app runs, it scans the host device running it for compatible Sony speakers.  Wo, the app needs a brief period to find the XE 200. But eventually, it does so, and displays its status screen, as we show next.

Now if the speaker does not appear in the app after thirty seconds or so, move it closer to your mobile device. Then close the Music Center app, and run it again.

Note the tan bar on the XE200’s home screen.  This appears only when a software update is available for this speaker.

Screenshot of the Sony Music Center app, displaying the SRS XE200 Home page with a speaker update available, showing the More Info button.
Sony Music Center app, displaying the SRS XE200 Home page with a speaker update available, showing the More Info button.

Note that if there are no updates pending for the 300, then you will see no brown bar. This situation we show in the next picture.

Screenshot of the Home page for the Sony XE200 without any updates pending.
The Home page for the Sony XE200 without any updates pending.

5. Tap the More Info Button Inside the Brown Update Bar

Tapping the More Info button brings up the Software Information screen, as follows.

Screenshot of the software information page for version 3900 of the software. OK button highlighted.
The software information page for version 3900 of the software. OK button highlighted.

6. Tap the OK Button

Tapping the OK button may bring up the following screen if you haven’t followed the above directions, and thus, failed to plug your speaker into external power.

Screenshot of the Connect Speaker to Power Supply window for software version 3900. OK button is highlighted.
The Connect Speaker to Power Supply window for software version 3900. OK button is highlighted.

In fact, we suggest that you fully charge both speaker and the smart device before proceeding with this update.  Doing so protects your XE 200 from a corrupt software upload in the event of an extended power failure, where the batteries could go dead before updating is complete.  Also, as another precaution, once you fully recharge both devices, please leave both of them connected to external power until the update finishes.

Once speaker and smart device are charged, tap the OK button on the Connect Speaker to Power Supply   window. That should then take you back to the previous page once again, as follows.

Screenshot of the software information page for version 3900 of the software. OK button highlighted.
The software information page for version 3900 of the software. OK button highlighted.

Or, if you quit the app, go ahead and restart it and repeat the above steps.  This time, you should not get the Connect Speaker to Power Supply page. But instead, you will see the Software Information page that we see in the last picture.





7. The Sony XE200 Software Update Begins

The updating then starts, as we show in the following screenshots. The Music Center app first downloads the new software package.

Screenshot of the Sony Music Center app downloading the new software, and at 6 percent done.
The Sony Music Center app downloading the new software, and at 6 percent done.

Once the app downloads the package, it unpacks and transfers it to the XE200 as the next pictures show.

Additionally, during the transfer to the speaker, the Power lamp on it pulses in groups of four pulses then a pause.  E.g. Pulse-pulse-pulse-pulse-pause, pulse-pulse-pulse-pulse-pause,…  During this time, all other lamps on the speaker are OFF.

Picture of the green blinking power lamp on the Sony XE200.
The green flashing power lamp on the Sony XE200.

7a. The Software Update Continues at Thirty Percent Complete

Now as we see in these screenshots, the Sony Music Center app displays a  progress line, that gradually gets more brown as the updating proceeds.

Screenshot of the Sony Music Center app downloading the new software, and at 30 percent done.
The Sony Music Center app downloading the new software, and at 30 percent done.

7b. The Software Update of the Sony XE200 is Now at Seventy Percent Complete

Screenshot of the app transferring the new software to the speaker, and at 70 percent done.
The app transferring the new software to the speaker, and at 70 percent done.

Now we’re probably about five minutes into the update. Indeed this process takes a fairly short time as compared to some of the other speaker models we’ve tested.

7c. Now at Ninety-Nine Percent Done

The next screen shows that the software transfer has almost finished (99 percent done). E.g. The progress bar is practically all brown now.

Screenshot of the app transferring the software to the speaker, and at 99 percent done.
The app transferring the software to the speaker, and at 99 percent done.

7d. The Software Update to the XE200 Begins

Now that the software has been transferred from your device to the speaker, the update process on the XE200 begins when you see this page.

Screenshot of the Sony Music Center app displaying the Software Update Has Started page. The OK button is highlighted.
The Sony Music Center app displaying the Software Update Has Started page. The OK button is highlighted.

7e Tap the OK Button

Touching the OK button takes you to the Speaker & Group page, where you see a list of previously connected speakers that the app knows about.  Note that all are grayed out.  So none are connected to the app during the XE200 update process.

Screenshot of the devices list page with no devices currently connected to it.
The devices list page with no devices currently connected to it.

8. Wait for the Sony XE200 to Shut OFF After Updating its Software

While the speaker updates itself, its Power lamp slowly pulses green.

Then after a minute or two, once the 300 finishes updating, the Power light goes dark.  No more blinking.

Picture of all the lamps being dark on the speaker.
All lamps are dark on the speaker.

9. Press the Power Button To Boot the 200 Again

Press the Power button to turn this speaker on again, as pictured next.

Picture of the Power button on the speaker.
The Power button on the speaker.

The XE200 should again pair with your mobile device where you’re running the Sony Music Center app. The Power  lamp glows solid green, and the Pairing lamp also glows steady blue once the speaker again links to your mobile device.

Now after the XE200 reconnects to your smart device, the Sony Music Center app discovers that your speaker has come back online, and thus, displays an update-complete message, as follows.

Screenshot of the Sony Music Center app, displaying the Software Version 3900 Update Complete screen, with the OK button highlighted.
The Sony Music Center app, displaying the Software Version 3900 Update Complete screen, with the OK button highlighted.

10. Press the OK Button Back in the Sony Music Center App

With your speaker successfully paired to the app again, press the  OK button, as shown in the last screenshot.

The app then displays the Sony XE200 home screen once again. But  this  time, note that there’s no longer the brown bar, as we see next. This means that the updating of the software worked, and that the speaker is now running the current program version.

Screenshot of the Home page for the Sony XE200.
The Home page for the Sony XE200.

11. Done with Sony XE200 Software Update !

You’re now finished updating the 300 to the current software version.

Other Sony XE200 Posts

    1. Sony XE200 Specifications
    2. How to Connect Sony XE200 to iPhone
    3. Sony XE200 Orange Light Stays On
    4. Sony XE200 Watts
    5. Sony XE200 Blinking Orange Light

Related Posts to Sony XE200 Software Update

    1. JBL Flip 5 Software Update Instructions
    2. Sony SRS XG300 Software Update Instructions
    3. Sony SRS XG500 Software Update Instructions
    4. Sony XB43 Software Update

References

    1. Official Sony XE200 Support Page
    2. Where to Buy the Sony XE200

Revision History

    • 2023-03-28: First published.