Picture of the left front of the Sony SRS XE300 speaker.

Sony XE300 Software Update

Here, we detail the software update procedure for the Sony XE300. This routine can take ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes depending on the speed of your internet connection, source device used to update the speaker, distance between speaker and that device, Etc. Plus, you cannot uninstall the new software once you update to it. That is, you’ll be unable to return to the prior software version after you finish this upgrade. So, be sure that you indeed want the update, and have thought through all ramifications before proceeding.

Sony XE300 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 XE300 BT speaker you’re updating.
    • Compatible power adapters and charge cables for your speaker and mobile device.

Sony XE300 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. Install the Sony Music Center app if you haven’t already.
    3. Then, plug your XE300 and your mobile device to AC power. Why? Because we don’t want either of their batteries going dead during the update. In fact, a low battery might leave corrupt software in the speaker’s memory. This could, and probably would, brick the speaker. Then, this would likely render the unit useless and non repairable. So once again, connect the speaker to power before proceeding to prevent this.  Please !
    4. Disconnect any other wireless speakers and devices from your mobile device for this process.
    5. Then, power up your speaker and mobile device, if not already running.
    6. Next, pair your mobile device with the XE300.
    7. Run the Sony Music Center app. The app should then find your speaker and display the home screen for the XE300, showing that a software update is available.
    8. Follow the on-screen instructions for updating.





Sony XE300 Software Update: Step by Step Details

1. Connect the XE300 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 XE300 charging.
The Sony XE300 charging.

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

2. Pair this Bluetooth Speaker with your Mobile Device

Connect the speaker to your phone / tablet where you will run the update. Here’s an example screenshot of the XE300 connected to an iPad.

Screenshot of the Sony XE300 showing as Connected on iPadOS.
The Sony XE300 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 Mobile Device

We made a folder for all our 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 XE300 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 300 . But eventually, it does so, and displays its status screen, as we show next.

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

Note the tan bar on the XE300’s home screen.  This appears only when an update is available for this speaker.

Screenshot of the Sony Music Center app, displaying the SRS XE300 Home page with a speaker update available, showing the More Info button.
Sony Music Center app, displaying the SRS XE300 Home page with a speaker update available, showing the More Info button.

Note that if there are no software 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 XE300 in the Music Center app.
The Home page for the Sony XE300 in the Music Center app.

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 firmware. The OK button highlighted.
The software information page for version 3900 of the firmware. The OK button is 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 plugged 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. The OK button is highlighted.

In fact, we suggest that you fully charge both speaker and the smart device before updating.  Doing so protects your XE 300 from a corrupt software upload in the event of a longer power outage, where the batteries could go dead before update is done running.  Also, as a further 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. The OK button highlighted.
The software information page for version 3900 of the software. The OK button is 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 XE300 Software Update Begins

The updating then starts, as we show in the following screenshots. The Music Center app first downloads the new program 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 XE300 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 XE300.
The green flashing Power light on the Sony XE300.

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 update advances.

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

7b. Updating Software on Sony XE300 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 relatively 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 and update to the speaker have 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. Software Update on the XE300 Begins

Now that the new software has transferred from your device to the speaker, the update process on the XE300 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 XE300 update process.

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

8. Wait for the Sony XE300 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 dark lamps on the Sony XE300.
All lamps are dark here on the Sony XE300.

9. Press the Power Button To Boot the Speaker Again

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

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

The XE300 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 XE300 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 Software Version 3900 Update Complete screen, with the OK button highlighted.
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 XE300 home screen once again. But  this  time, note that there’s no longer the brown bar, as we see next. This means that the update worked, and that the speaker is now running the current software version.

Screenshot of the Home page for the Sony XE300 in the Music Center app.
The Home page for the Sony XE300 in the Music Center app.

11. Done with Sony XE300 Software Update !

You’re now finished updating the software to the current version in your Sony XE300 BT speaker.

Other Sony XE300 Posts

    1. How to Pair Sony XE300 to iPhone
    2. Sony XE300 Specifications
    3. Sony XE300 Watts
    4. Sony XE300 Blinking Orange Light
    5. Sony XE300 Power Button Not Working

Related Posts to Sony XE300 Software Update

    1. Sony XE200 Software Update
    2. Sony XB43 Software Update Procedure

References

    1. Official Sony XE300 Support Page
    2. Where to Buy the Sony XE300

Revision History

    • 2023-03-29: First published.