How to Turn ON Sony SRS XP500

Front left view of the Sony SRS XP500 party speaker.

We explain how to turn on the Sony boombox SRS XP500 karaoke party speaker here. Now most Bluetooth speakers have a Power button that Sony prominently positions on the unit so it’s easy to locate. Indeed, this speaker is no exception, as we find its Power button on the top panel, near the front, as we see next.

Top view of the Sony SRS XP500 speaker, showing the -Power- button.

There’s also a status lamp, just above the Power button, that glows any time the 500 is running.

The -Power- lamp glowing green.

Then, we also have the Bluetooth status lamp, that starts flashing or glowing blue when the speaker powers up, as we point out below.

The -Pairing- lamp glowing blue.

Both these lamps are dark when the SRS XG500 is OFF.

How to Turn On the Sony SRS XP500

To power up the SRS XP500, press the Power button. Then release after a quarter second or so. Also, you needn’t hold it in for too long for the unit to see your press and then turn itself on.

When the speaker comes on, the Bluetooth status lamp starts blinking or glowing blue steadily. The speaker also makes a rising startup sound. It further sounds a ding-dong sort of chime pattern and announces if and when it pairs to a nearby Bluetooth device. But if it pairs with nothing, then all you hear is the startup sequence.

But if pressing the Power button does not turn on the SRS XP500, or if the CHARGE light blinks orange, it could be that you need to recharge your speaker.

The -Charge- lamp glowing orange on the Sony SRS XP500 speaker.

So if the unit won’t come on, try connecting the included AC charging cable to it. Yes, you can indeed play the speaker as it charges, though it may take longer to fully recharge, especially if you play it very loud and with heavy bass.

Now when on AC power, this speaker should always power on when you click the Power button. If not, then the unit may not be getting any juice from the wall outlet. So check that the receptacle you’re connecting the cord to is live, and that the cable between it and the SRS XP500 is not frayed or otherwise damaged.

But if after all these checks the speaker still does not turn on, then the unit itself may be faulty. So in that case, take it to a qualified Sony service center for repair, or purchase a new one.