The Scosche BoomCan MS (MagSafe Speaker) might be the accessory you never knew you needed. Roughly the size and shape of a hockey puck, this Bluetooth speaker is easy to slip into a bag when you want to take your tunes to go.
I take this to the preschool where I work for our "dance parties" when I want to ramp up the volume a bit. Snap it on the the back of your best iPhone and it doubles as a stand. Buy two of these and place them on opposite sides of your room (or desk, or couch) for stereo sound.
The sound may not be as rich as high end speakers, nor as loud, but it's nice to have this speaker (or perhaps two.)
Scosche BoomCan MS: Price and availability
The Scosche BoomCan MS is available at Scoshe's own website as well as big box stores and sites like Amazon and Walmart. It retails for $50 but can frequently be found on sale for about $42. There are two available colors: black and white.
Scosche BoomCan MS: What I like
When I carry a speaker to school or wherever I might want to play music, I don't want to lug around a big heavy speaker. I like that the Scosche BoomCan MS is feather-light and tiny and fits just about anywhere. I could even stick it in a pocket.
The MagSafe feature is pretty cool, and sets this speaker apart from most. If you have a MagSafe-compatible iPhone (and handset from the iPhone 12 lineup forward) and MagSafe-compatible case, you can plop it onto the back of your iPhone. It makes a handy kickstand so you can prop up your iPhone as you're playing your music or watching videos. If you have an older phone, no worries: the speaker pairs with iPhones as far back as the iPhone 6 lineup. You just wouldn't use the MagSafe feature. You can also pair it with just about any smartphone on the market, it's not exclusive to iPhone.
Another cool feature of the Scosche BoomCan MS is that you can actually pair two of them to the same iPhone for stereo sound. I did pair two of the speakers to my iPhone and tested them with a number of songs that are known to be good for testing stereo speakers. I was impressed at how well they did. I don't claim to be an audiophile, but they do effectively deliver stereo sound and fill the room with sound.
I like that the speaker is IP67 rated, meaning that it's resistant to water and dust so you can bring your tunes poolside or to the beach and not worry about it getting splashed. Technically you could submerse it up to three feet under water for half an hour with no adverse effects, though I didn't test that. You can get up to five hours of playtime off of a single charge.
Scosche BoomCan MS: What I didn't like
Pairing one speaker was easy, but pairing two was a bit fiddly. I had to reset, unpair, and re-pair them several times before I got them to pair together properly. But perhaps that's just me. Also perhaps on me: I managed to break off and lose the cover that fits over the USB-C charging port. A small thing, but it's a build quality issue.
The issue I read the most complaints about in online reviews is the sound quality and volume. You're not going to get a high-end audio experience with these, though for me they were sufficient. You're not going to get these loud enough for a big party, or outdoor event. I don't imagine serious audiophiles purchasing something like this. The Scosche BoomCan MS isn't crazy expensive but it's not very cheap, either. You're paying for its specific features: MagSafe compatibility, ultra-portability, and ability to pair for stereo sound.
Scosche BoomCan MS: Competition
The obvious competition in the "little Bluetooth speaker that you can pair for stereo sound" department is the small but mighty HomePod mini. They really aren't the same thing; the HomePod mini is a Siri-enabled smart speaker and not particularly portable. The HomePod mini is also about twice the price, and the sound quality is better.
I reviewed the compact, portable Marshall Emberton Bluetooth speaker which is fantastic-sounding device. It's not as tiny as the Scosche BoomCan MS, and it costs about triple. The Marshall does offer about 20 hours of playtime, about four times as much as the Scosche. Marshall speakers are more for serious listeners than something like the BoomCan.
Scosche BoomCan MS: Should you buy it?
You should buy it if ...
- You want a tiny portable Bluetooth speaker
- You want to pair two speakers on one phone
- You want MagSafe functionality
You shouldn't buy it if ...
- If you want very powerful sound
- If you want a very inexpensive speaker
- You don't need its specific features
Scosche BoomCan MS: Verdict
The Scosche BoomCan MS is a specific speaker for a specific audience. I'm probably the exact target group for it. I want something tiny and easy to carry around, I love that it connects with a second speaker for stereo sound, and I'm all about MagSafe accessories. I enjoy music but I'm no serious audiophile; I'm not looking to make my house shake. I'd take this speaker anywhere: the schools I work in, the pool, the beach, wherever. I don't worry about it getting wet, or dust getting into it, since it has the IP67 rating.
If you don't care about MagSafe, or you have no intention of buying two to pair for stereo sound, then you might just be better off buying something cheaper. The BoomCan works just fine with older iPhone and other smartphones as well, but why pay for MagSafe compatibility you'd never use? On the other end of the spectrum, if you are serious about sound quality and have high standards for your speakers, you're better off investing in a higher-end setup.
But maybe you're like me, and you want a handy little speaker that you can snap onto your MagSafe-compatible iPhone and use as a kickstand. You want the ability to pair it with a second speaker for stereo sound. You want a waterproof and soundproof speaker small enough to pop into any bag. In that case, the Scosche BoomCan MS is right up your alley.
