Miniature MagSafe speaker amps up iPhone audio [Review]

The Scoshe BoomCan MS sticks to the back of a ‌MagSafe‌ ‌iPhone and ups the sound quality considerably. The palm-size Bluetooth speaker magnetically attaches to recent Apple handsets where it also act as a kickstand or a handle. And it’s waterproof and dustproof.

I’ve been using the BoomCan MS for a few weeks… and I love it.

Scoshe BoomCan MS review

The two tiny speakers built into an iPhone don’t actively suck. For something so small, they’re acceptable for voice calls. But you can’t detect any real bass coming from them – they’re very tinny.

Attach a Scoshe BoomCan MS to the back of your iPhone and you get far better sound. It’s both louder and richer.

Bluetooth iPhone speaker that goes everywhere

The speaker is a cylinder with a 2.4-inch diameter and 1.2 inches thick. That makes in eminently portable. It’s semi-pocketable, and drops easily into any backpack, purse, etc. To me, it’s small enough to take almost anywhere.

To make it even easier to carry around, the Scoshe BoomCan MS includes magnets so it sticks to the back of any ‌MagSafe‌ ‌iPhone. Essentially, it becomes the handset’s speaker.

And for watching video, the Bluetooth speaker can prop up the iPhone so you can easily see the screen. Or use it as a handle. The magnetic connection between handset and speaker isn’t super strong, but it’s powerful enough that you can hold your iPhone by gripping the speaker.

But sticking the accessory to the phone isn’t necessary . I usually set it on a table when I’m listening to it. Or stick it to my fridge. To me, it’s a good small speaker that can also cling to my iPhone, not necessarily a clip-on speaker.

I use it with my iPad, too. The BoomCan MS supports Bluetooth 5.3 so you can connect it to a wide variety of devices. Like any Bluetooth product, turn it on with a power button and it automatically reconnects to the last computer it was paired with, whether iPhone, iPad or Mac..

Scoshe designed the BoomCan MS for on-the-go use. It has an IP67 rating, which means it’s totally protected against dust, and can be survive being under shallow water for half an hour. In short, it’s ready to go on a camping trip. But don’t mistreat it too much – the speaker isn’t ruggedized.

Outstanding sound for the size and price

Scoshe BoomCan MS fits easily in my palm but puts out big sound.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

As a real-world test, I used Scoshe’s mini speaker to provide background music at a gettogether with a few friends. It worked perfectly – no one even noticed I was using such a small speaker.

When I pointed it out, and asked for opinions about the sound quality, the consensus was that the audio was surprisingly rich for such a tiny speaker. There was even a decent amount of bass.

That said, this wasn’t a dance party. The BoomCan MS was giving all it could to handle background music in a relatively quiet room.

I also did my own tests, of course. At max volume, Scoshe’s palm-size speaker pumps out around 80 decibels while 2 or 3 feet away from the test microphone, and it peaked a 96 dB, according to the NIOSH Sound Level Meter. The World Health Organization recommends listening to music at 85 dB at most, so there’s nothing to complain about here.

I also played Radioactive by Imagine Dragons because it’s a song that depends on heavy bass. The track sounds fine to me on BoomCan MS. Not only is there a decent amount of bass, the speaker doesn’t get staticky/crackly while producing the deep sounds.

You can pair two of the Scoche speakers for stereo sound. Unfortunately, I have only one review unit so I can’t test this feature.

5-hour or more battery life from mini Bluetooth speaker

While the the mini speaker uses MagSafe to sticks to the back of your iPhone, there’s no wireless charging going on. The batteries in the handset and speaker have nothing to do with each other.

Scoshe promises the BoomCan MS lasts five hours on a charge. I used mine for five hours at maximum volume and still had more than 50% battery power remaining. That said, a lot can affect the battery life of a Bluetooth speaker, even the type of music you’re listening to. But this one undoubtedly has plenty of power.

When the power finally runs out, plug a USB-C cable into the accessory to juice it back up.

I’m hoping someday there’ll be a BoomCan MS 2 that can draw power from the iPhone now that iOS is supposedly getting support for reverse wireless charging.

Scoshe BoomCan MS final thoughts

If you need quality audio on the go, the BoomCan MS can provide it.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

I’m a firm believer that the best speaker is the one you have with you. The amazing ones in your den do you no good down by the pool or on a camping trip. But the BoomCan MS can go anywhere.

Price is also a factor in my opinion. You can get a better portable speaker if you’re willing to pay a lot more. Take the Bose SoundLink Micro – it offers superior audio but at more than double the price. And it is (relatively) much larger.

But Scoshe makes the best low cost, miniature Bluetooth speaker I’ve tried. More than just quality sound, the ability to cling to the back of the iPhone is a significant advantage.

★★★★★

Pricing

The BoomCan MS is available on the Scoshe website for $49.99.

Buy from: Scoshe

Scoshe provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.