The Scosche BoomBouy Rockstar Pocket-Sized Speaker is a small speaker that clips to a backpack and goes wherever you go. In fact, “goes wherever you go” even includes a pool, river or lake if that is where your travels take you. The small speaker is part of Scosche’s Rockstar sub-brand, but a quick look at it will make that fact clear.
One of the things that helps me get through the New Jersey winter is thinking about the winter being done. That means it is never too early to start thinking about gear that will be great when I am out walking the dog, taking a hike or, even better, floating in my pool. The Scosche BoomBuoy Rockstar Pocket-Sized Speaker is one of those items that will be more useful, and relevant, in a few months. That is not, of course, to say that it wouldn’t be great now. But a speaker that is designed to be in the great outdoors is best used … outdoors.
At $39.99 the Scosche BoomBuoy Rockstar is just about as inexpensive a speaker as you will find. That means it is accessible to people on a tight budget. That means it is great if you are looking for a speaker for a young person. That means you can take it on adventures and not worry if it is lost or stolen. BUT, and this is a huge “but”… that doesn’t mean this is a delicate POS speaker. No, the BoomBuoy is small and inexpensive, but it is a speaker that is intended to go places! Seriously, a couple of years ago you had to look long and hard to find a waterproof speaker and, when you did, you had to pay a boatload (pun intended … you are welcome) for it. Now, for under $40, you can get a small speaker that is not only waterproof but actually floats!
This speaker looks playful, but it is actually serious business. It measures just 94mm x 84.5mm x 36mm and weighs in at just 4.6oz. Despite that, is has Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC connectivity for phones and other devices that are NFC-enabled. Those devices that don’t have NFC — in other words, Apple products — can be paired the old fashion way.
The Scosche BoomBuoy Rockstar has a 3W output, a 500mAh battery to supply the 7 hours of listening per charge, a frequency response of 200Hz-20KHz and an impedance of 4ohm. I’m including these last two specifications for those who like numbers and specs but let’s be clear … this is not a speaker for audiophiles. It sounds fine but is not winning any audio awards. (That’s not a knock but is simply the reality, and anyone thinking about buying this speaker should know what to expect.) As Scosche puts it:
This pocket-sized waterproof speaker packs a punch! Count on rich, crystal-clear, omnidirectional sound and up to 7 hours of play time with this floating speaker. Compact and incredibly rugged, BoomBuoy is designed for optimum performance in outdoor environments. Just clip it to your backpack or slip it into your pocket and head outdoors!
The BoomBuoy stands out for the same reason it has the name BoomBuoy. Not only is this speaker waterproof- it has an IP67 rating- but it actually floats. That’s pretty neat. The fact is, I love the UE Roll Bluetooth speaker and use the one I reviewed in our pool all the time during the summer. But while the UE Roll and UE Roll 2 are waterproof, in order to get them to float you have to use the inflatable “raft” accessory that comes with the Roll 2. With the Scosche BoomBuoy Rockstar,you don’t need anything else to have floating tunes while you hang out.
Floating Fun: This floating waterproof speaker is remarkably sturdy and durable – even in the harshest environments. It has an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating so you can drop it, get it dirty and then dunk it in water to wash it off! Perfect for the beach, the pool, the lake and more! And don’t worry about dropping it in the pool, lake or river, that’s what it was made for!
Features:
- IP67 Waterproof
- Floats Facing up
- Built-in Music Controls
- Carry Loop with Carabiner
As a portable Bluetooth speaker the BoomBuoy is fine. As a portable Bluetooth speaker that is waterproof, floats and is under $40, the BoomBuoy is fantastic. No, you would not want this to be your main audio system, but if you are looking for an inexpensive speaker that can literally go anywhere with you, you are going to be hard pressed to find something better at this price. If you go into the purchase aware of what you are getting, then I suspect you will be happily surprised. In fact, if I had to offer one main criticism of the BoomBuoy it would be the same issue I had with the Rockstar external battery I recently reviewed. That is … the branding.
It is so large, so apparent and so in your face that I almost think YOU should be paid to use the speaker. After all, anywhere you go with it you are advertising RockStar Energy Drinks. Now, if you are a huge fan of their beverages or you really like big, bold, loud branding on your products, then it won’t be an issue. But for someone like me who is happy to promote companies I love but don’t gravitate toward products with large branding, it is a bit much. That noted, if it means I can have a floating waterproof speaker for under $40, then I guess it is worth it. Check it out here.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample of the BoomBuoy
What I Like: Inexpensive; Rugged and waterproof; Decent play time per charge; Sounds good for what it is; Floats
What Needs Improvement: It is a walking billboard