Comparison

Surround Speaker Check vs Helmarr

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Surround Speaker Check

Test and optimize your Dolby Atmos home theater system. This app provides over two hours of spatial audio content to verify surround sound decoding, speaker configuration, and enjoy immersive audio experiences on compatible soundbars and headphones.

Highlights
  • Verify Dolby Atmos decoding
  • Test speaker configuration
  • Evaluate height channels
  • Subwoofer test suite
  • Manual speaker troubleshooting
  • Spatial audio demos
  • Dolby Atmos test tracks
Features
Read full description

Surround Speaker Check is a fun and entertaining utility to help you set up and enjoy Dolby Atmos on your home theater gear! Also works as great way to test spatial audio on Dolby Atmos-compatible sound bars and headphones! Surround Speaker Check is more than just the world’s most popular AV utility app - with over 2 hours of content, it’s now THE best way to experience Dolby Atmos spatial audio like you’ve never heard before! SURROUND SOUND TESTING - Verify your system is properly decoding Dolby Atmos surround sound audio - Confirm your speakers are properly configured - Hear and evaluate your surround speakers in isolation (including height channels) - Tune your room, test your sub with the new Subwoofer Test Suite - Use the Manual Speaker Check feature to help troubleshoot and fine-tune your system - Confirm your Apple TV is properly set-up for surround sound playback DOLBY ATMOS TEST TRACKS - True Dolby Atmos audio support provides an accurate and complete test environment - Supports up to 7.1.4 speaker layouts - Works with Atmos-compatible soundbars SPATIAL AUDIO PLAYGROUND - Over two hours of spatial audio demos and Dolby Atmos test tracks - Regularly updated Dolby Atmos demos experimental spatial audio content - Enjoy spatial object scenes designed to unleash the full potential of your home theater Uses specially-produced Dolby Atmos surround tracks with on-screen 3D graphics Designed by guitarist and immersive audio producer Jeff Perrin as a means to confirm the integrity of various surround systems while producing surround sound music tracks. NOTE: Playback of test content on speakers requires an Apple TV (or similar AirPlay-compatible streaming device) connected to a Dolby Digital-compatible home theater system. Spatial audio support over headphones requires compatible iOS device with Dolby Atmos-compatible AirPods or Dolby Atmos-compatible headphones. When played back over an optical connection or non-Atmos devices, surround content will fold down to Dolby Digital 5.1 or stereo 2.0 format, depending on device capabilities. In all cases, a fast internet connection is highly recommend. *Playback of Dolby Atmos content on non-Apple devices requires that the device supports multichannel audio (ie. Dolby Digital 5.1 or Atmos) over AirPlay 2. Please check your device specifications. Please try out the free included test tracks so as to ensure compatibility with your hardware before making any purchases. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Helmarr

Manage all your self-hosted services from a single, native iOS interface. Seamlessly integrate and control applications like Sonarr, Radarr, and Unraid with advanced features and customization.

Highlights
  • Unified experience for multiple services
  • Smart multi-network connectivity
  • Deep customization options
  • Home screen widgets
  • Unraid control
  • Push notifications
  • SSH & SFTP access
  • Download management
Features
Read full description

Helmarr provides a unified, native iOS interface for your self-hosted services. Stop relying on responsive web UIs and manage your entire stack in an app where your services actually work hand-in-hand. Currently supported: Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Bazarr, Unraid, SSH (+SFTP), Tautulli, Jellystat, Overseerr, Jellyseerr, Seerr, qBt, SABnzbd, NZBGet, Wizarr, Prowlarr, Transmission, Deluge. Key Features: - A Truly Unified Experience: Your stack shouldn't feel like separate silos. Helmarr brings Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Seerr, and Tautulli together. Browse your library, approve requests, and view active streams in one seamless interface. - Smart Connectivity: Full multi-network support allows you to define primary and fallback hosts. Helmarr automatically switches between your LAN IP and WAN/DNS address depending on where you are. - Make It Your Own: Deep customization options let you tweak the app to your liking. Change accent colors, rearrange your tab bar, and set custom headers to match your personal aesthetic. - Home Screen Widgets: Keep an eye on your download queue, upcoming releases, or server stats at a glance without even opening the app. - Unraid Control: Real-time monitoring of Shares, Parity status, Disks, and Warnings. Start/Stop Docker containers and VMs instantly. - Push Notifications: Stay in the loop with configurable alerts for grabs, successful imports, and critical health checks. - Terminal & Vitals: Full SSH & SFTP access with live resource monitoring (CPU/RAM/Net). Manage processes and containers via command line. - Download Management: Remote control for SABnzbd and NZBGet. Pause, resume, reorder queues, and set speed limits on the fly. - Release Browser: Don't just rely on automation—search, filter, and manually grab specific releases with ease. - Onboarding: Generate and manage user invites via Wizarr. Website: https://helmarr.com/ Terms of Service: https://helmarr.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://helmarr.com/privacy

Screenshots

Surround Speaker Check4 screens
Helmarr4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Helmarr at 4.9 against Surround Speaker Check's 3.8. Helmarr also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (76% vs 54%). Surround Speaker Check's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Surround Speaker Check sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and Helmarr sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Helmarr holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 172 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Surround Speaker Check's written reviews are positive against 76% of Helmarr's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surround Speaker Check ships an update every 5 months, Helmarr weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Surround Speaker Check versus Helmarr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurround Speaker CheckHelmarr
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (41 ratings)4.9 (172 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.3% of reviews75.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings41172 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size180 MB170 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJeff Perrin Music LLCFlorian Ernst

Customer experience

Surround Speaker Check

All ratings41 ratings
Positive65.9%
Neutral9.8%
Negative24.4%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive54.3%
Neutral11.4%
Negative34.3%

Helmarr

All ratings172 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews145 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral7.6%
Negative16.6%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Surround Speaker Check

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited Access$19.991 Year
  • Unlimited Access$24.991 Year
One-time2
  • Subwoofer Check$0.99
  • Center Speaker Check$0.99
19 purchases

Helmarr

Subscriptions3
  • Helmarr Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Ultra Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Helmarr Pro Yearly Subscription$17.991 Year
One-time16
  • Bazarr$3.99
  • Deluge$4.99
  • Plex$4.99
Show 13 more
  • Transmission$4.99
  • NZBGet$4.99
  • Lidarr$4.99
  • Unraid$4.99
  • SABnzbd$4.99
  • Tautulli$4.99
  • Sonarr$4.99
  • Radarr$4.99
  • Seerr$4.99
  • qBt$4.99
  • Prowlarr$4.99
  • Helmarr Pro - Lifetime$29.99
  • Lifetime Pro$34.99

Questions

Is Surround Speaker Check free?
Surround Speaker Check is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Helmarr free?
Helmarr is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surround Speaker Check or Helmarr?
Helmarr is rated higher. Surround Speaker Check averages 3.8 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Helmarr averages 4.9 from 172 ratings.
Do Surround Speaker Check or Helmarr have ads?
Neither Surround Speaker Check nor Helmarr shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Surround Speaker Check or Helmarr?
Surround Speaker Check ships an update every 5 months, and Helmarr weekly. Most recently, Surround Speaker Check was updated on October 14, 2026 and Helmarr on October 16, 2026.

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