# Esoteric Sound Stream vs Onkyo Controller

The clearest difference is rating: Esoteric Sound Stream at 3.0 against Onkyo Controller's 2.2. Esoteric Sound Stream also leads on review sentiment (40% vs 26%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Onkyo Controller's advantage is ratings volume (620 vs 6) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Esoteric Sound Stream holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Onkyo Controller has 620 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Esoteric Sound Stream's written reviews are positive against 26% of Onkyo Controller's.

Esoteric Sound Stream ships an update every 8 months, Onkyo Controller every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Esoteric Sound Stream | Onkyo Controller |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esoteric-sound-stream/id1087231964/reviews)** | [2.2 (620 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onkyo-controller/id1110608712/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **620** |
| Positive reviews | **40.0% of reviews** | 25.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 30 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TEAC CORP.](https://appshunter.io/developer/579501503) | [11 Trading Company LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1641485011) |

## What reviewers say

### Esoteric Sound Stream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esoteric-sound-stream/id1087231964)

Control your network audio player with this app. Easily select music, build custom playlists, and browse your library with intuitive navigation. Advanced search and tag utilization enhance the user experience.

**Highlights:** Select musical tracks, Create custom playlists, Intuitive interface, Advanced search and retrieval, Cache album artwork, Sort library by artist, year, composer, category

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Onkyo Controller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onkyo-controller/id1110608712)

Control compatible Onkyo network products with this official remote app. Stream music from various sources, manage playback, and operate connected home theater devices. Features automatic sound field correction for compatible products.

**Highlights:** Music playback from streaming services, Control music library and NAS drives, Remote control functions (play, volume, input), Operate connected Blu-Ray players and TVs, Automatic sound field correction (Dirac Live), Check audio/video formats, Turn on compatible units remotely

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Supports Tidal and Spotify
- 🚀 Fast and responsive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues
- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Unreliable performance
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with older devices

**Reported bugs**

- App doesn't recognize receiver
- Fails to connect to Wi-Fi
- Loses connection during use
- Doesn't work with iOS 13 and newer
- Causes receiver to enter Direct mode unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve Tidal and Deezer integration
- Allow customization of input names
- Add sleep timer and power off options
- Improve volume control and speaker balance adjustments


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Esoteric Sound Stream free?

Esoteric Sound Stream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Onkyo Controller free?

Onkyo Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Esoteric Sound Stream or Onkyo Controller?

Esoteric Sound Stream is rated higher. Esoteric Sound Stream averages 3.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Onkyo Controller averages 2.2 from 620 ratings.

### Do Esoteric Sound Stream or Onkyo Controller have ads?

Neither Esoteric Sound Stream nor Onkyo Controller shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Esoteric Sound Stream or Onkyo Controller?

Esoteric Sound Stream ships an update every 8 months, and Onkyo Controller every 2 months. Most recently, Esoteric Sound Stream was updated on October 4, 2026 and Onkyo Controller on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*