JVC Remote vs Sound Bar Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
JVC Remote
Control your JVC car receiver wirelessly via Bluetooth. Adjust audio settings with an intuitive graphic interface and use gesture controls for playback. It also functions as a standalone music player.
- Wireless remote control via Bluetooth
- Gesture control for playback
- Standalone music player
- Audio settings adjustment (EQ, Time Alignment)
- Display receiver information
- Playlist search
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JVC Remote is an application that connects and controls compatible JVC car receivers via Bluetooth® like a wireless remote control. This application can also display JVC car receiver’s source information on the smartphone’s screen, and enables the user to make an audio setting using application's easy to use graphic user interface. Application can also work as a free standalone music player application, when the unit is not connected to the headunit. INNOVATIVE GESTURE CONTROL You can command basic controls such as pause, skip or repeat simply by finger gesture operations on the screen of the smartphone. Also, you can make a search for a specific song, album or an artist from your playlist. RECEIVER SETTING USING SMARTPHONE GUI Audio settings, such as Time Alignment and EQ setting can be easily be set using the JVC Remote application's easy to use graphic user interface. Note: Depends on the model. KEY FEATURES ・Remote Control Function (by Gesture Control or by Remote Control Screen) ・Standalone Music Player ・Receiver Setting(Depends on the model) ・Display Receiver Information CAUTION Do not operate any functions that takes your attention away from safe driving. System requirements: iOS8.0 and above
Sound Bar Controller
Control select Yamaha sound bars remotely from your iOS device. Manage volume, input selection, and set up Alexa voice control. Stream audio from your phone or NAS drive over Wi-Fi.
- Alexa voice control setup
- Volume and input control
- Wi-Fi audio streaming
- Wireless surround speaker control
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The Sound Bar Controller app provides easy operation for select Yamaha Sound Bars using your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Key Features: - Initial setup of built-in Alexa voice control settings - Basic control functions such as volume up/down and input selection - Play audio files stored on your phone or NAS drive through Wi-Fi - Volume control for wireless surround speakers and wireless subwoofer (Only SR-X40A, SR-X50A, ATS-X500) [Supported Models] YAS-109, YAS-209 ATS-1090, ATS-2090 SR-X40A, SR-X50A, ATS-X500 [iOS Version Requirement] * This application supports iOS version 15 or above. - A wireless Local Area Network (LAN) and a compatible Yamaha Network product(s)* residing within the same LAN.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sound Bar Controller at 4.4 against JVC Remote's 1.8. Sound Bar Controller also leads on ratings volume (7K vs 170) and review sentiment (22% vs 8%). JVC Remote's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sound Bar Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sound Bar Controller has 7K ratings behind it against 170, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of JVC Remote's written reviews are positive against 22% of Sound Bar Controller's.
JVC Remote ships an update every 3 months, Sound Bar Controller every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | JVC Remote | Sound Bar Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.8 (170 ratings) | 4.4 (7K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 7.8% of reviews | 21.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 170 | 7K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 112 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | JVCKENWOOD Corporation | Yamaha Corporation |
Customer experience
JVC Remote
Sound Bar Controller
User reviews
JVC Remote
From 170 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Works for what I need
- 🚀 Satisfied customer
- 👍 Works as intended
- 👍 The coolest thing ever
Room to improve
- 🐛 Remote app won't connect
- 🐛 App crashes upon opening
- 🐛 Doesn't work on iOS
- 🐛 Crashes and needs to be updated
- 🐛 Hieroglyphs instead of instructions
Sound Bar Controller
From 7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great sound quality
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive app
- 👍 Lots of sound settings
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Unreliable Alexa integration
- 🐛 Unintuitive user interface
Bugs and requests
JVC Remote
Reported bugs
7 issues- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Doesn't connect to radio
- Doesn't control radio receiver
- Bluetooth connection issues
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Usb connection issues
- Frequent disconnections
Requested features
3 requests- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Remote control functionality
Sound Bar Controller
Reported bugs
4 issues- App unable to connect to sound bar
- Sound bar randomly disconnects
- Firmware updates cause issues
- Bluetooth connectivity problems
Requested features
4 requests- Equalizer for more sound customization
- Better volume control options
- Improved Alexa integration
- Simplified app navigation
In-app purchases
JVC Remote
No in-app purchases
Sound Bar Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is JVC Remote free?
Is Sound Bar Controller free?
Which has better reviews, JVC Remote or Sound Bar Controller?
Do JVC Remote or Sound Bar Controller have ads?
Which is updated more often, JVC Remote or Sound Bar Controller?
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