Comparison

JVC Remote vs Sound Bar Controller

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Wireless remote control via Bluetooth
  • Gesture control for playback
  • Standalone music player
  • Audio settings adjustment (EQ, Time Alignment)
  • Display receiver information
  • Playlist search
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • Alexa voice control setup
  • Volume and input control
  • Wi-Fi audio streaming
  • Wireless surround speaker control
Read full description

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

JVC Remote1 screens
Sound Bar Controller4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
JVC Remote versus Sound Bar Controller: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJVC RemoteSound Bar Controller
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.8 (170 ratings)4.4 (7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews7.8% of reviews21.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1707K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB112 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJVCKENWOOD CorporationYamaha Corporation

Customer experience

JVC Remote

All ratings170 ratings
Positive20.6%
Neutral2.9%
Negative76.5%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive7.8%
Neutral2.6%
Negative89.7%

Sound Bar Controller

All ratings6,981 ratings
Positive83.1%
Neutral4.4%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews545 reviews
Positive21.8%
Neutral10.6%
Negative67.5%

User reviews

JVC Remote

From 170 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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 more
  • 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

None

JVC Remote

No in-app purchases

None

Sound Bar Controller

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is JVC Remote free?
JVC Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sound Bar Controller free?
Sound Bar Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, JVC Remote or Sound Bar Controller?
Sound Bar Controller is rated higher. JVC Remote averages 1.8 out of 5 from 170 ratings, while Sound Bar Controller averages 4.4 from 7K ratings.
Do JVC Remote or Sound Bar Controller have ads?
Neither JVC Remote nor Sound Bar Controller shows ads.
Which is updated more often, JVC Remote or Sound Bar Controller?
JVC Remote ships an update every 3 months, and Sound Bar Controller every 5 months. Most recently, JVC Remote was updated on November 3, 2026 and Sound Bar Controller on November 4, 2026.

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