# iLive Smart Bluetooth App vs Sound Bar Controller

The clearest difference is rating: Sound Bar Controller at 4.4 against iLive Smart Bluetooth App's 1.7. Sound Bar Controller also leads on ratings volume (6.8K vs 25) and review sentiment (22% vs 0%). iLive Smart Bluetooth App's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 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.

Sound Bar Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sound Bar Controller has 6.8K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of iLive Smart Bluetooth App's written reviews are positive against 22% of Sound Bar Controller's.

iLive Smart Bluetooth App ships an update every 9 days, Sound Bar Controller every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iLive Smart Bluetooth App | Sound Bar Controller |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.7 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ilive-smart-bluetooth-app/id1404697393/reviews) | **[4.4 (6.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-bar-controller/id1464871680/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 25 | **6.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **22.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 19 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 10.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DPI (HK) LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/402427855) | [Yamaha Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/353469356) |

## What reviewers say

### iLive Smart Bluetooth App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ilive-smart-bluetooth-app/id1404697393)

Control your music wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet. Manage stations, presets, and volume for a seamless listening experience on compatible speakers. Enjoy popular music streaming services without direct phone connection.

**Highlights:** Wireless music control, Manage stations and presets, Volume control, Stream music from services, Bluetooth connectivity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sound Bar Controller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-bar-controller/id1464871680)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great sound quality
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive app
- 👍 Lots of sound settings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Unreliable Alexa integration
- 🐛 Unintuitive user interface

**Reported bugs**

- App unable to connect to sound bar
- Sound bar randomly disconnects
- Firmware updates cause issues
- Bluetooth connectivity problems

**Requested features**

- Equalizer for more sound customization
- Better volume control options
- Improved Alexa integration
- Simplified app navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iLive Smart Bluetooth App free?

iLive Smart Bluetooth App 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, iLive Smart Bluetooth App or Sound Bar Controller?

Sound Bar Controller is rated higher. iLive Smart Bluetooth App averages 1.7 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Sound Bar Controller averages 4.4 from 6.8K ratings.

### Do iLive Smart Bluetooth App or Sound Bar Controller have ads?

Neither iLive Smart Bluetooth App nor Sound Bar Controller shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iLive Smart Bluetooth App or Sound Bar Controller?

iLive Smart Bluetooth App ships an update every 9 days, and Sound Bar Controller every 5 months. Most recently, iLive Smart Bluetooth App was updated on October 10, 2026 and Sound Bar Controller on October 16, 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.*