Sharp Smart Control vs Sound Bar Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sharp Smart Control
Control your internet radio device with ease using this app. Manage favorite stations, search for new ones, and access various audio sources like local radio, FM, DAB, AUX, and Bluetooth.
- Internet Radio Control
- Favorite Station Management
- Radio Station Search
- Multiple Audio Source Support (FM, DAB, AUX, Bluetooth)
- Software Update Checks
- Multi-Room Support
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Sharp Smart Control is designed to control internet radio device using Magic M6/M7 platform. It provides you easy and comfortable operation with iOS device. Features: * Local Radio / Internet Radio / FM / DAB / AUX / Bluetooth * Preset hotkey All of the stations you add will automatically save to "My Favorite". * Edit "My Favorite" of the device * Radio station search * Automatic check with the software update for the device or you can check it manually on the settings. * Push to Talk * Local File Support * Change Startup Screen * Remote Control * Multi (Device) Room Support If you have one more device. If it's failed to connect device, please restart the device or check the option "WLAN-Devices can communicate" of your wifi router is checked, then try it again. If you have any problem, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for all of your support and feedback. contact@mediayou.net
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 10 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 Sharp Smart Control's 3.2. Sound Bar Controller also leads on ratings volume (6.8K vs 10) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 17 months). Sharp Smart Control's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 22%). 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
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 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sound Bar Controller has 6.8K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Sharp Smart Control's written reviews are positive against 22% of Sound Bar Controller's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Sharp Smart Control ships an update every 17 months, Sound Bar Controller every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sharp Smart Control | Sound Bar Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (10 ratings) | 4.4 (6.8K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better | 22.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 6.8K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 10.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 153 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Frontier Smart Technologies Ltd | Yamaha Corporation |
Customer experience
Sharp Smart Control
Sound Bar Controller
Bugs and requests
Sharp Smart Control
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
Sharp Smart Control
No in-app purchases
Sound Bar Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sharp Smart Control free?
Is Sound Bar Controller free?
Which has better reviews, Sharp Smart Control or Sound Bar Controller?
Do Sharp Smart Control or Sound Bar Controller have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sharp Smart Control or Sound Bar Controller?
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