Sound Bar Controller vs ShareALayover
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
ShareALayover
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This app is there for users to enjoy some preloaded songs, also enjoy reading some short stories. This app also has a play chess feature. If the two users are connected by FaceTime they can connect over SharePlay and play chess together. If they just want to play chess as is with the computer they can also do that option as well.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ShareALayover at every 3 weeks against Sound Bar Controller's every 5 months. Sound Bar Controller's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 26.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 ships an update every 5 months, ShareALayover every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sound Bar Controller | ShareALayover |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (6.8K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 22.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6.8K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 26.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 153 MB | 66 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yamaha Corporation | benjamin holsinger |
Bugs and 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
ShareALayover
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sound Bar Controller
No in-app purchases
ShareALayover
No in-app purchases
