Comparison

StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio vs JPLAY

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

Head to head
About

StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio

Control your Cambridge Audio streaming devices with this app. Access your music libraries, manage playlists, and tune into internet radio. Effortlessly control multiple devices, adjust volume, and configure your player settings for a personalized audio experience.

Highlights
  • Control Cambridge Audio streaming products
  • Access digital music libraries (USB, network, TIDAL, Qobuz)
  • Build music queues from multiple sources
  • Manage multiple devices and control volume/sources
  • Browse, search, and save internet radio stations
  • Configure device settings (rename, volume limits, standby)
Features
Read full description

The StreamMagic app is the ultimate in control for your Cambridge Audio Streaming products. Compatible with EXN100, CXN100, MXN10, AXN10, Evo 75/150/One, CXN (v2), Edge NQ, CXN, CXR120/200*, 851N and StreamMagic 6v2 the StreamMagic app gives you fast access to devices, playlists and internet radio. YOUR MUSIC AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Access the music in your digital library on USB, network drives or even your TIDAL or Qobuz accounts. Build queues from multiple sources. FULL CONTROL OF MULTIPLE DEVICES Whether you own one or more than one Cambridge Audio network player, StreamMagic handles multiple devices with ease. Change volume and select sources all over the home. THE BEST OF INTERNET RADIO From stations on your doorstep to those on the other side of the world, browse, search and save functionality makes finding and playing your favourite programmes and genres fast and simple. CONFIGURE YOUR DEVICE Set-up your network player the way you like it. Rename, set volume limits, change standby modes and much more. Some features may vary by product. Contact us for details. *zone 2 not supported

About

JPLAY

This app is a high-fidelity music player designed for audiophiles. It seamlessly integrates streaming services like Qobuz and Tidal with local music files, offering a unified interface for all your audio content. Experience superior sound quality and discover new music through its intuitive design and advanced features.

Highlights
  • Plays Qobuz, Tidal, and local music files
  • Works with most streamers and network DACs
  • HQPlayer Control API integration
  • Dramatically better sound quality
  • Radio feature for music discovery
  • Extended playlist management
  • Artist bios and album reviews
Features
Read full description

JPLAY is an award winning music playback app for audiophiles. It works instantly with nearly every streamer or network DAC on the market. It combines Qobuz, Tidal and local content in a single interface allowing user to access each library separately. Main features: • Beautiful, clean and easy to use app allowing you to play music on nearly all streamers/network DACs - no core needed! (UPnP AV/DLNA) • Plays from Qobuz, Tidal and files on local libraries • HQPlayer Control API – Seamlessly integrate and remotely control HQPlayer directly from JPLAY • Dramatically better sound quality thanks to minimizing network traffic • Radio feature discovers new music for you • Single library, individual library and folder views • Extended playlists management • Advanced search, sort, focus • Artists bios, album reviews etc • Highlighted audiophile formats • My Activity, My history keep your playback stats • Native iOS controls from locked screen • Sharing your favorite music on social media • And much, much more! JPLAY requires an active subscription to access its content and features. Sign up for a JPLAY subscription in the app. New users can enjoy a 14-day free trial period that will be automatically converted into a yearly subscription. Subscription is automatically renewed and charged on a yearly basis. You can cancel it at any time up until the day before renewal and you can at any time turn off the auto renewal.

Screenshots

StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio4 screens
JPLAY4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: JPLAY at 4.2 against StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio's 3.7. JPLAY also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 36%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (208 vs 54). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. JPLAY sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

JPLAY holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 208 and 54 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio's written reviews are positive against 59% of JPLAY's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio ships an update every 2 months, JPLAY every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio versus JPLAY: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStreamMagic by Cambridge AudioJPLAY
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (208 ratings)4.2 (54 ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.6% of reviews58.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings208 — better54
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB50 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAudio PartnershipMarcin Ostapowicz

Customer experience

StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio

All ratings207 ratings
Positive67.6%
Neutral3.4%
Negative29.0%
Written reviews399 reviews
Positive35.6%
Neutral15.8%
Negative48.6%

JPLAY

All ratings52 ratings
Positive80.8%
Neutral5.8%
Negative13.5%
Written reviews190 reviews
Positive58.9%
Neutral6.3%
Negative34.7%

User reviews

StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio

From 208 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works well
  • 🚀 Stable and reliable
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Good integration with streaming services
  • 👍 Substantial UI improvements

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Unreliable app and hardware
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and disconnections
  • 🐛 Clunky user interface
  • 🐛 Inability to find or connect to devices

JPLAY

From 54 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎵 Superior sound quality compared to competitors
  • 👍 Intuitive and clean user interface
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive app performance
  • 🔌 Seamless UPnP/DLNA integration
  • 📱 Works without requiring a server

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription pricing ($50/year, $199 lifetime)
  • ❌ No monthly subscription option available
  • 🐛 Frequent connectivity and playback issues
  • 📱 iOS-only application
  • 🔄 No cross-device synchronization

Bugs and requests

StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes after updates
  • Unable to log in or connect to streaming services
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
  • Inability to find or browse music library
  • Volume control issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add playlists and playlist management
  • Improve Qobuz integration and functionality
  • Add support for more music services (e.g. Amazon Music)
  • Improve search and browsing capabilities
  • Provide better status and error reporting

JPLAY

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Tracks fail to render or play from Tidal
  • App crashes on startup with older iOS versions
  • Playback stuttering and lag issues
  • Renderer in transition errors
  • Device discovery failures
Show 9 more
  • Missing cover art for local files
  • Playback gets stuck at end of songs
  • Random track order despite settings
  • Skips tracks mid-playback
  • Connection drops with certain streamers
  • Metadata not syncing properly
  • Album art not loading from Synology/Plex servers
  • Qobuz favorites import not working
  • Tidal playlist suggestions missing

Requested features

16 requests
  • Monthly subscription option
  • Cross-device synchronization for playlists and favorites
  • EQ and tone adjustment controls
  • DSD file playback support
  • Multi-room audio capability
Show 11 more
  • Apple Watch control support
  • AirPlay support
  • Android version
  • Gapless playback improvement
  • Family sharing support
  • Apple Music integration
  • Internet radio support
  • Volume control in player screen
  • Automatic iCloud backup between devices
  • WebDAV support
  • Better error messages for troubleshooting

In-app purchases

None

StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

JPLAY

Subscriptions1
  • JPLAY Premium14 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime$149.00
  • JPLAY Lifetime$199.00

Questions

Is StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio free?
StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is JPLAY free?
JPLAY is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio or JPLAY?
JPLAY is rated higher. StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio averages 3.7 out of 5 from 208 ratings, while JPLAY averages 4.2 from 54 ratings.
Do StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio or JPLAY have ads?
Neither StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio nor JPLAY shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio or JPLAY?
StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio ships an update every 2 months, and JPLAY every 3 weeks. Most recently, StreamMagic by Cambridge Audio was updated on October 26, 2026 and JPLAY on October 27, 2026.

Other comparisons