MA Remote vs McIntosh Cast Connect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MA Remote
Control your Matrix Audio music streamers with this app. Browse and play local music, stream from popular platforms, and access online radio. View track information and configure hardware settings remotely.
- Control music streamers
- Browse local music
- Stream from TIDAL, Qobuz, HIGHRESAUDIO
- Access online radio
- View track information
- Configure hardware settings
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MA Remote App serves as the core tool for controlling your Matrix Audio music streamers. By installing the MA Remote App on your smart phone or tablets, they become the most convenient control centers, allowing you to browse and play your local music, enjoy high-resolution music from streaming platforms like SONY Select, TIDAL, Qobuz and HIGHRESAUDIO, listen to exciting online radio stations. Even when music is streaming from other apps, you also can view the track information through the MA Remote App. Furthermore, the MA Remote App allows you to set every hardware configuration, completely changing the operation of an audio device.
McIntosh Cast Connect
This app enables Google Cast functionality for a specific streaming amplifier. It is only needed if you intend to use Google Cast, not for other built-in streaming options.
- Google Cast functionality
- Compatibility with MSA5500 amplifier
- Alternative streaming option selector
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Use the McIntosh Cast Connect app to enable Google Cast functionality to our MSA5500 Streaming Integrated Amplifier. If you plan to utilize one of the other built-in streaming technologies in the MSA5500 instead of Google Cast, installing this app is not necessary.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: McIntosh Cast Connect at 4.5 against MA Remote's 3.6. MA Remote's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (18 vs 2). 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.
McIntosh Cast Connect holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MA Remote has 18 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
MA Remote ships an update every 2 weeks, McIntosh Cast Connect every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MA Remote | McIntosh Cast Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (18 ratings) | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 18 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 161 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matrix Electronic Technology Co., LTD | McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. |
Customer experience
MA Remote
McIntosh Cast Connect
In-app purchases
MA Remote
No in-app purchases
McIntosh Cast Connect
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is MA Remote free?
Is McIntosh Cast Connect free?
Which has better reviews, MA Remote or McIntosh Cast Connect?
Do MA Remote or McIntosh Cast Connect have ads?
Which is updated more often, MA Remote or McIntosh Cast Connect?
Other comparisons
