Comparison

AB Remote vs Clearly Audiobooks

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

Head to head
About

AB Remote

Control volume and program settings for specific hearing devices. Access helpful information directly through your smartphone.

Highlights
  • Volume control
  • Program changes
  • Access help information
  • Direct connectivity
  • Sound processor control
Read full description

The AB Remote is a smartphone app that is designed to provide user control over volume and program changes as well as provide access to help information. The AB Remote app provides direct connectivity and control of Advanced Bionics Naída CI M and Sky CI M sound processors and Phonak Naída Link M and Sky Link M hearing instruments.

About

Clearly Audiobooks

Enhance hearing and reading skills with an audiovisual coach. Features include clear speech narration, background noise simulation, and personalized playback controls. Track progress with a detailed dashboard and adapt training to your unique hearing abilities.

Highlights
  • Audiovisual learning with text and face display
  • Clear speech narration
  • Background noise simulation
  • Customizable playback controls
  • Performance dashboard with recommendations
  • Personalized training plans
Features
Read full description

• Gain skills in hearing and reading while enjoying stories with Clearly Audiobooks. • These five features make us unique: ◦ Audiovisual: It displays not only the voice but also the text and the face, especially for lip reading. ◦ "Clear Speech": the narrator speaks at a slightly elevated volume above normal but does not shout, employing clear pronunciation and pausing between each word. ◦ Background noise option: Training for hearing in noisy environments is useful for crowded restaurants, outdoor parks, meetings, fitness classes, and other social settings. ◦ Playback control: The user can choose between word-by-word and continuous playback, as well as speed, volume, and playback mode. ◦ Performance Dashboard: The app provides a detailed overview of a user's performance and offers recommendations based on that information. • Our app was developed by a team of auditory specialists, psychologists, and computer scientists, supported by an NIH-funded grant. In our project, “Audiobooks for hearing loss” (project 1R44DC017403-01A1), we formally tested cochlear implant recipients and those with hearing aids. Hearing can be affected both by the ear system itself (as in hearing loss) and by how the brain processes sound beyond the ear (e.g., aphasia, auditory processing disorder, autism, or multiple sclerosis). SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED. Benefits: Personalized: Adapts to your hearing abilities and timeline so you can train at your own pace. Easy to Track Progress: Check in for real-time feedback on weekly goals that adapt to your hearing progress. Entertaining: Pick the audiobooks you enjoy listening to! Motivating: Visually appealing interactive dashboard to meet and beat your goals! Simplicity: Built to be easy to use and accessible for all. Seamlessly change your speech modes and support features directly on the book-playing page. Portable: Sufficiently intensive listening program, since it can be accessed any time of day or location at your convenience. Provides 20 hours of audiobooks and unlimited rounds of the training program. How it Works: Answer a few questions to find your customized level of training. Pick the audiobooks you enjoy! Check the dashboard to see your personalized weekly goals. Sit back and listen to your audiobook. One of your goals which is key to our training is listening to the audiobooks for a certain period of time and level with background noise. Use the modes that help you listen comfortably including specialized clear speech, multiple speed options, read-along text support, and even video for lip reading. A check-in of the dashboard is prompted every week to track your achievements and new goals are set adapted to your hearing abilities. Over time, as hearing improves, less support is needed! Subscription to unlock all content is required. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless subscription is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed and auto renewal may be cancelled by going to your device Settings after purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

AB Remote3 screens
Clearly Audiobooks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Clearly Audiobooks at 100% against AB Remote's 13%. Clearly Audiobooks also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 29 months). AB Remote's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (100 vs 4). 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. Clearly Audiobooks sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. AB Remote asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Clearly Audiobooks holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AB Remote has 100 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of AB Remote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Clearly Audiobooks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AB Remote ships an update every 29 months, Clearly Audiobooks every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
AB Remote versus Clearly Audiobooks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAB RemoteClearly Audiobooks
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (100 ratings)4.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews12.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings100 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 29 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.7
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB535 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAdvanced Bionics, LLCBioSpeech, Inc.

Customer experience

AB Remote

All ratings74 ratings
Positive39.2%
Neutral14.9%
Negative45.9%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive12.8%
Neutral23.4%
Negative63.8%

Clearly Audiobooks

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

AB Remote

Reported bugs

36 issues
  • Unpairs from device
  • Doesn't remember settings
  • Bluetooth disconnects intermittently
  • Needs rebooting speech processor
  • Disconnects when one battery dies
Show 31 more
  • Loses connection frequently
  • Needs app reinstallation to reconnect
  • Loses connection weekly
  • Resets volume on calls/streaming
  • Times out and disconnects
  • Aggressively connects to TV streamer
  • No way to mute TV streamer
  • Crackling noises with iPhone 15 Pro
  • Doesn't connect to left cochlear implant
  • Voice alerts stopped playing over Marvel M90 after iOS 17
  • Loses volume setting every time phone is used
  • Split volume changes to match loudest setting
  • Setting changes when opening other apps
  • Normal hearing aid shuts down and won't connect
  • App times out and disconnects
  • Connects to AirPlay every time phone sleeps
  • Impossible to keep connected
  • Doesn't connect to Bluetooth devices
  • Can't get app to connect to processors
  • No pairing
  • App times out and disconnects
  • Volume reverts to default
  • Split volume function useless
  • Volume resets on calls
  • App disconnects from iPhone intermittently
  • Battery percentage display is primitive
  • Cannot adjust bass and treble
  • Cannot do tone equalization
  • Cannot control ambient sound override
  • Cannot pair more than one device
  • Bluetooth connection is hard

Requested features

17 requests
  • Apple Watch app
  • Tone equalization/treble boost
  • Active Noise Cancellation
  • Sensitivity slider
  • Push alerts for disconnects
Show 12 more
  • Lock devices to same program
  • More intuitive UI for program assignment and volume
  • Save volume preferences
  • Fix phone call volume issues
  • Bass and treble controls
  • Ambient sound override control
  • Compatibility with i-phone hearing aid devices
  • Update app 3 times a year
  • Show remaining battery percentage for bilateral implants
  • Fix split volume not maintaining
  • Fix crackling noises on iPhone 15 Pro
  • Fix Voiceover accessibility for volume sliders

Clearly Audiobooks

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

AB Remote

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Clearly Audiobooks

Subscriptions2
  • Full Access7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Full Access7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is AB Remote free?
AB Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Clearly Audiobooks free?
Clearly Audiobooks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AB Remote or Clearly Audiobooks?
Clearly Audiobooks is rated higher. AB Remote averages 3.0 out of 5 from 100 ratings, while Clearly Audiobooks averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do AB Remote or Clearly Audiobooks have ads?
Neither AB Remote nor Clearly Audiobooks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AB Remote or Clearly Audiobooks?
AB Remote ships an update every 29 months, and Clearly Audiobooks every 4 months. Most recently, AB Remote was updated on October 27, 2026 and Clearly Audiobooks on October 9, 2026.

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