Comparison

HQPDcontrol v4 vs Pine Player Remote

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

Head to head
About

HQPDcontrol v4

Control your high-quality audio playback and upsampling from your mobile device. Browse your music library, manage playback queues, and adjust audio processing settings remotely. Seamlessly connect to your HQPlayer setup for an intuitive audiophile experience.

Highlights
  • Library browsing by artist, album, genre, and directory
  • Full playback transport controls
  • Real-time audio format and processing display
  • Queue management with drag-and-drop reordering
  • Remote adjustment of HQPlayer audio settings
  • HRA catalog browsing and streaming
  • Automatic HQPlayer instance discovery
Features
Read full description

HQPDcontrol is the remote control for HQPlayer — the renowned high-quality audio player and upsampler. Turn your iPhone or iPad into a powerful, intuitive control surface for your audiophile setup. LIBRARY BROWSING Browse your music collection by artists, albums, genres, directories, or playlists. Search across your entire library instantly. View album artwork, track details, and digital booklets. Choose between grid and list views with configurable column layouts optimized for both phones and tablets. PLAYBACK CONTROL Full transport controls with real-time track information, album art, and a detailed audio format display showing sample rate, format (PCM/DSD), and the processing pipeline. Scrub through tracks, adjust volume, and monitor audio levels with a multi-channel meter view featuring peak indicators. QUEUE MANAGEMENT View and edit your playing queue with drag-and-drop reordering. Add tracks, albums, or entire playlists. Clear the queue or save it as a playlist for later. Jump to the currently playing track with a single tap. HQPLAYER SETTINGS Adjust HQPlayer's audio processing parameters directly from your device. Change filters, modulators, and other settings in real time without interrupting playback. HRA CATALOG ACCESS Browse and search the HRA (HIGHRESAUDIO.com) streaming catalog directly from the app. Manage your HRA playlists and send streaming URLs to HQPlayer for playback — HQPDcontrol acts purely as a remote control, with all audio processing and playback handled by HQPlayer. AUTOMATIC DISCOVERY HQPDcontrol automatically detects HQPlayer instances on your network. Just launch the app and connect — or configure the connection manually if preferred. DESIGNED FOR AUDIOPHILES • Real-time audio level meters with multi-channel support • Detailed format and conversion information display • Support for PCM and DSD formats • Album booklet/liner notes viewer (PDF) • Library statistics and storage overview • Dark and light themes • Left-handed mode • Responsive layout for all screen sizes HQPDcontrol requires a running instance of HQPlayer on your network. No audio is streamed through the app — all playback is handled entirely by HQPlayer. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Pine Player Remote

Control your Mac's music playback remotely. This app allows you to manage your music list and playback without needing to be at your computer, offering a convenient way to enjoy your tunes from a distance.

Highlights
  • Remote music playback control
  • Manage music lists
  • Convenient music enjoyment
  • Works with Pine Player Pro
Features
Read full description

Pine Player Remote — All-in-One Hi-Fi Music Player Pine Player Remote combines high-resolution and DSD playback, powerful EQ/DSP, DLNA network audio, CarPlay, NAS and cloud streaming, download management, and Pine Player desktop remote control in one Hi-Fi music player. High-Resolution Audio Play music from iPhone, iPad, external USB/SD storage, and the Files app. Supports drag & drop, Open in Pine Player, background and Lock Screen playback, Dynamic Island, Bluetooth, and AVRCP controls. Supports MP3, FLAC, M4A/AAC/ALAC, WAV, AIFF, OGG Vorbis, Opus, WavPack, APE, MPC, TTA, WMA, CAF, AC3, DTS, DSF, DFF, DST, and more. DSD & DoP Play DSF/DFF with DSD over PCM (DoP), DST-compressed DFF decoding, and Pine .dst support. DSD-aware sample-rate configuration and high-quality upsampling are also available. EQ & DSP Fine-tune your sound with a 12-band EQ, Pre Gain, Bass Gain/Frequency, adjustable Q values, and real-time L/R level meters. Choose from built-in and Extreme presets or create, save, and export your own EQ settings. DLNA, AirPlay 2 & Chromecast Automatically discover DLNA servers and renderers. Browse, search, stream, and download music from DLNA libraries, or cast local/DLNA music to a renderer with playback, seeking, and volume control. The built-in DLNA server can share music from your device. Output options include AirPlay 2, Chromecast/Google Cast, DLNA renderers, and Pine Player desktop. Apple Music Browse, search, and play your Apple Music library and playlists. CUE Support Open CUE files like folders and play or seek individual tracks. Local, SMB, FTP, and SFTP CUE files are supported. NAS & Cloud Streaming Access music from iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, HTTPS links, DLNA, SMB/Samba, FTP, SFTP/SSH, and Pine Player desktop. Browse network folders, stream directly, and automatically reconnect interrupted sessions. Download Management Download individual files or folders with multi-selection, batch downloads, progress tracking, cancellation, retry, and resume. Download queues are restored after relaunching the app. Playlists & Smooth Transitions Manage the current queue, recently played tracks, favorites, and custom playlists. Enjoy shuffle, repeat, gapless playback, and adjustable 0–10 second crossfades. Pine Player Desktop Remote Automatically discover Pine Player on the same network and remotely control playback, seeking, playback modes, playlists, and EQ presets. Also includes LRC lyrics, album artwork, music search, detailed audio format information, a mini player, haptic feedback, Dark Mode, and portrait/landscape support. Your music, wherever it lives. Your sound, on the device you choose. Pine Player Neo connects local music and network audio in one Hi-Fi experience.

Screenshots

HQPDcontrol v44 screens
Pine Player Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HQPDcontrol v4 at 83% against Pine Player Remote's 0%. HQPDcontrol v4 also leads on rating (3.9 vs 2.3). Pine Player Remote's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. HQPDcontrol v4 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Pine Player Remote asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HQPDcontrol v4 holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of HQPDcontrol v4's written reviews are positive against 0% of Pine Player Remote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HQPDcontrol v4 ships an update every 2 weeks, Pine Player Remote fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
HQPDcontrol v4 versus Pine Player Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHQPDcontrol v4Pine Player Remote
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (10 ratings) — better2.3 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings10 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB56 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAles ProchazkaSiseong Ahn

Customer experience

HQPDcontrol v4

All ratings10 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Pine Player Remote

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

HQPDcontrol v4

Subscriptions2
  • HQPDcontrol v4 (M)7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • HQPDcontrol v4 (A)7 Days trial$12.991 Year
None

Pine Player Remote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HQPDcontrol v4 free?
HQPDcontrol v4 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pine Player Remote free?
Pine Player Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HQPDcontrol v4 or Pine Player Remote?
HQPDcontrol v4 is rated higher. HQPDcontrol v4 averages 3.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Pine Player Remote averages 2.3 from 4 ratings.
Do HQPDcontrol v4 or Pine Player Remote have ads?
Neither HQPDcontrol v4 nor Pine Player Remote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HQPDcontrol v4 or Pine Player Remote?
HQPDcontrol v4 ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pine Player Remote fortnightly. Most recently, HQPDcontrol v4 was updated on September 22, 2026 and Pine Player Remote on September 17, 2026.

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