Comparison

JPLAY vs McIntosh Connect

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

Head to head
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.

About

McIntosh Connect

Control compatible McIntosh audio equipment with a streamlined interface. Manage volume, inputs, tone, and more for select preamplifiers. Easily update firmware and configure network settings for an optimized listening experience.

Highlights
  • Volume Control
  • Input Selection & Renaming
  • Tone Adjustment
  • Firmware Update Management
  • Multi-Zone Audio Control
  • Network Setup
Read full description

McIntosh Connect offers a refined, intuitive interface for controlling supported McIntosh products, currently the CR106 6-Zone Preamplifier / Audio Matrix, C55 Solid State Preamplifier, and C2800 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier. Each product provides a tailored in-app experience designed to highlight and control its most essential features. Key Features (all features may not be compatible with all products): • Guided Product Discovery & Onboarding • Volume Control • Input Selection • Input Renaming & Configuration • Tone Adjustment • Output Switching • Balance Control • Input Trim Level • Network Setup & Configuration • Firmware Update Management • Multi-Zone Audio Control (CR106 only) • Experience Creation & Recall (CR106 only) Supported Products: • CR106 2-Channel, 6-Zone Preamplifier / Audio Matrix • C55 2-Channel Solid State Preamplifier • C2800 2-Channel Vacuum Tube Preamplifier Firmware Updates Made Easy Stay current with the latest enhancements. McIntosh Connect automatically checks for firmware updates and simplifies installation, ensuring your system performs at its best. Control of Connected Source Components McIntosh Connect also enables indirect control of select McIntosh source components via the Data Ports on supported preamplifiers. Proper configuration is required; please refer to your product’s Owner’s Manual for setup instructions.

Screenshots

JPLAY4 screens
McIntosh Connect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: JPLAY at 4.2 against McIntosh Connect's 3.3. JPLAY also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 25%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). McIntosh Connect's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). 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. McIntosh Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

JPLAY holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 54 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of JPLAY's written reviews are positive against 25% of McIntosh Connect's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

JPLAY ships an update every 3 weeks, McIntosh Connect every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
JPLAY versus McIntosh Connect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJPLAYMcIntosh Connect
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (54 ratings) — better3.3 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews58.9% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings54 — better14
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcin OstapowiczMcIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

Customer experience

JPLAY

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

McIntosh Connect

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

Bugs and requests

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

McIntosh Connect

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

JPLAY

Subscriptions1
  • JPLAY Premium14 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime$149.00
  • JPLAY Lifetime$199.00
None

McIntosh Connect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is JPLAY free?
JPLAY is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is McIntosh Connect free?
McIntosh Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, JPLAY or McIntosh Connect?
JPLAY is rated higher. JPLAY averages 4.2 out of 5 from 54 ratings, while McIntosh Connect averages 3.3 from 14 ratings.
Do JPLAY or McIntosh Connect have ads?
Neither JPLAY nor McIntosh Connect shows ads.
Which is updated more often, JPLAY or McIntosh Connect?
JPLAY ships an update every 3 weeks, and McIntosh Connect every 3 months. Most recently, JPLAY was updated on October 27, 2026 and McIntosh Connect on October 24, 2026.

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