Sonos S1 Controller vs UE | BOOM
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sonos S1 Controller
Manage your older Sonos systems with ease. This app allows you to control volume, group rooms, set alarms, and stream from your favorite services. Enjoy thousands of free stations with Sonos Radio.
- Control older Sonos products
- Adjust volume
- Group rooms
- Save favorites
- Set alarms
- Stream from services
- Listen to Sonos Radio
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This app controls systems that include the earliest Sonos products: Zone Players, Play:5 (Gen 1), Bridge, Connect (Gen 1) and Connect:Amp (Gen 1) Easily control your system. Adjust volume levels, group rooms, save favorites, set alarms, and more. Stream from popular services. Connect your streaming services and browse all your music, podcasts, radio, and audiobooks in a single app. Listen to Sonos Radio. Enjoy thousands of stations free on your system, including live radio from around the world, genre stations, artist-curated stations, and original programming from Sonos. If you are a California resident, for more information about our privacy practices, please see: California Privacy Notice: https://www.sonos.com/legal/privacy#legal-privacy-addendum-container
UE | BOOM
Enhance your audio experience with this app designed to control and customize compatible wireless speakers. Connect multiple speakers for synchronized playback, adjust sound profiles, and manage speaker settings remotely. Stay updated with the latest features through seamless software updates.
- Connect up to 150 speakers with PartyUp
- Customizable EQ and sound control
- Remote power on/off and speaker management
- Personalize speaker name and presets
- Update speaker software with new features
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The BOOM app by Ultimate Ears has everything you need to get the most out of your Ultimate Ears speaker. From PartyUp to customizable EQ, unlock even more awesome ways to use your BOOM series speakers. - PartyUp lets you connect up to 150 speakers to take your parties to a whole new level - wherever, whenever, whatever! - You control the sound: All about that bass? In a tight space? You control the atmosphere with a couple of built-in EQ and custom options. - Remote control: Use the app to turn power on/off your speakers and other controls from afar. - Much more: personalize your speaker’s name, EQ preferences, and preset playlists (BOOM 3, MEGABOOM 3, BOOM 4,MEGABOOM 4, HYPERBOOM, EPICBOOM and EVERBOOM only) - Subscribe to updates so you never miss a thing. A simple tap in the app updates your speaker with the latest features in no time. - Sign-up to subscribe to Ultimate Ears newsletters and special offers.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: UE | BOOM at free against Sonos S1 Controller's free with in-app purchases. UE | BOOM also leads on chart position (#146 vs unranked). Sonos S1 Controller's advantage is ratings volume (821K vs 59K) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Sonos S1 Controller against 4.8 for UE | BOOM. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sonos S1 Controller has 821K ratings behind it against 59K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 52% of Sonos S1 Controller's written reviews are positive against 47% of UE | BOOM's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.
| Parameter | Sonos S1 Controller | UE | BOOM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (821K ratings) | 4.8 (59K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 52.1% of reviews — better | 47.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 821K — better | 59K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #146 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 103 MB | 213 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sonos, Inc. | Logitech Inc. |
Customer experience
Sonos S1 Controller
UE | BOOM
User reviews
Sonos S1 Controller
From 821K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great sound quality
- 🔍 Versatile and easy to use
- 💡 Whole-home audio experience
- 🎨 Sleek and modern design
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
- 🔀 Confusing and unintuitive app updates
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and control
- ⚠️ Planned obsolescence of older products
UE | BOOM
From 59K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Exceptional sound quality
- 🚀 Portable and waterproof
- 🚀 Ability to connect multiple speakers
- 👍 Great battery life
- 👍 Easy to use app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues with the app
- 🐛 Unreliable party up feature
- 🐛 App crashes and disconnects
- 🔋 Battery drains quickly when not in use
- 🔋 Charging issues
Bugs and requests
Sonos S1 Controller
Reported bugs
3 issues- App fails to recognize speakers
- Music playback randomly cuts out
- Inability to control volume from lock screen
Requested features
4 requests- Restore previous app interface
- Improve search and playlist management
- Add Bluetooth connectivity
- Better integration with personal music libraries
UE | BOOM
Reported bugs
4 issues- App unable to recognize or connect to speakers
- Inaccurate battery level reporting
- Remote power on/off feature not working
- Firmware update process is unreliable
Requested features
4 requests- Add Spotify support for one-touch playlists
- Implement dark mode in the app
- Allow custom EQ settings to be saved
- Add support for Wonderboom speakers
In-app purchases
Sonos S1 Controller
No in-app purchases
UE | BOOM
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sonos S1 Controller free?
Is UE | BOOM free?
Which has better reviews, Sonos S1 Controller or UE | BOOM?
Do Sonos S1 Controller or UE | BOOM have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sonos S1 Controller or UE | BOOM?
Other comparisons
