Comparison

Sonos S1 Controller vs Denon AVR Remote

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Control older Sonos products
  • Adjust volume
  • Group rooms
  • Save favorites
  • Set alarms
  • Stream from services
  • Listen to Sonos Radio
Read full description

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

About

Denon AVR Remote

Control your compatible network-ready Denon AV Receiver from your iOS device. Manage basic functions, access network browsing, and adjust settings with an overhauled interface. Integrates with HEOS for seamless control.

Highlights
  • Basic function control (power, volume, input)
  • Network browsing and HEOS app integration
  • ECO Mode settings
  • Option settings (Sleep Tone, Channel Level)
  • View user manuals
  • Multi-language support
Read full description

This app for iPhone and iPad will give you an unprecedented level of command and control over your 2014 or later model year network ready Denon AV Receivers (due to hardware differences, older models are not supported with this app. Please check the model compatibility list below). Along with many new features, the graphics and user interface have been completely overhauled. Control the basic functions of your Denon product with power, volume, input and settings. Network browsing is either done within the Denon AVR Remote app or depending on model by selecting HEOS network as input which opens the HEOS app automatically. With the Denon AVR Remote, your iOS device just became an integral part of your home entertainment experience. Compatible Denon Models (*1, *2) 2026 New Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-S980H, AVR-X2900H, AVR-X3900H 2024 Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-A10H, AVR-X6800H 2023 Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-X1800H, AVR-S770H, AVR-S670H, DRA-900H 2022 Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-A1H, AVR-X4800H, AVR-X3800H, AVR-X2800H, AVR-S970H 2021 Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-X8500HA, AVR-X1700H, AVR-S760H, AVR-S660H 2020 Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-A110, AVR-X6700H, AVR-X4700H, AVR-X3700H, AVR-X2700H, AVR-S960H 2019 Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-X3600H, AVR-X2600H, AVR-X1600H, AVR-S950H, AVR-S750H, AVR-S650H, DRA-800H 2018 Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-X6500H, AVR-X4500H, AVR-X3500H, AVR-X2500H, AVR-X1500H, AVR-S940H, AVR-S740H, AVR-S640H 2017 Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-X8500H, AVR-X6400H, AVR-X4400H, AVR-X3400H, AVR-X2400H, AVR-X1400H, AVR-S930H, AVR-S730H 2016 Models Network AV Receiver: AVR-X6300H, AVR-X4300H, AVR-X3300W, AVR-X2300W, AVR-X1300W, AVR-S920W, AVR-S720W 2015 Models: Network AV Receiver: AVR-X6200W, AVR-X4200W, AVR-X3200W, AVR-X2200W, AVR-X1200W, AVR-S910W, AVR-S710W 2014 Models: Network AV Receiver: AVR-X7200W, AVR-X7200WA *Not compatible with Denon models other than the above models. Main feature: •On the fly HEOS app switching for network browsing and control for HEOS built-in AVRs •ECO Mode setting •Option settings (Sleep Tone, Channel Level etc.) and Selected Setup Features •Viewing User manuals •Multi-Language Support (English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Russian and Polish.) (*3) Notes: *1: A firmware update for your Denon product is may be needed, please update the firmware via the system setup menu. (General > Firmware) If the App doesn't work well, please try to reboot your mobile device, unplug the power cord of the main unit and reinsert into the power outlet or check your home network. *2: Please set "Network Control" to "ON" in your product via the system setup menu to use this app. (Network > Network Control) *3: The OS language setting is automatically detected; when not available, English is selected.

Screenshots

Sonos S1 Controller4 screens
Denon AVR Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sonos S1 Controller at 4.7 against Denon AVR Remote's 2.0. Sonos S1 Controller also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 22%) and ratings volume (821K vs 1.4K). Denon AVR Remote's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sonos S1 Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sonos S1 Controller has 821K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Sonos S1 Controller's written reviews are positive against 22% of Denon AVR Remote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Sonos S1 Controller versus Denon AVR Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSonos S1 ControllerDenon AVR Remote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (821K ratings) — better2.0 (1.4K ratings)
Positive reviews52.1% of reviews — better21.5% of reviews
Number of ratings821K — better1.4K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size103 MB72 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSonos, Inc.D&M Holdings

Customer experience

Sonos S1 Controller

All ratings820,654 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews1,747 reviews
Positive52.1%
Neutral8.2%
Negative39.6%

Denon AVR Remote

All ratings1,446 ratings
Positive21.6%
Neutral6.8%
Negative71.6%
Written reviews948 reviews
Positive21.5%
Neutral10.3%
Negative68.1%

User reviews

Sonos S1 Controller

From 821K App Store ratings

What 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

Denon AVR Remote

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works as intended
  • 🚀 Flawless connectivity
  • 💡 Convenient remote control
  • 👍 Intuitive interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Unreliable connection
  • 🐛 Buggy after updates
  • 🔧 Outdated and clunky UI

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

Denon AVR Remote

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App unable to detect receiver on network
  • Volume controls not syncing with receiver
  • Certain settings not persisting across inputs
  • Frequent app crashes and hangs

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to manually enter receiver IP address
  • More customization options
  • Better integration with smart home platforms
  • Improved multi-zone control

In-app purchases

None

Sonos S1 Controller

No in-app purchases

None

Denon AVR Remote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sonos S1 Controller free?
Sonos S1 Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Denon AVR Remote free?
Denon AVR Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sonos S1 Controller or Denon AVR Remote?
Sonos S1 Controller is rated higher. Sonos S1 Controller averages 4.7 out of 5 from 821K ratings, while Denon AVR Remote averages 2.0 from 1.4K ratings.
Do Sonos S1 Controller or Denon AVR Remote have ads?
Neither Sonos S1 Controller nor Denon AVR Remote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sonos S1 Controller or Denon AVR Remote?
Sonos S1 Controller ships an update every 2 months, and Denon AVR Remote every 2 months. Most recently, Sonos S1 Controller was updated on September 24, 2026 and Denon AVR Remote on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons