# DS audio vs HiByMusic

The clearest difference is rating: HiByMusic at 3.4 against DS audio's 2.7. HiByMusic also leads on review sentiment (42% vs 28%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HiByMusic holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 211 and 143 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of DS audio's written reviews are positive against 42% of HiByMusic's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS audio | HiByMusic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (211 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-audio/id321495303/reviews) | **[3.4 (143 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hibymusic/id1048838844/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **211** | 143 |
| Positive reviews | 27.8% of reviews | **42.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 39 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Dongguan Hiby Music Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1048838843) |

## What reviewers say

### DS audio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-audio/id321495303)

Stream your music library from your Synology NAS to your iPhone or iPad. Enjoy offline playback, organize music by various criteria, create and share playlists, and even rate your tracks. It can also function as a remote control for streaming to home stereo speakers.

**Highlights:** Stream music from Synology NAS, Offline music playback, Browse by albums, artists, genres, Create and share playlists, Rate music tracks, Remote control for home speakers

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Streaming music from NAS
- 👍 Allows offline playback
- 💡 Integrates with home audio systems
- 👍 Provides access to entire music library

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Unreliable connectivity and login issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and skipping songs
- 🐛 Outdated and cluttered user interface

**Reported bugs**

- App randomly closes or stops playing
- Fails to remember playback position
- Incompatible with latest iOS versions
- Issues with downloading and caching music

**Requested features**

- Add support for Dolby Atmos and surround sound
- Implement gapless playback
- Improve playlist management and editing
- Add search and sorting functionality
- Provide better integration with CarPlay and Chromecast


### HiByMusic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hibymusic/id1048838844)

A free, high-fidelity audio player for audiophiles and music lovers. It supports a wide range of lossless and lossy formats, offering high-precision decoding and advanced audio features for a premium listening experience.

**Highlights:** Wide lossless/lossy audio format support, CUE sheets and ISO image support, High precision decoding (32-bit output, 64-bit float), External USB DAC support, Gapless playback, 10 band graphic EQ, MSEB support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Excellent hi-res audio support (DSD, FLAC, WAV, APE)
- 🆓 Free app without ads or hidden fees
- 🎨 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 🔗 HibyLink functionality for controlling compatible devices
- ⚙️ Effective equalizer and DSP effects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 📱 Poor iOS optimization compared to Android version
- 🔌 Unreliable Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
- 🎯 Clunky and unintuitive user experience
- 🚫 CarPlay support removed in recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during music library scanning (around 3,000 files)
- HibyLink connection drops repeatedly
- Music playback stops when app is backgrounded
- Rewind button behavior inconsistent (goes to previous song instead of replaying)
- Album shuffle mixing with existing playlist songs

**Requested features**

- Manual playlist reordering
- ID3 tag editing capability
- Folder-based music library scanning
- Album artist sorting (not just track artist)
- Album favorites/bookmarking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS audio free?

DS audio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HiByMusic free?

HiByMusic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, DS audio or HiByMusic?

HiByMusic is rated higher. DS audio averages 2.7 out of 5 from 211 ratings, while HiByMusic averages 3.4 from 143 ratings.

### Do DS audio or HiByMusic have ads?

Neither DS audio nor HiByMusic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DS audio or HiByMusic?

DS audio ships an update every 3 months, and HiByMusic every 3 months. Most recently, DS audio was updated on October 25, 2026 and HiByMusic on October 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*