Comparison

hi vs Ideon Director

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

Head to head
About

hi

Explore the world of high-end audio with Europe's leading English-language magazine. Discover the finest audio components, from classic amplifiers to state-of-the-art music servers, and find the latest music to enrich your listening experience.

Highlights
  • High-end audio reviews
  • Latest digital audio technology
  • Turntable and amplifier features
  • Music server insights
  • Music discovery
  • Expert audiophile writers
Features
Read full description

Hi-Fi+ is Europe’s premier English-language high-end audio magazine. Whether it’s the latest in digital audio technology or the best turntable you’ve ever heard, Hi-Fi+ magazine is the ultimate audiophile authority. Our goal is clear; to seek out the finest audio components money can buy. Music is the soundtrack to all our lives and we think that the better that soundtrack, sounds the more enriched our lives can be. A good audio system can open up new avenues of music that might surprise you. We don’t differentiate; it could be a classic valve amplifier or a state-of-the-art music server – if it sounds good, we want to know and we want to tell you about it. The difference between good sound and great sound lies in the details… and we are obsessive about detail. We aren’t constrained by measurement or bogged down in stuffy old paradigms. We are relevant and a little bit irreverent. Hi-Fi+ features some of the best writers in the business, all passionate about making music sound as good as it possibly can. We seek out the finest audio components – and the latest and greatest music – and aren’t afraid of finding the best, whatever the cost. ---------------------------------------------- This is a free app download. Within the app users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Subscriptions are also available within the application. A subscription will start from the latest regular issue at the time of purchase. -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. -If a subscription offers a free trial, at the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full price of the subscription. You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription settings on your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update, please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions can be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx

About

Ideon Director

Features
Read full description

Ideon Director is the ultimate companion app for your Ideon Audio ecosystem. Designed with a clean, modern interface and engineered for seamless performance, it automatically discovers all compatible Ideon devices on your network and transforms your phone or tablet into a powerful, intuitive remote control. Effortlessly browse, connect, and manage your Ideon Audio hardware from one place. Adjust playback, switch inputs, fine‑tune settings, and monitor device status with precision and ease. Ideon Director brings the full potential of your high‑end audio system right to your fingertips. Ideon Audio’s Music Playing Application: Director is also the new, fully functional music player application. For the best music performance, we strongly suggest using this app to play your files. This way, you will realize the full potential of our proprietary technology, playing directly from the core of the Absolute Stream’s operating system, with full optimization of the music rendering process specifically for this purpose. Whether you’re fine‑tuning your listening room or simply relaxing with your favorite tracks, Ideon Director gives you a smooth, responsive, and beautifully integrated control experience—exactly what premium audio deserves. Currently supported Ideon Audio devices: * Axiom DAC * All Ideon Audio Streamers

Screenshots

hi4 screens
Ideon Director4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ideon Director at none against hi's 10. Ideon Director also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). hi's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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. hi sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 6 months. Ideon Director asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

hi ships an update every 6 months, Ideon Director every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
hi versus Ideon Director: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterhiIdeon Director
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (56 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews51.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings56 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAbsolute Multimedia UK LtdIdeon Audio

Bugs and requests

hi

Reported bugs

24 issues
  • App crashes on opening
  • Cannot retrieve purchased issues
  • Subscription not delivering new issues
  • Pages freeze, won't expand, or bottom not visible
  • App asks to pay for already subscribed magazines
Show 19 more
  • Empty pages in the magazine
  • Poor interface and slow reaction to zoom
  • Cannot view cover
  • Low-res page turning animation
  • Blurry text at default zoom
  • App crushes every time trying to log in
  • Viewer is slow and painful
  • Control for resizing page doesn't work consistently
  • App crashes after downloading one edition
  • No support available
  • Animated page turning is frustrating
  • No print function
  • Cannot highlight or copy text
  • Pulsating circle on web links is distracting
  • Subscription problems
  • Digital version is clumsy
  • App is unstable
  • PDFs are not clear enough
  • App is awful

Requested features

15 requests
  • Improve app controls for iPhone
  • Present content in a more e-native format
  • Add portrait orientation on iPad
  • Disable animated page turning
  • Allow highlighting and copying text
Show 10 more
  • Improve app reliability and performance
  • Fix subscription issues
  • Improve text resizing and display
  • Make the app more user-friendly and less sloppy
  • Add more functionality
  • Improve download speeds
  • Fix the pulsating circle on web links
  • Make the app work on newer devices (e.g., iPad Pro)
  • Improve the interface to be more intuitive
  • Increase the music section

Ideon Director

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

hi

Subscriptions2
  • Hi-Fi Plus$14.996 Months
  • Hi-Fi Plus1 Month trial$24.991 Year
One-time8
  • Hi-Fi+ Issue 78 (id:353221)$2.99
  • Hi-Fi+ Issue 81 (id:353215)$2.99
  • Hi-Fi+ Issue 131 (id:410644)$2.99
Show 5 more
  • issue134$2.99
  • Hi-Fi+ & TAS Ul... (id:446013)$3.99
  • HiFiPlus 6 back issue bundle$14.99
  • 8 issue subscription$17.99
  • 16 issue subscription$29.99
None

Ideon Director

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is hi free?
hi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ideon Director free?
Ideon Director is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do hi or Ideon Director have ads?
Neither hi nor Ideon Director shows ads.
Which is updated more often, hi or Ideon Director?
hi ships an update every 6 months, and Ideon Director every 2 months. Most recently, hi was updated on November 1, 2026 and Ideon Director on October 31, 2026.

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