# AV CONTROLLER vs Sound Bar Remote

The clearest difference is rating: Sound Bar Remote at 4.7 against AV CONTROLLER's 2.5. AV CONTROLLER's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

Sound Bar Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 760 and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of AV CONTROLLER's written reviews are positive against 45% of Sound Bar Remote's.

AV CONTROLLER ships an update every 3 months, Sound Bar Remote every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AV CONTROLLER | Sound Bar Remote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (760 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/av-controller-us/id467496375/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-bar-remote/id1501643134/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 760 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 38.9% of reviews | **45.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 92 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yamaha Corporation of America](https://appshunter.io/developer/408058585) | [Yamaha Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/353469356) |

## What reviewers say

### AV CONTROLLER

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/av-controller-us/id467496375)

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a Wi-Fi remote for compatible Yamaha network products. Control inputs, volume, power, and stream music directly from your device to your AV system. Enjoy seamless control over your home entertainment setup.

**Highlights:** Wi-Fi remote control, Input selection, Volume and power control, Music streaming from device, DSP and SCENE selection, Blu-ray player control

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Phenomenal internet radio and USB audio playback
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Flawless receiver control
- 👍 Excellent range of setup and ease of use
- 👍 Convenient remote control

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues and app crashes
- 🐛 Lack of support for newer receivers
- 🐛 Unreliable performance, often fails to connect
- 🐛 Buggy updates break functionality
- 👎 Cluttered and unintuitive user interface

**Reported bugs**

- App stuck in demo mode, unable to connect to receiver
- Crashes when trying to access certain features
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Receiver not recognized after firmware updates

**Requested features**

- Ability to search and play music by song title
- Independent volume control for multiple zones
- Apple Watch and Apple TV apps
- HomeKit and Siri support
- Customizable user interface and favorites


### Sound Bar Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-bar-remote/id1501643134)

Control select Yamaha sound bars directly from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Adjust volume, change inputs, and select sound modes with ease. Requires iOS 14.1 or later and uses Bluetooth for connectivity.

**Highlights:** Volume control, Input selection, Sound mode selection, Bluetooth connectivity

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 💡 Visually see soundbar settings
- 🚀 Straightforward setup
- 👍 Great connectivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connection issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems
- 🐛 Unreliable performance
- 🐛 Blank/black screen after updates
- 🐛 Frequent disconnections

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot find/connect to soundbar
- 3D mode turns off automatically
- App doesn't work after recent update

**Requested features**

- Add volume control buttons
- Support for more soundbar models
- Improve EQ/sound customization options
- Allow controlling multiple speakers simultaneously


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AV CONTROLLER free?

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

### Is Sound Bar Remote free?

Sound Bar Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AV CONTROLLER or Sound Bar Remote?

Sound Bar Remote is rated higher. AV CONTROLLER averages 2.5 out of 5 from 760 ratings, while Sound Bar Remote averages 4.7 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do AV CONTROLLER or Sound Bar Remote have ads?

Neither AV CONTROLLER nor Sound Bar Remote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AV CONTROLLER or Sound Bar Remote?

AV CONTROLLER ships an update every 3 months, and Sound Bar Remote every 6 months. Most recently, AV CONTROLLER was updated on October 12, 2026 and Sound Bar Remote on October 13, 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.*