AV CONTROLLER vs HEOS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AV CONTROLLER
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.
- Wi-Fi remote control
- Input selection
- Volume and power control
- Music streaming from device
- DSP and SCENE selection
- Blu-ray player control
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This AV Controller app will turn your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad into a Wi-Fi enabled remote control for your Yamaha network products(*). This App provides you the flexibility to control the available inputs, volume, mute and power commands. It lets users change a song from Internet Radio, USB and command FM/AM tuners or any other internally available source. Music Play feature allows you to stream music tracks directly from your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad to Yamaha network products to so you can enjoy high quality music through your AV system. Screen sizes of Tablet devices are also supported. It’s great to have all this control at your fingertips - and best of all it’s FREE! (*)Please check compatible model list below. Available in English, Français, Deutsch, Español, Italiano, Português, Svenska, Dansk, Suomi, Norsk Bokmål, Nederlands, Polski, Pусский,日本語, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 한국어, Thai, עברית, Український, Tiếng Việt, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, Türkçe Requirements - iOS10.0 or higher - A wireless Local Area Network (LAN) and a compatible Yamaha Network product(s)* residing within the same LAN. - Network Standby set to ONKey Features Key Features - Power on/off - Volume up/down - Mute - Music Play - Input Selection - DSP Mode Selection - SCENE selection - Blu-ray player fundamental control - Seemless control between the Yamaha AV receiver and Blu-ray player - Demo mode - Explains how to use this app Please refer to the following site for compatible models. https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/apps/av_controller/index.html This application performs following functions for purposes described below. - Making a connection under Wi-Fi enabled environment The application uses Wi-Fi function on your mobile terminal for the purpose of operating network-enabled devices. - Accessing to music information stored in your smartphone / tablet This application accesses to music information stored in your smartphone / tablet for the purpose of displaying, playing and editing the music information and/or playlist.
HEOS
Control a wide range of connected audio devices from Denon, Marantz, and Definitive Technology. Stream music from online services or local storage, and enjoy true multi-room audio with easy setup and intuitive control.
- True multi-room audio
- Quick and easy setup
- Access online music services
- Search across multiple music sources
- Control playback remotely
- Access locally stored music
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HEOS is the controller app for the world’s biggest and best range of connected audio gear. It is a smart music streaming technology found in all devices Powered by HEOS from Denon, Marantz, and Definitive Technology. HEOS is for music lovers who want a beautiful and intuitive way to enjoy the latest advances in connected audio. You can find HEOS built into great sounding AV receivers, Hi-Fi equipment, sound bars, speakers, mini systems and specialty multi-room models. Features: True multi-room audio: play different songs in different rooms or the same song in multiple rooms. Quick and easy setup: add all your speakers with step-by-step instructions. Instant access to your favorite music: play from your favorite online music services, like Spotify, Amazon Music, TIDAL, and more. Search your music in one place: use one search function to browse across multiple music sources. See what’s playing any time: play, pause, and skip music from anywhere in the app. Access locally stored music: play music saved to your phone, USB, analog inputs, computers, and NAS drives. Share with your friends and family: support for multiple users and multiple music service accounts.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: HEOS at 4.4 against AV CONTROLLER's 2.5. HEOS also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (27K vs 760). AV CONTROLLER's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and review sentiment (39% vs 29%). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HEOS holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HEOS has 27K ratings behind it against 760, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of AV CONTROLLER's written reviews are positive against 29% of HEOS's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
AV CONTROLLER ships an update every 3 months, HEOS every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AV CONTROLLER | HEOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (760 ratings) | 4.4 (27K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 38.9% of reviews — better | 29.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 760 | 27K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 92 MB | 328 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yamaha Corporation of America | D&M Holdings |
Customer experience
AV CONTROLLER
HEOS
User reviews
AV CONTROLLER
From 760 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 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
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
HEOS
From 27K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent sound quality
- 🔒 Robust wireless connectivity
- 👍 Convenient app control
- 💡 Integrates with various music services
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 👎 Poor user interface and navigation
- 🔌 Connectivity issues and frequent disconnects
- 💤 Slow app performance and loading times
Bugs and requests
AV CONTROLLER
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
HEOS
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Speakers randomly disappear from the network
- Volume controls are inconsistent and unreliable
- Sync issues between grouped speakers
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve playlist management and queue functionality
- Provide better customization options for rooms and speakers
- Implement a more intuitive and user-friendly app design
In-app purchases
AV CONTROLLER
No in-app purchases
HEOS
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is AV CONTROLLER free?
Is HEOS free?
Which has better reviews, AV CONTROLLER or HEOS?
Do AV CONTROLLER or HEOS have ads?
Which is updated more often, AV CONTROLLER or HEOS?
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