# Stereophile vs Sub

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sub at none against Stereophile's 20. Sub also leads on ratings volume (778 vs 138). Stereophile's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Stereophile sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Sub asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sub holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sub has 778 ratings behind it against 138, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of Stereophile's written reviews are positive against 15% of Sub's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Stereophile ships an update every 2 months, Sub every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stereophile | Sub |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stereophile/id494421381/reviews) | **[4.4 (778 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sub-zero-group-owners-app/id1248991284/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 138 | **778** |
| Positive reviews | **17.1% of reviews** | 14.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 85 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MyTimeMedia Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/543826829) | [Sub-Zero and Wolf](https://appshunter.io/developer/983988992) |

## What reviewers say

### Stereophile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stereophile/id494421381)

This app provides authoritative reviews, informed recommendations, and helpful advice on audio components, judged by their music reproduction quality. It offers monthly issues with expert opinions and insights for audiophiles.

**Highlights:** Authoritative reviews of audio components, Informed recommendations, Helpful advice for audiophiles, Expert opinions on music reproduction, Monthly magazine issues

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month \| Stereophile | $2.99 | per month |
| Stereophile Magazine iPad Edition | $9.99 | per year |
| Annual | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2023 December | $4.99 | one-time |
| 2024 February | $4.99 | one-time |
| February 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| April 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| June 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| October 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| December 2012 | $6.99 | one-time |
| October 2013 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 2016 Buyer's Guide | $6.99 | one-time |
| March 2013 | $6.99 | one-time |
| February 2025 | $7.99 | one-time |
| April 2023 | $7.99 | one-time |
| December 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| October 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| August 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |
| July 2024 | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📖 High-quality magazine content and reviews
- 📱 Works well on iPad devices
- ✨ Professional layout resembles print edition
- 🎯 Comprehensive audio equipment coverage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App frequently crashes and becomes unresponsive
- 🔐 Subscription recognition failures despite active payments
- 📥 Issues fail to download or restore properly
- ⚠️ Inconsistent performance across iOS versions
- 🔄 Restore purchases function rarely works

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes every few minutes during use
- Subscription not recognized despite active payment
- Issues fail to download or load
- Restore purchases function non-functional
- App won't open on latest iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Access to searchable article archive
- Availability of older back issues with subscription
- Dynamic formatting for landscape and portrait modes
- Working hyperlinks to advertisers and external sites
- Better text resizing and font adjustment options


### Sub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sub-zero-group-owners-app/id1248991284)

This app enhances your kitchen experience by guiding you through recipes from websites and a curated collection. It allows remote control and monitoring of Sub-Zero refrigeration, Cove dishwashing, and Wolf appliances, ensuring optimal performance and convenience.

**Highlights:** Guided cooking from online recipes, Chef-tested recipes optimized for Wolf appliances, Remote dishwasher control and monitoring, Refrigerator settings and alerts, Filter recipes by cooking mode, Bookmark and share recipes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Responsive and intuitive app
- 👍 Helpful notifications and alerts
- 🔒 Secure connection to appliances

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues and disconnects
- 🔍 Lack of actual temperature monitoring
- 🤔 Confusing setup and pairing process
- 🔍 Missing key features like remote start

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after recent updates
- Unable to log in or register account
- Appliances disappear from the app
- Firmware update failures brick appliances

**Requested features**

- Add support for Celsius temperature units
- Provide real-time temperature and energy consumption data
- Integrate with smart home platforms like Apple HomeKit


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stereophile free?

Stereophile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sub free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Stereophile or Sub?

Sub is rated higher. Stereophile averages 4.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Sub averages 4.4 from 778 ratings.

### Do Stereophile or Sub have ads?

Neither Stereophile nor Sub shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stereophile or Sub?

Stereophile ships an update every 2 months, and Sub every 5 weeks. Most recently, Stereophile was updated on October 23, 2026 and Sub on October 21, 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.*