Stereophile vs VAult
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Stereophile
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.
- Authoritative reviews of audio components
- Informed recommendations
- Helpful advice for audiophiles
- Expert opinions on music reproduction
- Monthly magazine issues
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Every month Stereophile magazine offers authoritative reviews, informed recommendations, helpful advice, and controversial opinions, all stemming from the revolutionary idea that audio components should be judged on how they reproduce music. ---SUBSCRIPTION AVAILABLE--- 1-year subscription for $9.99 Your subscription will be billed to your iTunes account upon confirmation of purchase. ---SUBSCRIPTION WILL AUTO-RENEW--- The subscription will include the current issue if you do not already own it and subsequently published future issues. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. This Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period, your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. The cost of the renewal will match the initial subscription price. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. You may turn off auto-renewing subscriptions by going to your user’s Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during your active subscription period. You can view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use here: http://www.avtechmediausa.com/terms.html http://www.avtechmediausa.com/privacy.html
VAult
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VAult-mart is the ultimate app for vintage audio equipment collectors and enthusiasts. Track your collection (VAult), organize your gear by room, and buy or sell or trade equipment with other users through our integrated marketplace (Mart). MART (NO ACCOUNT REQUIRED TO BROWSE) • Browse vintage audio gear for sale from collectors worldwide—no sign-in needed • Filter by equipment type, condition, price, and distance • View detailed photos and descriptions of available equipment • Sort by price, distance, or newest listings • Sign in to contact sellers directly through in-app messaging • Create a free account to list your own equipment for sale • Choose local pickup, shipping, or both for your listings VAult - COLLECTION MANAGEMENT • Track detailed information about your vintage audio equipment • Add photos, purchase prices, condition details, and modifications • Organize equipment by status: Owned, Want, For Sale, Sold, or Disposed • Calculate total investment including purchase price, shipping, fees, and mods • View comprehensive statistics and profit/loss breakdowns ROOM ORGANIZATION • Create virtual rooms to organize your audio setups • Add photos of your listening spaces • Assign equipment to specific rooms • Visualize your complete audio system layouts FEATURES • Support for all vintage audio types: turntables, amplifiers, speakers, receivers, cassette decks, reel-to-reel, and more • Track modifications and repairs with dates and costs • Calculate profit/loss on sold equipment • Search and filter your collection • Distance-based marketplace search for local pickups • Direct messaging between buyers and sellers • Content moderation and user reporting for safety • Secure, encrypted data storage • Dark mode support PRIVACY & SECURITY • Browse the Mart (marketplace) anonymously—no account required • Your collection data is completely private by default • Only equipment marked "For Sale" is visible to others • Industry-standard encryption and security • We never sell your data or track you across apps • Delete your account and data anytime Whether you're browsing for vintage gear, managing a serious collection of hundreds of pieces, or looking to sell your equipment, VAult-mart has everything you need. SUPPORT Email: kuolionel@gmail.com Privacy Policy: https://avswap-168.created.app/privacy-policy Support: https://avswap-168.created.app/support
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VAult at none against Stereophile's 20. VAult also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Stereophile's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). 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
Both are free to download. Stereophile sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. VAult asks for nothing beyond the download.
Stereophile ships an update every 2 months, VAult every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Stereophile | VAult |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (138 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 17.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 138 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MyTimeMedia Ltd | KAI,NING KUO |
Bugs and requests
Stereophile
Reported bugs
14 issues- 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
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- Lost access to entire library after app updates
- Login failures with valid credentials
- Pixelated and fuzzy page rendering
- Extremely slow page navigation and loading
- App forgets subscription status on reopening
- Duplicate charges on subscription renewal
- Incompatibility with iOS 8 and newer updates
- Pages partially load then crash
- Text illegible without zooming on smaller devices
Requested features
10 requests- 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
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- Reader mode similar to Safari for improved readability
- Ability to remember reading position between sessions
- Background download capability
- Retina display support and higher resolution
- iPad-optimized interface instead of PDF wrapper
VAult
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Stereophile
- 1 Month | Stereophile$2.991 Month
- Stereophile Magazine iPad Edition1 Month trial$9.991 Year
- Annual$0.99
- 2023 December$4.99
- 2024 February$4.99
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- February 2012$6.99
- April 2012$6.99
- June 2012$6.99
- October 2012$6.99
- December 2012$6.99
- October 2013$6.99
- 2016 Buyer's Guide$6.99
- March 2013$6.99
- February 2025$7.99
- April 2023$7.99
- December 2024$7.99
- November 2024$7.99
- October 2024$7.99
- August 2024$7.99
- July 2024$7.99
VAult
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Stereophile free?
Is VAult free?
Do Stereophile or VAult have ads?
Which is updated more often, Stereophile or VAult?
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