# Stereophile vs The Absolute Sound

The clearest difference is rating: Stereophile at 4.2 against The Absolute Sound's 2.9. Stereophile also leads on review sentiment (17% vs 6%). The Absolute Sound's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Stereophile sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and The Absolute Sound sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Stereophile holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 138 and 96 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Stereophile's written reviews are positive against 6% of The Absolute Sound's.

Stereophile ships an update every 2 months, The Absolute Sound every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stereophile | The Absolute Sound |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stereophile/id494421381/reviews)** | [2.9 (96 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-absolute-sound/id966988916/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 96 |
| Positive reviews | **17.1% of reviews** | 6.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 85 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MyTimeMedia Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/543826829) | [Nextscreen Services, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/589458179) |

## 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 (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month \| Stereophile | $2.99 | per month |
| Stereophile Magazine iPad Edition | $9.99 | per year |
| Annual | $0.99 | 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 |

**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


### The Absolute Sound

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-absolute-sound/id966988916)

Explore expert reviews, features, and commentary on high-performance audio and music. This app guides enthusiasts to components and recordings that faithfully reproduce concert hall sounds. Access digital editions through purchases and subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Expert audio reviews, Music journalism, Component recommendations, Concert hall sound reproduction, Digital editions, Subscription access

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| the absolute sound | $9.99 | per year |
| 2022 November | $1.99 | one-time |
| Issue 251 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 257 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 261 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 263 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 267 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 271 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 254 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Issue 262 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great magazine content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App constantly not working
- 🐛 Subscription issues
- 🐛 Lost access to purchased issues
- 🐛 Login problems
- 🐛 App crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Perpetual spinning wheel
- App not working
- Constantly loses issues
- Latest update removed current issues
- App forgot subscription

**Requested features**

- Fix the app
- Make the app work
- Restore access to purchased issues
- Allow restoration of iTunes purchases
- Fix the perpetual spinning wheel


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stereophile free?

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

### Is The Absolute Sound free?

The Absolute Sound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Stereophile or The Absolute Sound?

Stereophile is rated higher. Stereophile averages 4.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while The Absolute Sound averages 2.9 from 96 ratings.

### Do Stereophile or The Absolute Sound have ads?

Neither Stereophile nor The Absolute Sound shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stereophile or The Absolute Sound?

Stereophile ships an update every 2 months, and The Absolute Sound every 4 months. Most recently, Stereophile was updated on November 6, 2026 and The Absolute Sound on November 1, 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.*