Comparison

BluOS Controller vs Hi

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BluOS Controller

Control your wireless hi-res music systems from multiple brands. Stream music from various sources, synchronize playback across rooms, and manage your entire audio experience wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet.

Highlights
  • Universal remote for BluOS-enabled systems
  • Wireless multi-room music streaming
  • Access streaming services, libraries, and radio
  • Synchronized playback across multiple rooms
  • Control from smartphone, tablet, or laptop
  • High-resolution audio with no lag
Features
Read full description

The BluOS Controller app serves as the universal remote for all BluOS-enabled wireless hi-res music systems, including Bluesound, NAD Electronics, PSB Speakers, Bluesound Professional, Cyrus Audio, DALI Speakers, and Monitor Audio. Link multiple BluOS-enabled systems to enjoy synchronized music throughout your home. Access, stream, and enjoy music from various sources, such as streaming services, your music library, or global Internet radio stations and podcasts. The best part? It's all wireless, effortlessly controlled from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, delivering stunning audio with no lag and zero loss in sound quality. Available for iOS devices, the BluOS Controller app is everything you need to set up, control and listen to your music on a BluOS-enabled wireless music system. • Wirelessly stream your music to any BluOS-enabled stereo system, wired loudspeakers, or wireless speakers. • Effortlessly browse, access, and enjoy music from numerous streaming services, Internet radio stations, or your personal library. • Take control of your music from anywhere within your home using your smartphone or tablet. • Play different music in each room simultaneously, or achieve flawless synchronization across all BluOS-enabled speakers and players. • Easily position BluOS-enabled speakers and players throughout your home, connecting them to your WiFi network with user-friendly setup tutorials and support. Learn more about BluOS at www.bluos.io. Have questions or need support? Go to support.bluesound.com for BluOS FAQs, setup tips, and troubleshooting articles.

About

Hi

This app provides expert reviews and buying advice for high-fidelity audio equipment, covering everything from streaming and vinyl to CD and valves. It offers a no-nonsense approach to discovering the best sound systems available.

Highlights
  • Expert audio equipment reviews
  • Buying advice for hi-fi gear
  • Coverage of streaming, vinyl, CD, and valves
  • In-app issue purchases
  • Subscription options available
  • Cross-platform purchase browsing
Features
Read full description

Hi-Fi Choice is the essential guide to getting the best possible sound from your hi-fi, whether you're buying, tuning or tweaking... It has a no-nonsense approach to reviewing the finest audio products available, from hi-res streaming and downloads to CD, vinyl and valves. Hi-Fi Choice magazine has been at the forefront of audio equipment reviews and buying advice for 40 years and no other magazine has the same passion for sound that we do! ---------------------------------------------- This is a free app download. Within the app users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Subscriptions are also available within the application. A subscription will start from the latest regular issue at the time of purchase. -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. -If a subscription offers a free trial, at the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full price of the subscription. You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription settings on your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update, please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions can be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx

Screenshots

BluOS Controller4 screens
Hi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BluOS Controller at none against Hi's 29. BluOS Controller also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (5.3K vs 21). Hi's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and iOS requirement (11.2 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hi sells 29 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per 3 months. BluOS Controller asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hi holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BluOS Controller has 5.3K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of BluOS Controller's written reviews are positive against 42% of Hi's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BluOS Controller ships an update monthly, Hi every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
BluOS Controller versus Hi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBluOS ControllerHi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (5.3K ratings)4.8 (21 ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.6% of reviews41.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.3K — better21
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size100 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBluesoundMyTimeMedia Ltd

Customer experience

BluOS Controller

All ratings5,325 ratings
Positive84.0%
Neutral4.5%
Negative11.5%
Written reviews813 reviews
Positive38.6%
Neutral11.9%
Negative49.4%

Hi

All ratings21 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive41.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

BluOS Controller

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App fails to detect/connect to players
  • Playlists not saving/loading properly
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Streaming service integration issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved Spotify/Apple Music integration
  • Better local music library support
  • Chromecast/AirPlay integration
  • Customizable app interface

Hi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BluOS Controller

No in-app purchases

29 purchases

Hi

Subscriptions3
  • Hi-Fi Choice Auto-Renewable Subscription1 Month trial$11.993 Months
  • Hi-Fi Choice Auto-Renewable Subscription1 Month trial$23.996 Months
  • Hi-Fi Choice Auto-Renewable Subscription1 Month trial$31.991 Year
One-time26
  • July 2014 (id:737690)$4.99
  • March 2014 (id:737873)$4.99
  • Yearbook 2013 (... (id:738015)$4.99
Show 23 more
  • Yearbook 2014 (id:737956)$4.99
  • June 2016 (id:750344)$4.99
  • Yearbook 2016 (id:750365)$4.99
  • Yearbook 2015 (id:751580)$4.99
  • Year Book 2023 (id:728696)$4.99
  • March 2024 (pp:1023645)$4.99
  • August 2026 (pp:1140622)$4.99
  • February 2026 (pp:1120780)$4.99
  • June 2025 (pp:1120796)$4.99
  • May 2025 (pp:1120798)$4.99
  • April 2025 (pp:1120800)$4.99
  • February 2025 (pp:1120804)$4.99
  • August 2023 (id:728714)$4.99
  • Yearbook 2024 (pp:1042051)$4.99
  • January 2024 (pp:1042058)$4.99
  • November 2024 (pp:1042072)$4.99
  • February 2017 (id:750371)$4.99
  • October 2024 (pp:1042079)$4.99
  • September 2024 (pp:1042086)$4.99
  • August 2024 (pp:1042093)$4.99
  • July 2024 (pp:1042100)$4.99
  • April 2024 (pp:1023638)$4.99
  • June 2024 (pp:1042107)$4.99

Questions

Is BluOS Controller free?
BluOS Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hi free?
Hi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BluOS Controller or Hi?
Hi is rated higher. BluOS Controller averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5.3K ratings, while Hi averages 4.8 from 21 ratings.
Do BluOS Controller or Hi have ads?
Neither BluOS Controller nor Hi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BluOS Controller or Hi?
BluOS Controller ships an update monthly, and Hi every 10 months. Most recently, BluOS Controller was updated on October 29, 2026 and Hi on October 26, 2026.

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