Comparison

lo vs Phonolyth Cascade

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

Head to head
About

lo

This app offers a versatile toolkit for manipulating audio with a variety of lo-fi effects. Explore historical audio degradation, modern digital artifacts, and analog warmth to transform your sound.

Highlights
  • Convolution reverb with unique impulse responses
  • Spectral processing for MP3 simulation and pitch shifting
  • Digital section with bitcrusher and CD stutter
  • Analog section with tape saturation and noise generation
  • Rearrangeable processing sections
  • Dozens of presets for sound warping
Features
Read full description

"LO‑FI‑AF is a very capable lo‑fi toolkit capable of surgically targeted destruction and it could easily find applications in just about any musical genre" -SoundOnSound Unfiltered Audio's lo-fi-af is now available on iOS as a Standalone app or AUv3 plugin! lo-fi-af takes your sound on a journey of artifacts and noise throughout recorded history, from tape warbles and vinyl noise to MP3 chirps and cell phone speaker chatter. lo-fi-af's many sections and versatile algorithms can place your sound in a different decade, or give it a thoroughly modern spin through compound processing. The first section is a convolution reverb preloaded with impulse responses from broken microphones, toy speakers, cell phones, and more. With this section alone, you can place your sound into an entirely different space. The Spectral section then splits your sound into thousands of frequencies before reconstructing it with a twist. Here you can reproduce the sound of a pirated MP3 or pitch shift your signal with clean perfection. Your signal then takes a trip through the digital section. All sorts of hazards are present here, from a skipping CD stutter effect to a multimode bitcrusher. Finally, the rich, colorful analog section adds that vibe that you crave. A maximizer, a tape saturator, a noise generator, an analog-style filter, a pitch warbler, and a radio demodulator all work together in harmony to toss your sound into the past. But wait! That's only one possible signal chain. The Convolution, Spectral, Digital, and Analog sections can be completely rearranged in any order. Dozens of presets will get your started on your sound warping adventure. As an AUv3 plugin, lo-fi-af has been tested to work perfectly with Garageband, Drambo, AUM, Cubasis, Beatmaker, Nanostudio, apeMatrix, Loopy Pro, and more! Additionally, with its clear layout and smart resizing, lo-fi-af can be used on tablets and phones with ease. (Note for Drambo users: Drambo does not yet have automatic Plugin Delay Compensation for managing plugins with latency. As a result, tracks with lo-fi-af will not line up properly with other tracks. An upcoming patch for Drambo will add this feature in.)

About

Phonolyth Cascade

This app offers a versatile reverb and diffusion processor with an experimental edge. It allows for the creation of expansive modulated spaces, stereo widening, and hybrid delay/reverb effects. Explore unique sonic territories with a wide range of controls and randomized modulation.

Highlights
  • Expansive modulated supernatural spaces
  • Stereo widening and transient smearing
  • Hybrid delay/reverb effects
  • Chorus, flanger, and resonator-like effects
  • Randomized modulation
  • Infinity and Freeze buttons
  • Mix Lock for preset switching
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Cascade is a versatile reverb and diffusion processor with an experimental edge. Designed first and foremost with expansive modulated supernatural spaces in mind, it features an extensive set of controls to explore other sonic territories such as stereo widening, transient smearing, hybrid delay/reverb and chorus/flanger/resonator-like effects. Features: - Wide range of diffusion textures spanning from subtle smearing and widening to otherworldly reverberation - Lush randomized modulation - Infinity and Freeze buttons for never-ending reverb bliss - Mix Lock for switching presets while keeping the dry/wet mix constant - Freely resizable UI with light and dark color schemes - Cross-platform preset format for sharing across plugin formats and OSes - 30 factory presets to get you started - Includes an AudioUnit v3 plugin for use in host apps such as GarageBand and AUM, and a standalone app

Screenshots

lo4 screens
Phonolyth Cascade2 screens

Verdict

The call

lo and Phonolyth Cascade both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Phonolyth Cascade's written reviews are positive against 67% of lo's. Phonolyth Cascade also leads on chart position (#187 vs unranked) and price ($7.99 vs $9.99). lo's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

lo costs $9.99 and Phonolyth Cascade $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for lo against 4.9 for Phonolyth Cascade. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29 and 30 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of lo's written reviews are positive against 100% of Phonolyth Cascade's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

lo ships an update fortnightly, Phonolyth Cascade every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
lo versus Phonolyth Cascade: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterloPhonolyth Cascade
Price$9.99$7.99 — better
Rating5.0 (29 ratings) — better4.9 (30 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2930 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#187 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUnfiltered AudioYuri Turov

Customer experience

lo

All ratings29 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Phonolyth Cascade

All ratings30 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

lo

No in-app purchases

None

Phonolyth Cascade

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is lo free?
lo costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phonolyth Cascade free?
Phonolyth Cascade costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, lo or Phonolyth Cascade?
lo is rated higher. lo averages 5.0 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Phonolyth Cascade averages 4.9 from 30 ratings.
Do lo or Phonolyth Cascade have ads?
Neither lo nor Phonolyth Cascade shows ads.
Which is updated more often, lo or Phonolyth Cascade?
lo ships an update fortnightly, and Phonolyth Cascade every 7 months. Most recently, lo was updated on September 18, 2026 and Phonolyth Cascade on September 23, 2026.

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