Comparison

DC View vs Penta CDX

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

Head to head
About

DC View

Features
Read full description

Experience the feel of a CD player with Apple Music. This app is a music player that lets you search and play Apple Music tracks with a CD player-inspired interface. Browse album artwork intuitively with Cover Flow, then play instantly or add tracks to your queue with a single tap. It is designed to work comfortably on both iPhone and iPad. Key Features Search Apple Music by song title, artist, or album Play, seek, and skip tracks with a CD deck-style player View and manage the Up Next queue Browse Recently Played, Recently Added, and recommended playlists Switch between deck styles (Classic / Neo Retro / Premium and more) Premium No ads Unlock all deck styles Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Requirements Apple Music access permission is required. An active Apple Music subscription is required for some features. Terms of Use (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy https://sleepy-ceiling-179.notion.site/DC-view-30bbcb0fb718803598e8f4899c547dda?source=copy_link

About

Penta CDX

Experience your Apple Music library with a virtual five-disc CD carousel player. Browse albums, load discs, and control playback with a realistic interface, complete with tactile sounds and a retro display.

Highlights
  • Five-disc carousel simulation
  • Apple Music library integration
  • Realistic tactile interface
  • Customizable display
  • Save and reload disc sets
  • iCloud sync for favorites
Features
Read full description

Penta CDX-5 turns your iPhone or iPad into a five-disc CD player — the tactile hi-fi component you grew up with, rebuilt for your Apple Music library. Open the deck, browse your albums, and drag a disc into the spinning carousel. Load up to five at once, then play, skip, seek, shuffle, and repeat from a machined transport bar. Every detail is here: the fluorescent display, the motorized carousel spin, the power-on self-test, and the satisfying clunk of a disc dropping onto the spindle. FEATURES • A real five-disc carousel — load, spin, and swap discs by hand • Plays your Apple Music library in full, with real album art on every disc • Jewel-case browser — tap an album, open the case, drag the disc out to load it • Magazines — save a set of five discs and reload the whole cartridge later • Favorites, whole-library search, and on-demand Apple Music catalog search • A vacuum-fluorescent display with track, time, and format readouts • Customizable display colour, meter style, and spin speed • Favorites and saved magazines sync across your devices via iCloud • Procedurally synthesized sounds — every click, whir, and clunk is generated live PENTA PRO A one-time unlock that adds the full phosphor-colour set, the analog needle and combined VU meters, a gentle readable spin, the minimal readout, and unlimited saved magazines — plus every future Pro upgrade. The free deck plays your whole library with no limits; Pro is just for the collectors. Penta CDX-5 is a labour of love for anyone who misses physical media. Requires an Apple Music subscription for full playback.

Screenshots

DC View3 screens
Penta CDX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Penta CDX at none against DC View's 1. Penta CDX also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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. DC View sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Penta CDX asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
DC View versus Penta CDX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDC ViewPenta CDX
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShota YamamotoJohn Seubert

In-app purchases

1 purchases

DC View

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly plan$1.991 Month
None

Penta CDX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DC View free?
DC View is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Penta CDX free?
Penta CDX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do DC View or Penta CDX have ads?
DC View shows ads; Penta CDX does not.
Which is updated more often, DC View or Penta CDX?
DC View ships an update every 4 days, and Penta CDX every 4 days. Most recently, DC View was updated on October 7, 2026 and Penta CDX on October 9, 2026.

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