Comparison

Quantara vs Retro Spectrum

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

Head to head
About

Quantara

Features
Read full description

Quantara turns your iPhone flashlight into a music-reactive strobe that syncs to the beat of any song — Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, or live audio. HOW IT WORKS Just play music from any app and tap Start. Quantara listens through your microphone, detects beats in real-time, and flashes your torch in perfect sync. No cables, no Bluetooth pairing — it just works. 8 STROBE MODES • Beat Sync — clean flash on every beat • Hard Strobe — aggressive rapid flashes • Smooth Pulse — breathing light that follows the energy • Drop Burst — intense burst sequences on drops • Bass Flash — heavy hits, heavy light • Random Club — unpredictable club-style strobing • Quantum Mode — chaotic, layered, unpredictable • Custom Pattern — fully configurable to your taste WORKS WITH ANY MUSIC Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, YouTube, or live music at a concert — Quantara listens to whatever is playing and reacts instantly. MUSIC KEEPS PLAYING Unlike other apps, Quantara never interrupts your music. Your songs keep playing while the strobe runs. SCREEN STAYS ON During a live session the screen stays awake so your strobe never stops mid-party. REAL-TIME VISUALIZER Watch your music come alive with 4 stunning visual modes: Circular Pulse, Waveform, Particle Field, and Energy Ring. ADJUSTABLE CONTROLS Fine-tune sensitivity and speed on the fly during any session. Make it subtle or make it intense. PRIVACY FIRST Audio is analyzed on-device in real-time. Nothing is ever recorded or stored. QUANTARA PRO Unlock premium strobe modes, custom patterns, and more with a Quantara Pro subscription. Subscription pricing: • Monthly: $4.99/month • Yearly: $29.99/year Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless canceled 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. You can manage and cancel subscriptions in your Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fh1SLxxlR9dXujbmg8GHDdBgd1KP7lZH3SnaNEPIaZc/edit?usp=sharing Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11scMIwbVQ259jiICuIIrvO-EOxkWl6mUskVOL0RlaUg/edit?usp=sharing

About

Retro Spectrum

Transform your phone into a retro audio visualizer for your car or desk. It analyzes sound from your speakers in real-time, displaying dynamic visuals inspired by classic 80s-90s car stereos. Enjoy multiple retro skins and track identification for a unique audio-visual experience.

Highlights
  • Real-time spectrum analyzer
  • Retro 80s-90s car stereo style
  • Listens via microphone to any speaker source
  • Multiple retro skin options
  • Now Playing song identification
  • Desk mode with clock and date
Features
Read full description

Retro Spectrum turns your phone into a retro audio display for your car or your desk. Mount your phone, play music through your speakers, and watch a real-time spectrum analyzer light up in the style of classic 80s–90s car stereos. Built for JDM and neo-classic car fans, and just as good as an always-on visualizer on your desk. NEW: MOTION SKINS Two new skins that don't just react to your music—they travel with it. They estimate the genre from what the mic hears and use song info when available, so no two shows are ever the same. • Rezolution — fly nonstop through a wireframe cyberspace. As the music builds, detail and distant views emerge, and at top speed it hits OVERDRIVE. • Rezonance — cruise an endless foggy highway under a clean white HUD. Pure chill for the long drive home. Motion skins are graphically intensive and may run warm on older devices. HOW IT WORKS Retro Spectrum listens through your device's microphone and analyzes the sound in real time. Because it uses the mic, it reacts to ANY source playing through your speakers—streaming, radio, CD, anything. No cables, no pairing. Important: it responds to sound from SPEAKERS, not headphones or earphones. Point your phone toward the speakers and turn the volume up. RETRO SKINS Switch between display styles inspired by legendary in-dash stereos: • VFD Green — a fluorescent-tube display (included free) • Plasma Orange — spinning-CD deck with artwork and a big clock • JDM Night — KENWOOD-style dual-zone EQ with 7-segment clock • Bubble Grid — synthwave neon grid with a perspective floor • Wireframe LCD — Y2K retro-future tunnel HUD • Gaming RGB — flowing RGB bars with mirror reflections Every skin works in both portrait and landscape. NOW PLAYING See the song that's playing right now. When you use Apple Music, the title, artist, and artwork are read directly from the system for instant accuracy. For any other source, Retro Spectrum identifies the track from the mic using Shazam technology. Double-tap to look up a song on demand. SHARE THE MOMENT Tap the artwork to turn your current skin and song into a share card for Instagram Stories and more. DESK MODE A built-in clock, date, and battery readout make Retro Spectrum a great always-on display for your desk setup—a glowing retro visualizer and clock in one. Choose 24-hour or 12-hour time with AM/PM. PRIVACY Microphone audio is analyzed on your device and is never recorded or saved. Song recognition can be turned off anytime. See our privacy policy for details. FREE + SKIN PACK + MOTION PACK The app and the VFD Green skin are free. Unlock the five other retro skins with the one-time Skin Pack purchase, and Rezolution and Rezonance with the one-time Motion Pack purchase. The two packs are sold separately.

Screenshots

Quantara4 screens
Retro Spectrum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Quantara at 3 against Retro Spectrum's 1. Quantara also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Quantara sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Retro Spectrum sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Quantara versus Retro Spectrum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQuantaraRetro Spectrum
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—8 — better
Update frequency—Every 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLevani KirkitadzeTAKUMA FUJITSUKA

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Quantara

Subscriptions2
  • Quantara Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Quantara Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
2 purchases

Retro Spectrum

One-time2
  • Skin Pack$1.99
  • Motion Pack$2.99

Questions

Is Quantara free?
Quantara is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Retro Spectrum free?
Retro Spectrum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Quantara or Retro Spectrum have ads?
Neither Quantara nor Retro Spectrum shows ads.

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