Retro vs VMNexus Audio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Retro
Relive the golden age of music players with this app that mimics early 2000s desktop interfaces. Enjoy your local music library with advanced playback features, customizable themes, and CarPlay support.
- Classic UI with pixel-art and scrolling titles
- CarPlay support for in-car listening
- Home Screen Widget for quick access
- Lossless, gapless local playback engine
- 10-band graphic equalizer
- Hi-Res audio output support
- Synced lyrics (LRCLIB) integration
- Last.fm scrobbling
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RetroAmp is a local music player for iOS that brings back the look and feel of early-2000s desktop music players. No streaming. No subscriptions. Just your music files, played on your device. === Features === ▸ Classic UI Pixel-art sprites, monospaced fonts, scrolling titles, a real-time spectrum analyzer, and a digital clock display. The desktop music player aesthetic, rebuilt for iPhone. ▸ CarPlay Support [NEW] Access your RetroAmp library in the car. Browse by Artists / Albums / Playlists / Radio with a full Now Playing screen. ▸ Home Screen Widget [NEW] View your current playlist on your home screen. The widget reflects your skin's colors and frame. Tap a track to play it. ▸ Full Local Playback Engine Lossless, gapless playback powered by AVAudioEngine. Supports FLAC / ALAC (M4A) / WAV / AAC / MP3 / OGG / AIFF. Imported files are stored at their original quality. ▸ 10-Band Graphic Equalizer 10 bands from 60Hz to 16kHz with ±12dB range and preamp. Built-in presets included. ▸ Hi-Res Output Supports up to 384kHz/32-bit. Connect a USB-C DAC to hear your files at their native quality. ▸ Media Library Quick access via sidebar to Audio / Most Played / Recently Added / Recently Modified / Recently Played / Never Played / Top Rated / Podcasts / Video. Switch between grid view and list view. ▸ Playlist Editor Add to queue, reorder with drag and drop, save as named playlists, jump to the playing track, shuffle, repeat. ▸ Synced Lyrics (LRCLIB) Fetches time-synced lyrics from the open lyrics database LRCLIB. No account required. ▸ Last.fm Scrobbling Automatically scrobble your listening history. Offline scrobbles are queued and sent when back online. ▸ Custom Themes Import .wsz skin files to change the look. One slot available for free. === In-App Purchases === Free to use. Expand your theme slots with a one-time purchase: Lite ($0.99) – 4 slots Pro ($4.99) – Unlimited One-time purchases, not subscriptions. Family Sharing supported. === Privacy === No personal data is collected. All data stays on your device. Last.fm and LRCLIB integrations are optional. Support: haruhi@icloud.com
VMNexus Audio
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VMNexus Audio — HiRes Player. Bit-perfect when you want purity, studio DSP when you want more — for people who hear the difference. Play your own music in true high resolution. Studio DSP uses a precision 32-bit float signal path, with rate adaptation only where a selected neural model requires it. STUDIO DSP Shape your sound with a focused studio toolset: • AGC keeps listening levels consistent. • Tonal Balance helps maintain a natural overall presentation. • EQ gives you precise control over tonal color. • Compressor shapes dynamics for a more controlled sound. • Limiter protects peaks and keeps playback smooth. • Neural Tube Modeling adds a natural tube character through neural audio modeling. • Choose from 12AX7A, 12AT7, JAN 5654W, JAN 5670, and JAN 5670W valve models. • Blend up to four valve models in parallel for a rich, realistic character designed to stand confidently alongside high-end audiophile amplifiers. PREMIUM — $2.99/month, including a 2-week free trial • USB DAC support — bit-perfect, native sample rate, no resampling • Your entire NAS (SMB) library — no cloud, no limits • DSD playback — DSF, DFF, ISO, including DST-compressed DSD • DoP output for compatible DACs connected through Lightning • Studio DSP — Neural Tube Modeling, tonal balance, parametric EQ, compressor, and limiter • One subscription for iPhone + Mac. Cancel anytime. Bring your own music. Hear it as it was meant to be heard. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: VMNexus Audio at 3 against Retro's 1. Retro's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Retro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and VMNexus Audio sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Retro | VMNexus Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KIYOUMI AGEMURA | Suat Ernur Bilge |
In-app purchases
Retro
- Lite Skin Pack$0.99
- Pro Skin Pack$4.99
VMNexus Audio
- VMNexus Premium14 Days trial$2.991 Month




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