Play vs Stream Utility
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Play
Wirelessly stream high-fidelity audio throughout your home using Wi-Fi. Control music from various sources, including streaming services, radio, and your device's library. Easily set up and manage multiple speakers for a whole-home listening experience.
- Whole-home wireless audio
- Wi-Fi streaming
- Multiple music sources
- Speaker group management
- Volume control
- DLNA server support
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Breakthrough DTS Play-Fi(R) technology powers simple, great-sounding whole-home wireless audio systems for smartphones and tablets. You can stream your favorite tunes over Wi-Fi right from the Play-Fi app to speakers from DTS Play-Fi product partners. It's a huge step up from Bluetooth - the audio quality and reliability are outstanding, and you can enjoy music from your phone in one room, or all your rooms. The "Hi-Fi over Wi-Fi" listening experience is just a touch away, thanks to this handy app. Choose a speaker, choose a song, and your favorite tunes are streaming all through the house. The app offers built-in streaming options: stream from worldwide music services; use AM/FM and Internet radio, connect to DLNA servers, or play anything from your device's music library, including your iTunes playlists. The app automatically organizes and indexes the music for you. The app also handles set-up for your speakers, and gives you full control of volume and speaker selection. Choose one, set up speaker groups, or stream to all of them at once. Manage speaker groups for Spotify Connect, too. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a Play-Fi product from Polk Audio, Definitive Technology or Phorus, please search for and download the custom Play-Fi app for your audio brand. Please also note that the Play-Fi app is companion software to audio products enabled with Play-Fi technology. It is not intended as a stand-alone audio player.
Stream Utility
This application allows users to update the firmware on specific Klipsch wireless speakers and audio devices. It provides stability fixes and adds new features like surround speaker support for compatible models.
- Firmware updates for Klipsch RW-1 Wireless Speaker
- Firmware updates for Klipsch PowerGate
- Firmware updates for Klipsch Gate
- Added Surround Speaker Support
- Improved Wi-Fi stability in sleep mode
- Overall compatibility and stability fixes
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Use the Stream Utility App to update the firmware on your Klipsch RW-1 Wireless Speaker, Klipsch PowerGate, or Klipsch Gate. This version of the Stream Utility includes firmware update support for: Gate MCU: v1.32 (In Stream app 1.032) Change Log: • Added Surround Speaker Support as rear surrounds. • Removed hard sleep mode so WiFi stays active in sleep mode. • Overall compatibility and stability fixes. PowerGate MCU: v1.45 (In Stream app 1.045) Change Log: • Added Surround Speaker Support as rear surrounds. • Removed hard sleep mode so Wi-Fi stays active in sleep mode. • Overall compatibility and stability fixes. RW-1 MCU: v0.38 (In Stream app 0.038) Change Log: • Added Surround Speaker Support as a Single Surround. • Removed hard sleep mode so Wi-Fi stays active in sleep mode. • Overall compatibility and stability fixes. Please visit www.klipsch.com/stream-support for more information on how to update the firmware on all of your Klipsch Stream devices as well as step by step instructions. PLEASE NOTE: This app is for use with the aforementioned Klipsch Stream products and not for use with any products other than those listed above. @2017 Klipsch Group Inc.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Play at 4.5 against Stream Utility's 3.7. Play also leads on review sentiment (25% vs 0%) and ratings volume (3.5K vs 6). Stream Utility's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Play holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Play has 3.5K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Play's written reviews are positive against 0% of Stream Utility's.
Play ships an update every 2 months, Stream Utility every 11 months. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Play | Stream Utility |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (3.5K ratings) — better | 3.7 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 25.5% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3.5K — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 11 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 285 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DTS, Inc. | Klipsch Group, Inc. |
Customer experience
Play
Stream Utility
Bugs and requests
Play
Reported bugs
5 issues- Drops connections frequently
- Fails to recognize devices
- Resets music playback unexpectedly
- Issues with volume control and balancing
- Incompatible with recent firmware/software updates
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve Spotify integration
- Implement gapless playback
- Provide better interface and navigation
- Add search functionality for local music libraries
Stream Utility
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Play
No in-app purchases
Stream Utility
No in-app purchases
