# Play vs Sound Bar Remote

The clearest difference is ads: Sound Bar Remote at none against Play's shown. Sound Bar Remote also leads on review sentiment (45% vs 25%) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Play's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Sound Bar Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.5K and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Play's written reviews are positive against 45% of Sound Bar Remote's.

Play ships an update every 2 months, Sound Bar Remote every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Play | Sound Bar Remote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-fi/id779245456/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-bar-remote/id1501643134/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 1.6K |
| Positive reviews | 25.4% of reviews | **45.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 285 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DTS, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/779245460) | [Yamaha Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/353469356) |

## What reviewers say

### Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-fi/id779245456)

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.

**Highlights:** Whole-home wireless audio, Wi-Fi streaming, Multiple music sources, Speaker group management, Volume control, DLNA server support

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works well
- 🔒 Integrates well with amplifier
- 👍 Keeps improving with updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy, glitchy, and unreliable
- 👎 Limited features and functionality
- 🔌 Constant connection issues
- 💤 Slow to load and connect
- 🤯 Frustrating user experience

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve Spotify integration
- Implement gapless playback
- Provide better interface and navigation
- Add search functionality for local music libraries


### Sound Bar Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-bar-remote/id1501643134)

Control select Yamaha sound bars directly from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Adjust volume, change inputs, and select sound modes with ease. Requires iOS 14.1 or later and uses Bluetooth for connectivity.

**Highlights:** Volume control, Input selection, Sound mode selection, Bluetooth connectivity

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 💡 Visually see soundbar settings
- 🚀 Straightforward setup
- 👍 Great connectivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connection issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems
- 🐛 Unreliable performance
- 🐛 Blank/black screen after updates
- 🐛 Frequent disconnections

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot find/connect to soundbar
- 3D mode turns off automatically
- App doesn't work after recent update

**Requested features**

- Add volume control buttons
- Support for more soundbar models
- Improve EQ/sound customization options
- Allow controlling multiple speakers simultaneously


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Play free?

Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sound Bar Remote free?

Sound Bar Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Play or Sound Bar Remote?

Sound Bar Remote is rated higher. Play averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Sound Bar Remote averages 4.7 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do Play or Sound Bar Remote have ads?

Play shows ads; Sound Bar Remote does not.

### Which is updated more often, Play or Sound Bar Remote?

Play ships an update every 2 months, and Sound Bar Remote every 6 months. Most recently, Play was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sound Bar Remote on November 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*