Comparison

Play vs Ultramarine

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Whole-home wireless audio
  • Wi-Fi streaming
  • Multiple music sources
  • Speaker group management
  • Volume control
  • DLNA server support
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Ultramarine

Transform your mobile device into a wireless remote for your Polk Ultramarine stereo system. Control power, volume, radio tuning, Bluetooth streaming, satellite radio, and audio settings directly from your phone or tablet.

Highlights
  • Power on/off
  • Volume and mute control
  • AM/FM radio tuning
  • Bluetooth streaming
  • SiriusXM control
  • USB media playback
  • Audio menu adjustments
Features
Read full description

Polk Ultramarine is the ultimate wireless remote control for your Polk Ultramarine stereo system. Enjoy the convenience of all the primary functions of your Polk Ultramarine stereo right from your phone or tablet by transforming your mobile device into a functional stereo remote control! The Polk Ultramarine app works with the following Polk Ultramarine models: UM1A PA4A P1 This app controls all of the primary functions of your stereo features including: Power on/off Volume and mute AM/FM radio tuner: access station, recall, store presets, switch songs NOAA weather band and alert Bluetooth® streaming audio SiriusXM® Satellite Radio File structure visibility, track selection, track audible scan up and down via USB 1 & 2 iPod/iPhone/iPad® control capabilities via USB 1 Auxiliary audio input control: auxiliary analog 1 & 2 Speaker selection A, B and/or C Audio menu controls: subwoofer, bass, midrange, treble, balance, fader, equalizer, volume, and speaker selection settings Zone control presets Visual display feedback so you can see artist title and album on your mobile screen Polk Ultramarine transforms your mobile device into a functional stereo remote control making it a perfect pocket-size, portable controller to fit your marine lifestyle. *App capabilities vary with the stereo’s feature set.

Screenshots

Play4 screens
Ultramarine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Play at 4.5 against Ultramarine's 1.6. Play also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 17 months) and ratings volume (3.5K vs 40). Ultramarine's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Play holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Play has 3.5K ratings behind it against 40, 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 9% of Ultramarine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Play ships an update every 2 months, Ultramarine every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Play versus Ultramarine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlayUltramarine
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (3.5K ratings) — better1.6 (40 ratings)
Positive reviews25.4% of reviews — better8.7% of reviews
Number of ratings3.5K — better40
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 17 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size285 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDTS, Inc.ASA Electronics, LLC

Customer experience

Play

All ratings3,465 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral6.6%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews209 reviews
Positive25.4%
Neutral13.4%
Negative61.2%

Ultramarine

All ratings40 ratings
Positive12.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative87.5%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive8.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative91.3%

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

Ultramarine

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Play

No in-app purchases

None

Ultramarine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Play free?
Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ultramarine free?
Ultramarine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Play or Ultramarine?
Play is rated higher. Play averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Ultramarine averages 1.6 from 40 ratings.
Do Play or Ultramarine have ads?
Play shows ads; Ultramarine does not.
Which is updated more often, Play or Ultramarine?
Play ships an update every 2 months, and Ultramarine every 17 months. Most recently, Play was updated on November 6, 2026 and Ultramarine on November 1, 2026.

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