HEOS vs Sound Bar Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HEOS
Control a wide range of connected audio devices from Denon, Marantz, and Definitive Technology. Stream music from online services or local storage, and enjoy true multi-room audio with easy setup and intuitive control.
- True multi-room audio
- Quick and easy setup
- Access online music services
- Search across multiple music sources
- Control playback remotely
- Access locally stored music
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HEOS is the controller app for the world’s biggest and best range of connected audio gear. It is a smart music streaming technology found in all devices Powered by HEOS from Denon, Marantz, and Definitive Technology. HEOS is for music lovers who want a beautiful and intuitive way to enjoy the latest advances in connected audio. You can find HEOS built into great sounding AV receivers, Hi-Fi equipment, sound bars, speakers, mini systems and specialty multi-room models. Features: True multi-room audio: play different songs in different rooms or the same song in multiple rooms. Quick and easy setup: add all your speakers with step-by-step instructions. Instant access to your favorite music: play from your favorite online music services, like Spotify, Amazon Music, TIDAL, and more. Search your music in one place: use one search function to browse across multiple music sources. See what’s playing any time: play, pause, and skip music from anywhere in the app. Access locally stored music: play music saved to your phone, USB, analog inputs, computers, and NAS drives. Share with your friends and family: support for multiple users and multiple music service accounts.
Sound Bar Controller
Control select Yamaha sound bars remotely from your iOS device. Manage volume, input selection, and set up Alexa voice control. Stream audio from your phone or NAS drive over Wi-Fi.
- Alexa voice control setup
- Volume and input control
- Wi-Fi audio streaming
- Wireless surround speaker control
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The Sound Bar Controller app provides easy operation for select Yamaha Sound Bars using your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Key Features: - Initial setup of built-in Alexa voice control settings - Basic control functions such as volume up/down and input selection - Play audio files stored on your phone or NAS drive through Wi-Fi - Volume control for wireless surround speakers and wireless subwoofer (Only SR-X40A, SR-X50A, ATS-X500) [Supported Models] YAS-109, YAS-209 ATS-1090, ATS-2090 SR-X40A, SR-X50A, ATS-X500 [iOS Version Requirement] * This application supports iOS version 10 or above. - A wireless Local Area Network (LAN) and a compatible Yamaha Network product(s)* residing within the same LAN.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: HEOS at every 3 weeks against Sound Bar Controller's every 5 months. HEOS also leads on ratings volume (27K vs 6.8K). Sound Bar Controller's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for HEOS against 4.4 for Sound Bar Controller. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27K and 6.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of HEOS's written reviews are positive against 22% of Sound Bar Controller's.
HEOS ships an update every 3 weeks, Sound Bar Controller every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.
| Parameter | HEOS | Sound Bar Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (27K ratings) | 4.4 (6.8K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 29.5% of reviews — better | 22.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 27K — better | 6.8K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 328 MB | 153 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | D&M Holdings | Yamaha Corporation |
Customer experience
HEOS
Sound Bar Controller
User reviews
HEOS
From 27K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent sound quality
- 🔒 Robust wireless connectivity
- 👍 Convenient app control
- 💡 Integrates with various music services
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 👎 Poor user interface and navigation
- 🔌 Connectivity issues and frequent disconnects
- 💤 Slow app performance and loading times
Sound Bar Controller
From 6.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great sound quality
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive app
- 👍 Lots of sound settings
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Unreliable Alexa integration
- 🐛 Unintuitive user interface
Bugs and requests
HEOS
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Speakers randomly disappear from the network
- Volume controls are inconsistent and unreliable
- Sync issues between grouped speakers
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve playlist management and queue functionality
- Provide better customization options for rooms and speakers
- Implement a more intuitive and user-friendly app design
Sound Bar Controller
Reported bugs
4 issues- App unable to connect to sound bar
- Sound bar randomly disconnects
- Firmware updates cause issues
- Bluetooth connectivity problems
Requested features
4 requests- Equalizer for more sound customization
- Better volume control options
- Improved Alexa integration
- Simplified app navigation
In-app purchases
HEOS
No in-app purchases
Sound Bar Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is HEOS free?
Is Sound Bar Controller free?
Which has better reviews, HEOS or Sound Bar Controller?
Do HEOS or Sound Bar Controller have ads?
Which is updated more often, HEOS or Sound Bar Controller?
Other comparisons
