jControl vs Sound Bar Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
jControl
Transform your mobile device into a wireless remote for your JENSEN stereo system. Control all primary functions, including power, volume, radio, media playback, and audio settings, directly from your phone or tablet. Enjoy a convenient, pocket-sized control for your RV lifestyle.
- Power on/off
- Volume and mute control
- CD/DVD player control
- AM/FM radio tuner access
- Bluetooth streaming audio
- USB media playback control
- Audio menu settings
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JENSEN® Specialty Controller is the ultimate wireless remote control for your JENSEN stereo system. Store away your old remotes and enjoy the convenience of all the primary functions of your JENSEN stereo right from your phone or tablet by transforming your mobile device into a functional stereo remote control! The jControl app works with the following JENSEN models: JWM1A JWM10A JWM12A JWM6A JWM60A JWM62A JWM70A JWM72A JWM9A JWM90A JWM92A MS2A MS3A This app controls all of the primary functions of your stereo features including: Power on/off Volume and mute CD/DVD player 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 iPod/iPhone/iPad® control capabilities via USB Auxiliary audio input control - auxiliary analog 1 & 2, auxiliary digital coaxial, auxiliary digital optical Speaker selection A, B and/or C Audio menu controls - bass, treble, balance, fader, equalizer, volume and speaker selection settings Clock with sleep time and alarm Visual display feedback so you can see artist title and album on your mobile screen JENSEN Specialty Controller transforms your mobile device into a functional stereo remote control making it a perfect pocket-size, portable controller to fit your RV lifestyle. *App capabilities vary with the stereo’s feature set.
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 rating: Sound Bar Controller at 4.4 against jControl's 1.9. Sound Bar Controller also leads on ratings volume (6.8K vs 126) and review sentiment (22% vs 11%). jControl's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 10.0). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sound Bar Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sound Bar Controller has 6.8K ratings behind it against 126, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 11% of jControl's written reviews are positive against 22% of Sound Bar Controller's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | jControl | Sound Bar Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.9 (126 ratings) | 4.4 (6.8K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 11.4% of reviews | 22.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 126 | 6.8K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 10.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 153 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ASA Electronics, LLC | Yamaha Corporation |
Customer experience
jControl
Sound Bar Controller
Bugs and requests
jControl
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
jControl
No in-app purchases
Sound Bar Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is jControl free?
Is Sound Bar Controller free?
Which has better reviews, jControl or Sound Bar Controller?
Do jControl or Sound Bar Controller have ads?
Which is updated more often, jControl or Sound Bar Controller?
Other comparisons
