X1S Universal Remote with Hub, Universal Remote Control with One Touch Activities, Customize SofaBaton APP, Compatible with 60 Devices, Compatible with Alexa Google Assistant, Raise to Wake

SofaBaton X1S — A Home Automation Powerhouse With Huge Potential Ahead The SofaBaton X1S has quickly become the command center of my entire home. I work with home-theater and home-automation equipment every day, and I’ve used more universal remotes over the years than I can count. Nothing I’ve touched matches the versatility, multi-protocol reach, and practical real-world capability this remote delivers. With IR, RF, Zigbee, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi support, this isn’t just a universal remote — it’s a universal controller. ⭐ What I Control With the X1S Here’s what this thing currently runs in my home: • Every TV in multiple rooms • A full home-theater projector setup • Room lighting and LED lighting • Motorized blinds, mini-blinds, and window shades • Smart AC, fans, and a bathroom heater • RF outlets for appliances • My router (rebooted through an RF plug) • My entire surveillance system • My home-security system — including arming/disarming Once everything was set up, it stopped feeling like “a remote” and became the central control hub for my whole smart-home ecosystem. ⭐ Remote + App = Total Control The handheld remote and the SofaBaton app mirror each other perfectly. The app works like a second remote, giving you full control even when the physical unit isn’t nearby. It’s fast, smooth, and extremely helpful in multi-room setups. ⭐ Suggestions for Future Versions (X2 / X3) The X1S is impressive, but a few additions would push it into legendary territory. 1. Customizable App Launch Buttons Instead of preset paid streaming buttons found on many remotes, fully customizable quick-launch buttons would be incredible. Let users create one-touch buttons for: • Tubi • Plex • YouTube • Smart-home scenes • Security toggles Physical buttons, a scroll-wheel menu, or a quick-launch panel would make this remote the most customizable in the industry. 2. Custom Icons for Activities A simple icon library — or lightweight custom icon uploads — would make navigation clearer and faster. ⭐ 3. App Interface & GUI Usability The hardware is outstanding. The app works, but the GUI would benefit from a more modern, intuitive design. Certain parts still resemble older universal-remote interfaces that became more complicated than they needed to be. Improvements that would help: • Cleaner layout • More intuitive navigation • Streamlined activity setup • Touch-friendly UI elements • Faster access to common functions Professional note: I think the visual approach used by Channels DVR is an excellent example of a clean, user-friendly smart-home interface. For context: I’ve used the SofaBaton U2 for years and recommended it constantly. The X1S is a major step forward, and the app now has room to evolve to match the hardware’s sophistication. ⭐ 4. Base Station Improvements The base station works very well for protocol management, but future releases could offer: • A more compact design • Additional mounting options • A higher-end model with extended range New Suggestion: A secondary wireless IR blaster would be extremely useful. If devices are spaced farther apart than the included IR-blaster cable can reach, users are forced to rely on RF/Bluetooth/Wi-Fi alternatives. A wireless IR module — connecting via Bluetooth, RF, or Wi-Fi — would allow IR control in rooms or cabinets without running long cables. This would dramatically increase flexibility for multi-room and multi-rack setups. ⭐ Final Thoughts The SofaBaton X1S is the most capable and forward-thinking universal remote I’ve ever used. It controls entertainment systems, lighting, blinds, HVAC, appliances, networking equipment, and even security systems — all from one controller. If you’re building a smart home and you want a single device that brings everything together, this is it. I’ve followed SofaBaton since the U1 croudfunding days, and with just a few refinements — customizable buttons, a modernized GUI, and expanded base-station options — the next generation could completely redefine the smart remote catagory. It has been my pleasure writing this review and making suggestions looking forward to the next release.

I purchased the X1S in September of 2024. This is the second Sofabaton X1 I've had; I bought the first X1 version a little more than a year ago, and I have been very, very pleased with both models. I use the X1S for our main sound and video system, and the original X1 with an auxiliary TV. The codes for operating several hundred thousands of devices from several thousand brands are easily download from Sofabaton's data base, or the codes from your original remote controls can be learned by the X1S. A relatively simple scripting language lets you control and operate multiple devices with one operation or "activity", so the multiple remote control devices that you would normally have to use with the various devices in your A-V setup can all be consolidated and run on one remote, the X1S, with the press of one button. The setup is relatively easy. The device is well made and feels solid in your hand. After the X1S was configured and programmed, it has operated flawlessly for the past seven months -- this has also been the case with my original X1. The X1S remote controls your various A-V devices by communicating with a "hub" using RF signals, so the remote does not have to be pointed at the device; it can be pointed anywhere, and it has an impressive range. I recently did a major equipment and carrier switch involving one of my A-V setups, replacing several Comcast cable boxes for internet, phone, and tv, with one Xfinity unit. I simply added the Xfinity box to the main "activity" I'd programmed into the X1S, which automatically included the new device into the existing program and continued to function normally with no further requirements. I am sincerely impressed with Sofabaton's products. I could ask for the moon, I suppose, but I really can't think of much more I would want in a remote control device. Having said that, I do have one suggestion that I think would make the X1S an even more flexible device, which is to add an If-Then construct to the scripting language. Here's an example of how such a construct might be used: you can easily switch input sources from within an Activity, for example, from cable tv, to Netflex, or Youtube, etc. However, depending on your equipment, the key bindings for doing things like navigating up, down, right, and left, for example, may use different codes for different devices -- the arrow keys used when watching cable TV may use one set of codes, whereas if you switch to watching Netflix within the same Activity, there is no way to also automatically switch the navigation key bindings from those used by cable TV, to those needed by Netflix. The workaround is to create separate Activities for live cable tv and streaming sources. This is a wish list item; it would be nice to have, but it doesn't impact my general satisfaction with this product.

I had to replace an old Harmony hub, and there are not too many options with a hub like this that can sit in an enclosed equipment cabinet. Thought I would give the X1S a try. The good: Remote is nice overall. Good size, ergonomics, just enough keys so it is not confusing to operate. Each key is easily mapped to a command in the app, and like the Harmony products it supports short and long press. Setup is fairly easy, and the equipment database seems large. My system just has a Sony receiver, an Apple TV a Tivo and Samsung TV. Startup / shutdown seem quicker than the Harmony and more consistent. I have had this remote for about 3 weeks now and so far so good. Battery life is excellent on the remote, and I much prefer a rechargeable remove versus one that takes AA or a coin cell. The not as good. I would not say anything about this remote system is bad, but there are some things to note that might make setup take a bit longer. Not all of the remote commands on the devices I selected worked. For example, my Sony STR DH790 power commands did not work. All of the other once I needed did. Fortunately learning commands is easy with the X1S, so I added power on / off commands that worked. The X1S allows you to 'repair' commands by learning but I added two extra commands. Also with my TiVo and Apple TV the infrared commands on the navigation button (up, left, right, down, select) seemed a bit more sluggish than the original remotes. With the TiVo I repaired the track pad commands which seemed to improve things. On the Apple TV I selected Bluetooth remote instead of infrared and it made a world of difference. To do this you will need to pair the Sofabaton with the Apple TV, but the software app guides you through this. Overall I would recommend this remote. It is definitely worth the roughly $200 I spent in my opinion. Just note that it takes a little bit of effort to get everything just right. I give it four starts - it it did not require setup tweaking it would certainly be a 5.

Well, the Sofabaton X1S is a work in progress ... On the positive side, the hand-held remote is well made and the simplicity of the layout might work for most streaming devices that you want to control with the X1S. However, if you want to use the Sofabaton X1S to control your Over The Air (OTA) recorder, note that the hand-held lacks a record button - as well as other transport controls. Perhaps Sofabaton's work-around for the lack of the record/transport buttons is that the device would be selected using the scroll wheel, and that one would actuate the button sequence using the scroll wheel / select actuations. For my ChannelMaster CM-7500, DVR+, OTA recorder, starting a recording using the X1S requires a bit of effort to scroll to the RECORD selection, followed by a press of the scroll wheel. Most of the confusion comes when you want to STOP the recording, which you do by scrolling and selecting STOP. However, the DVR+ wants you to confirm that you really want to STOP the recording, so a dialog appears on the TV screen asking for a CONFIRM. You then need to scroll to the OK selection and hit it to dismiss the dialog. At this point, perhaps you might think that the recording is over and you can watch OTA TV, but the OK actuation opens another dialog on the TV screen asking if you want to start a another recording. You then need to dismiss the dialog by scrolling to and hitting the EXIT selection. Otherwise, you need to wait a few minutes for the dialog to time out... At this point, I'm really irritated with Logitech for their abandonment of the Harmony remote, which had working RECORD/transport control buttons on the hand-held, as well as other features for easily dismissing the DVR+ dialogs. Another issue with the X1S is that each device as displayed on the hand-held's screen is listed as the manufacturer and not the model number (or preferably, a user-assigned name). Maybe there is a way to rename the device, but I did not find it. x1s-display.png For example, my media system includes a Sony XBR television, a Sony Blu-Ray DVD player, and a Sony Soundbar. Why must the Sofabaton X1S identify these devices using the name: "Sony" for all three devices? If you need to go to extended controls for the Sony Soundbar (like the rear speaker volume, for example), you need to remember which of the three "Sony" selections is for the Soundbar - before scolling to the control and selecting via the scroll wheel press. It is clear - that IF one can successfully configure the X1S, the best way to use it is for routine selection of devices for a desired activity as well as simplified configuration and control of your media system. The Sofabaton X1S is not practical for control of additional device features provided by the component's hand-held remotes that came with each component. In other words, using the scroll wheel for selection of these detailed commands is impractical. One might ask: what is the real purpose for the Scroll wheel and its display - given the issues with device naming and the actions required to select using the thumbwheel? Use of the original Remote I don't often record OTA signals on my ChannelMaster DVR+. When I would want to, I would use the DVR+ hand-held remote control - to set up and start a recording. The DVR+ remote would also be used to fast-forward through commercials or to go back in a recording to replay. This approach is superior to trying to use the X1S scroll wheel... In other words, don't think that the X1S will allow you to stop using your old hand-held remote that came with the component, in this case, the ChannelMaster DVR+ ... Problems with Learning from another Remote The control code database for the Sofabaton X1S covers many components from numerous manufacturers, but there are instances where you may not find a device for your component in the database. For such cases, Sofabaton offers a learning feature that is used to record control codes from an existing hand-held IR remote. Unfortunately, the recording of control codes from the hand-held (IR-only) remote can be affected by many factors, which can make the recording of IR commands unreliable. For example, I plan to use a model: UHDS-401A, HDMI switch (manufactured by OREI), for selecting HDMI sources in my system. The Sofabaton database includes other OREI devices, but not the UHDS-401A, so I tried to record the IR control codes using the "Code Learning" feature. I think that the UHDS-401A hand-held remote sends multiple control messages in rapid succession whenever a button is pressed, and the X1S hub does not do an adequate job of finding the button-press message's beginning and end. The X1S records a corrupted version of the IR control message, and for the UHDS-401A remote, any attempt to use the recorded IR message will be unreliable. The recorded IR signal may work perhaps 50% of each attempted actuation, which is not acceptable for reliable control of a devices' button selection. Also, the configuration of a set of IR control codes for some non-existing device's IR remote, requires that you start with some other (unrelated/different) device in the Sofabaton database. Rather than provide some simplified tool to define user-entered button names with recorded codes, Sofabaton requires that you must find some other device/remote in the database, which you would then edit to assign recorded IR control codes to pre-existing buttons provided for that selected device. For the OREI, UHDS-401A, I decided to start with the UHDS-402A (which is in the database) and to edit the buttons with reciorded IR codes. So, for selection of the "In 1" HDMI input, I need to edit the button named "Up" by recording the IR code, while pressing the button for that function on the UHDS-401A IR remote. Instead of allowing the user to change the name of the button to "In 1", I must refer to the button selection as "Up", because I can't edit the button name! I need to maintain a table somewhere else (like an EXCEL spreadsheet), so that I know what button name corresponds to which functional selection on the actual HDMI switch. Because the recording of the IR codes would have been corrupted anyway, it is evident that I could not have used the modified X1S UHDS-402A device from the database to reliably control an OREI, UHDS-401A switch. The only recourse I had to go with was to find some other similar, OREI device in the database that might control the switch. With a bit of research, I found that the OREI, HDA-934 device, which is available in the Sofabaton database, does reliably control the UHDS-401A, HDMI input selection. However, the HDA-934 device does not support control of other button presses available on the UHDS-401A IR remote... Note: I found during the process for defining an activity, that it may be possible to change the name for the button; however, I was not able to test the renaming capability, because of a non-recoverable communication issue. The Last Straw While I was working on the X1S activity configurations, I ran into numerous issues with hub communication, where the WiFi connection between my cell phone and the hub would disconnect. After many tries to reconnect and finish the activity configurations, the X1S hub eventually refused to communicate with my cell phone over the WiFi network. I felt that my only recourse was to do a factory reset of the X1S hub and to start over with the configuration. I went to the Sofabaton website and sent a chat message to Sofabaton support, asking how I could do a factory reset for the X1S hub. The chat was not active, but my support request message was sent, and I got an email back a day or so later: reset-x1s-hub.png Unfortunately, from the response from Sofabaton, performing a factory reset of the X1S hub, requires that you connect to the hub via WiFi, so that you can actually send the factory reset command. In my case, I could not connect via WiFi to the hub, so a factory reset was not an option. Note that the X1S hub did appear to work with whatever I had previously configured, so, for example, I could control my Apple TV with the Sofabaton X1S hand-held remote. The Bluetooth connection between the hub and hand-held apparently worked just fine, but the WiFi connection to my cell phone would not... Comment: The X1S hub includes a button to initiate Bluetooth pairing. It would make sense for the button to also function as a means to initiate a factory reset - by pressing and holding the button for say, 20 seconds. This way, the hub could be reset to a controllable state - without having to depend upon a WiFi communication link with the hub to issue the factory reset. I finally decided that the Sofabaton X1S was no longer worth the effort and that it was time to send it back to Amazon for a refund...

After spending way too long juggling four remotes (and occasionally losing my mind in the process), I finally bit the bullet and picked up the SofaBaton X1S Universal Remote with Hub. I use it with an Apple TV, a vSeeBox V3 Plus, a Sonos ARC soundbar, and a Samsung OLED TV. Now that it’s up and running, I can honestly say this thing has completely streamlined my home theater setup. It’s not perfect out of the box, but once configured, it delivers exactly what you’d hope for in a universal remote — and then some. Initial Impressions Right out of the box, the build quality was better than I expected. The remote itself feels solid, sleek, and surprisingly premium. The charging dock is minimal and clean. The included hub and IR blasters are low-profile and easy to tuck away. It’s also nice that the remote uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in addition to IR, which gives it the ability to control newer devices like the Apple TV and Sonos. Setup Experience Here’s where I hit a few bumps. Setting up the devices individually was straightforward. The SofaBaton app detected my Samsung OLED, Sonos ARC, Apple TV, and even the vSeeBox V3 Plus (which I was surprised by, since it’s more niche). However, configuring the Activities section took some trial and error. If you’re not familiar with how macros and power-on sequencing work, you might get frustrated at first like I did. For example, getting the “Watch TV” activity to correctly power on the Samsung OLED, switch the input, turn on the vSeeBox, and activate the Sonos ARC took a few tweaks. The initial setup didn’t always switch inputs correctly or would leave the soundbar off. But after some fiddling with device delays, input settings, and testing sequences, I got it working exactly the way I wanted. The good news is — once it’s dialed in, it just works. Daily Use Now that it’s set up properly, the SofaBaton X1S is a joy to use. I hit one button and everything powers up in sync. It switches inputs, sets audio correctly, and I never have to touch another remote. The remote layout is intuitive, and the scroll wheel at the top actually feels useful (not gimmicky). The backlit buttons are great for nighttime use, and the overall response time is quick. No lag when controlling devices — especially noticeable with the Apple TV and vSeeBox. The hub makes a big difference too. I can control devices even when the cabinet doors are closed, and the signal is reliable. Also, the app control feature is handy for times when the remote isn’t nearby — like when I’m on the couch and my phone’s in my hand already. Pros and Cons Pros: • Controls Bluetooth, IR, and Wi-Fi devices all in one • Works seamlessly with Apple TV, Sonos ARC, Samsung OLED, and vSeeBox • Hub allows for closed-cabinet or line-of-sight-free setups • One-touch Activities work beautifully once configured • Remote has great build quality and responsive buttons • App-based customization and updates are solid Cons: • Activity setup is a little finicky and has a learning curve • Some UI elements in the app could be more intuitive • Occasional trial-and-error required for niche devices (like vSeeBox) • No physical number pad if you prefer that for channel entry Final Thoughts If you’re willing to spend a little time on setup, the SofaBaton X1S is easily one of the best universal remote solutions on the market right now — especially for those with a mix of newer smart devices and older equipment. It’s clean, modern, powerful, and customizable. I haven’t touched my Apple TV, Samsung, Sonos, or vSeeBox remotes since I finished configuring this thing, and that alone makes it worth every penny. Final Verdict: 9/10. Small learning curve, big payoff. This remote earned a permanent spot on my coffee table.

Overall, this remote was a huge disappoint. Despite other reviews indicating the difficulty getting this remote configured and similar reviews on YouTube, I decided to take a chance as the X1S as Sofabaton supposedly addressed key issues present in the X1. Unfortunately, there are still far too many bugs and/or poor software design. Here are pros and cons I experienced with the remote: Pros: It does have a nice weight and feel to it. The remote wakes-up when you pick it up and the buttons are all backlight. The app was relatively easy to navigate. I loved the idea of the activities - allows you to configure multiple devices like TV, Receiver + Apple TV to all turn-on with the right inputs...etc. and turn them all off. Cons: The configuration was way more challenging that it should be, particularly the power settings. For some reason it defaults to a separate power on and power off for all devices, in my case a Denon AVR-X1300W receiver and Sony XBR-65A8F. I don't recall the last time in 40+ years that I've seen any remote with separate power on/off buttons - why is this the default?? While I did get the Denon to work after 2 - 3 times messing with the power configuration, the Sony simply would not work. I tried all 3 methods (selected the model, used the cloud configuration where you press a button and it tries different codes (94 of them - none worked), and many, many tries at the learning option where you point the TV remote at the hub - even that I had to do it 3 - 4 times each time I tried it before it would work, and even then it only ever worked temporarily. Then, I setup an Activity which included my Denon, TV and Apple TV 4K. This never fully worked because of the TV power setting issues. It would turn everything on / off as expected when I tested it. Then I'd go to run the activity and the TV wouldn't turn-on, or it would turn on but by the time I finished watch something (maybe an hour) it wouldn't turn off the TV - this would happen despite a successful on/off test - so frustrating. I'm fairly savvy with this stuff and this is an absolutely ridiculously, unnecessarily frustrating product to try to use. I returned it and would not recommend wasting your time with this thing. Apparently a new version (X2) is due out later in 2024, but based on my experience I would not risk it. Finally, I will also note that the app did not prompt me to install updates, which you do need to do, nor firmware updates for the hub and remote. I did install all the available updates and still had the issues noted. So, I don't know if there is a particular issue with the model Sony TV I have, which is not that old, or what. When I had my Apple TV remote setup to turn it and the TV on/off, I had no issue with turning the TV turning on/off. So, there is something going on with the X1S.

The Sofabaton X1S Universal Remote comes with a remote, a Hub, and some IR repeaters that plug into the Hub. The Hub usually sits on top of a cabinet in line of sight with the remote. The repeaters then transmit the IR signal from the remote to the Hub and subsequently to devices located inside the cabinet. The Sofabaton X1S remote works with the free Sofabaton app that can be downloaded into your smartphone such as an Apple iPhone. All device management programming is implemented using this app. As devices to be supported are added, an associated code library from Sofabaton’s vast library of supported devices is downloaded to the Hub. The Hub generates Infrared, Bluetooth or RF communication signals to equipment, not the remote itself. My home was initially built for whole home audio and video. I had speakers in multiple rooms and used RF repeaters in each room, combined with an MRX 980 Universal Remote Control to manage all of my audio and video activities throughout the house. I had access to software that was used to manage all of these devices. After programming the devices and related activities using this software, that information would be downloaded into the remote itself. Afterwards, all of my equipment was accessed using the remote. This work was done 15 years ago. Now I no longer have access to the programming software, and some of the replacement equipment has broken and needs replacement. I've decided to simplify my home entertainment system network and just focus on two rooms with all of my audio and video devices. The MRX 980 Universal Remote is a commercial product only available through dealers who supported residential audio and video systems. Radio Frequency (RF) was used to communicate with audio and video equipment mainly located in my office. Signals could be easily transferred between rooms using RF repeaters. When I decided to downsize my equipment and forget the whole home approach, the first thing I looked for was a remote that was as flexible as the MRX 980 Universal Remote and that I could program myself. I was first interested in the Logitech Harmony because I had heard about it in the past. But unfortunately, I believe that remote was discontinued in 2021. Lots of Harmony users apparently were upset that it was discontinued and support is limited today. I wanted an available and supported product, not another dealer-only available and dealer supported product. The best remote alternative I could find that appeared to meet my criteria was the Sofabaton X1S Universal Remote. I purchased two of these remotes for use in rebuilding my audio and video systems in my two entertainment rooms. The X2 was shortly announced after my purchase. I've spent the last three weeks reorganizing from a centralized equipment approach to a distributed, more standalone room architecture. As an example, my media room is configured around a Sony TV model XBR65X850C, various streaming devices, and a number of Sonos products including a Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar, Era 300 speakers and a Sonos Sub 4 subwoofer. My primary source of TV programming, etc. comes from a Dish Network Hopper 3 located in my office and connected to my media room via a long HDMI cable. Using the Sofabaton app, I was able to define all the necessary devices and their attributes, along with related activities such as Watch a TV, Watch a movie or TV show through a Roku Ultra or Apple TV. It took quite a while to understand how the Sofabaton app worked and how you had to set up each device and answer the questions properly to get the results you wanted. My biggest challenge was trying to work with the DISH Network Hooper 3 and Joey because these devices utilize a proprietary RF frequency. That radio frequency is not supported by the Sofabaton X1S remote. You can modify the Hopper settings to enable working with an IR remote, but I've had little success making that happen. One of my biggest challenges is that all of my equipment is in one room, but my Dish Network Hopper 3 is located in another room. The output from that Hopper 3 is an HDMI cable that runs through my house and attaches to my TV in my media room. I am challenged by remotely accessing the Hopper, but also by the fact that the Sofabaton X1S remote does not support Dish Network’s proprietary RF frequency. Despite the challenge of using this new Sofabaton X1S remote and learning the Sofabaton software, the remote itself has a limited number of keys. In fact, it has way too many fewer keys than what I am used to, especially considering the flexibility of the MRX 980 Universal Remote that I’ve been used to. The problem with such few keys is that every time you want to perform a task, you have to use the Sofabaton remote to select the device you’re currently using, find the list of commands Sofabaton’s database claims it supports, and scroll down and click on the command you wanted to perform. I analyzed every command for each device I had and listed which ones I rarely used, if at all, which function did not work or was irrelevant to the device, and which functions were supported on the virtual remote displayed within the iPhone-based Sofabaton app. Unfortunately, the Sofabaton app does not allow you to delete all of those commands that do not work or are irrelevant, leaving only the command subset that you would actually use. As a result, you have to scroll through all the commands shown to finally get to the one command of interest. There are a number of YouTube videos showing how to define your devices and create multi-step activities like watching TV, playing a video game, or listening to music. Most of these videos show rudimentary functions like powering a device up or down, or changing the volume, either by using the Sofabaton app virtual remote or the physical remote. Tasks like entering a channel number, using a Guide to see what is available to watch, or showing a screen with all your recorded videos are not illustrated because keys for these functions do not exist on the remote, requiring the user to find the list of commands or numbers available and scroll through them to accomplish these tasks. There are too many steps involved in performing practical things like changing a channel. Having access to hardware or software keys such as a Guide button to see programs available, a View button to view your recordings, or buttons to access device settings, or a menu, would be extremely convenient and familiar to most users. The new Sofabaton X2 remote provides some additional programmable keys, but they are not labeled and could be clearly assigned to more commonly used functions. The X2’s touch screen is an improvement over the scroll wheel button, but I’ve heard that screen may present numbers 0 thru 9 that could be used to enter a channel number instead of having to go through multiple steps like you have to with the X1S. I would summarize the pros and cons of the Sofabaton X1S remote as follows: Pros: 1: The code library that SofabatonRemote supports is very large (supporting over 6,000 brands and 500,000 device models) and should accommodate most devices people would probably use for their audio and video entertainment at home. 2: Using the Sofabaton application on your smart phone turned out to be easier to program than I expected given the experience I've had with my MRX 980 remote. I can’t compare it to the Logitech Harmony remote since I’ve never used that. The Sofabaton app does a good job leading you through setting up your devices and defining the activities using those devices. There is a steep learning curve associated with doing this, but once you learn the steps, the process of adding new devices, etc. was quite easy. The app has you answer a number of questions during the process of adding devices or creating activities. The app sometimes recommends which answer is the best choice for the question. Very nice. I also like the fact that when you set up an activity, the Sofabaton app will suggest activities you might consider creating, and it even identifies the potential devices that would be involved in that activity. The only hiccup I found is when I had some Bluetooth devices, such as the Apple TV or Roku, that you had to do some setup on the devices themselves before they would connect properly with the Sofabaton app. 3. I really liked how the application led you through the creation of the devices and activities to be supported. What I liked most was as you were setting up these devices and creating activities there were plenty of occasions where the app provided test commands so you could immediately test out your choices to see if they work. This is really important when you are trying to organize a number of devices to work together. Having something that helps you along the way is a real plus. This becomes particularly important when you’re defining activities reliant on the devices themselves responding correctly to commands sent from the remote to the Hub. Note: These comments likely apply to the X2 remote as well, since it utilizes the same Sofabaton app. 4. Sofabaton apparently offers a number of helpful videos to get you started. Unfortunately, I only found out about these after I'd gone through the pain of learning how to set things up on my own. Fortunately, there are several good videos on YouTube from Sofabaton users that have been very helpful educating me on how to set up a device on the remote and defining activities. One of the videos that I used frequently was also featured on the Sofabaton website. These videos also highlighted mistakes they made and you might make while programming the remote due to interpreting the questions incorrectly. Having those videos available to help users learn how to use this remote was extremely helpful. 5. The Sofabaton app provides a method of contacting support to resolve a problem encountered. I just submitted a problem so I can’t speak to how well their support is. Upon using their contact tool, I was asked to answer a survey, which I did. They also asked for a review of the Sofabaton X1S, which encouraged me to write this review. Cons: 1. My number one gripe is the lack of buttons on the Sofabaton X1S remote. The same could be said of the U2 and the X2 remotes. There needs to be additional buttons enabling users to access common device functions. Not having number keys to go to a specific channel is one of the biggest deficiencies. Also, for TVs, having access to a Guide button to see what shows are currently available, or a DVR button to view recordings, or controls accessing settings or device menus, etc. would be helpful. A purpose of a universal remote is to eliminate all those individual remotes that you have to control your various devices. The sparsity of keys on the Sofabaton X1S and X2 forces you to use the other individual remotes you had planned to replace to make up for all the missing functionality. I am going to explore if there is a way to change channels or execute some additional commands by using Alexa or Google. 2. When you're setting up a device and you're mapping your Sofabaton remote commands to what's available on that device, it is frustrating that to access some of those commands not available as keys, you have to go to the device name using the scroll wheel and view the list of commands that are available for that device. The problem is that list can be quite lengthy, and generally, probably about half are not desired to be used or do not work. You need to be able to edit that command list down to only those commands that you think you would need. That would make finding those commands, if you still had to go through that scrollable list, much faster and you would have to overlook commands that are useless to you. The Sofabaton app needs to be modified to allow you to strip down that list to the bare essentials. 3. The IR, Bluetooth, and RF support on the Sofabaton Hub is useful for controlling many devices, but if you have a DISH Network device, such as a Hopper 3 or a Joey, also like some other products that DISH offers, it would be nice to have the Sofabaton Hub support the Dish’s RF frequency (UHF band around approximately 369.5 MHz to 394.3 MHz) other than just the two RF frequencies supported by the Sofabaton Hub (315 MHz, 433 MHz). That would make configuring a DISH network device much easier and ensure that the Sofabaton remote can manage the DISH network equipment. 4. My home might be atypical because of the number of devices I want to support, but I think having only three IR repeaters on the Hub leaves a lot to be desired. I have seen a Sofabaton R1 IR repeater mentioned online, but I could not find any information about this product. I went to the Sofabaton website, and there was a picture of this repeater, but there's no more information available on the website, and of course, there is no manual that I could review beforehand. Besides that, I found no way to purchase this item. For me, this would be of value since it might allow me to control devices in another room. In my case, my DISH Network Hopper 3 is in a different room, and having that capability would be wonderful. 5. I don't know if this happens with all Sofabaton X1S remotes, but I've noticed that the remote's keys sometimes repeat the action of that key when pressed. For example, if something is playing and I quickly press the mute button, the system mutes briefly and then it acts as if I had pressed the mute button again and the volume comes back on. I've also had this happen when I am using the navigation keys to move somewhere, say horizontally, and it moves the cursor on the TV two locations vs. one over from what I just intended. I have submitted a ticket to Sofabaton regarding this issue but have not heard back yet. 6. This is probably a nit, but some of the language used in the instructions of the app could be better stated. Finishing the definition of a device characteristic or an activity by requiring you click on a Complete button or a Confirm button instead of just clicking on Done would be more easily understood. Also, some of the wording on a few of the questions could be more cleanly stated to avoid any confusion about what's being asked. I was most confused with the source configuration, especially the wording when being asked about devices such as a TV or an HDMI switch needing to specify inputs supported by that device. 7. There should be a charging dock available for the remote to keep it charged. I assume the Sofabaton X1S and X2 use a built-in lithium battery which gives you long times between charging, but having a removable lithium battery would be even better. Lithium batteries will age over time resulting in a poorly maintainable charge, requiring a battery replacement service to be provided by the manufacturer (unlikely) or the consumer having to repurchase a new product. 8. Some devices, especially video gaming devices such as a PlayStation, an Xbox, or a Wii video game console generally don't require specifying power settings or source configurations. They only require a TV or an HDMI Hub to know which port these devices are plugged into, so that when you actually physically turn on these devices, their output appears on the TV as required. Having the Sofabaton app provide some guidance in these cases would be helpful. My review of the Sofabaton X1S remote only reflects my less than three weeks exposure to using this remote and the challenges I faced learning how to use the app to set up the devices along with their activities. My understanding is that the Sofabaton U2 and X remotes have been around awhile, and workarounds might exist some of the shortcomings I've mentioned in this review. I plan to explore the support videos provided by Sofabaton and have started looking at social media postings about the Sofabaton remotes. The X1S is a good first step toward providing a great universal remote supported by the Sofabaton App for its programming. It has some issues I’ve mentioned that I hope Sofabaton pays attention to and fixes in a future release of its hardware and software offerings.

A lot of people wondered if this would be the replacement for the no longer available Harmony Elite and I would say no, it's much better than the Harmony in my opinion. It's easier to setup with your devices, it doesn't have that annoying vibration like the Harmony, and the battery last a lot longer on a charge. I have two Harmony Elites that I don't use, the X1S just makes more sense to me. Setup is easy, you just pair the remote to the hub and start inputting your devices. Right now it's limited on the WiFi devices it can control but it also has Bluetooth and IR. You can setup short or long press on any of the physical buttons to have different controls on the same button. Just with the basic setup is very versatile but it can also learn commands from the native remote of your device. Customer service is excellent, I tend to get frustrated setting up new devices and start sending emails with questions before I really take the time to study it and figure it out. They have been very patient with me and always helped, never just telling me to read the instructions, they always give an easy to understand explanation of how to get it setup the way I want. The scroll wheel failed on mine a few months after the warranty ended. They requested I send a short video demonstrating the problem and shortly after I sent the video, they shipped out a brand new remote free of charge. It was already out of warranty and they replaced it free anyway, to me that's excellent service! Having limited time due to an upcoming business trip, I didn't think I would get the replacement setup before I left but it turns out, all I had to do was press and hold the off and back button for about 10 seconds and it paired to my original hub. All the device and activity information is in the hub! What I thought I wouldn't have time for took just 10 seconds! Overall, I'm really impressed with both the device and the support, they are planning to release a new product in the not too distant future and I'm looking forward to trying it out.