It would not surprise me if it remotes do alter the sound. But IMO the convenience outweighs the tiny fraction which it may cause. I might think different at 35 yrs old. But at 71, I won't buy a preamp without remote. Besides that is that Conrad Johnson does not make a preamp which comes without remote. And they are among the best top tier preamps. Whatever the case, I don't care
Does remote control degrade the sound of tube preamps?
Some preamp manufactures (e.g. CAT) don’t put remote controls in their preamps due to the supposed sound degradation. This could also be just an excuse. Do you think the sound quality is degraded with a remote? I am talking about an audible effect.