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.

128x128chungjh

It's my understanding the incito s from aires cerat does not offer standby functionality. So it's not a fully functional remote. I believe the Power switche is on the back. very disappointing way to design something. Think of all the people who use this and get frustrated. my family would never go for this. Very sad as it's probably a really great preamp

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It’s my understanding the incito s from aires cerat does not offer standby functionality. So it’s not a fully functional remote. I believe the Power switche is on the back. very disappointing way to design something. (@emergingsoul)

This requires the unit to be always on, and shut down partially with remote. This is not the way Aries Cerat does things.

 

Very sad as it’s probably a really great preamp

Indeed, it is not nothing short but stellar.

 

Therefore a last CORRECTION as an aside, before we get back to @chungjh ’s initial question.

Aries Cerat preamplifiers (including Incito & Incito S) provide control over the folllowing points:

  • volume control (stepped attenuator)
  • balance control
  • mute control
  • input switch control
  • display control
  • standby control // ERRATUM

(Interestingly, there are even 2 versions of that preamp: low gain or high gain. This is purposeful, as with the typical (and constant) high gain of modern power amplifiers today (+maybe good/high efficiency speakers), it can become difficult to play at very low levels late at night, when the kids or the spouse are sleeping, or if the user lives in a block of apartments in town, with neighbors. For the sake of adaptability, the high-gain version can also be provided with an optional -6dB switch (at the back ;-) - not a big issue as this is a configuration you do just once, given the constant gain of your power amplifier)

orfeo_monteverdi

 

orfeo, you made a comment below that seems to suggest you can shut down partially with remote. Is this true? Once you turn it on it's at full power and you leave it on, is this what aries cerat really recommends??

“This requires the unit to be always on, and shut down partially with remote. This is not the way Aries Cerat does things”

How much power is being used by this when it is left on?? This seems incredibly wasteful. So should I leave all my Amps on too?

@jumia ,

[please forgive my poor English]

Sorry if my post was not clear. I cannot edit it anymore. What I meant is:

Generally speaking, a standby mode leaves the unit always on, and shuts it down partially with remote.

Aries Cerat does NOT want its gear to endure such constraints, especially as they use tubes. Therefore, Aries Cerat does NOT provide any standby mode.

So, the remote of Aries Cerat preamplifiers controls the following functions:

  • volume control (stepped attenuator)
  • balance control
  • mute control
  • input switch control
  • display control
  • standby !!

I hope this clarifies.

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IF a standby via the remote control is absolutely mandatory for practical reasons, THEN I can’t help but mentioning the very good NuPrime AMG-PRA that I own in a second system (see details in the Toggle Details button on that page). Class A, genuinely balanced, the number of inputs is limited though (1XLR, 3 RCAs). Also provides a phase inverter, but only by a switch on the front fascia (not via remote).

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Sorry for the thread drift.