I am considering a pre-amp that has no remote. As I sit here listening to music, I have adjusted the volume multiple times in just the last few minutes. I adjust so I can pretend I'm listening to my wife when she tries to talk to me. I adjust for different songs. I adjust in the middle of a song. I tweak to get just the right level from my listening spot.
So for those of you that don't have a remote or don't use one - how do you do it? Is there an adjustment period? Is listening more enjoyable because you can't easily play with the volume?
To me, the proper listening level is critical. The most satisfying sound can be a surprisingly small band, so tiny increments of change are helpful. It would take a lot of getting up and down, with a lot of uncertainty because it would be hard to make an A-B comparison. Remote control of volume is VERY helpful. Balance control by remote is also useful.
Properly implemented, there is no reason remote control necessarily degrades sound. There is some cost involved in implementing remote control, so, to the extent it means diverting part of the budget, in that sense, it can degrade the quality of a particular component; I personally don't understand why cost-is-no-object designs would not include remote control.
I've been living without a remote for the past couple of years. A couple of months ago I started using my IPhone to control a Mac server. Who would have guessed the biggest leap in musical enjoyment would come in the form of a phone. I can look at my whole cd collection (including album art), create play list, have play list created for me, buy songs/albums off the internet, research artists at allmusic, AND control volume. I feel like I went from one extreme to another with no downside.
The Iphone also has the capability to control the shock collar on my dog. Now, if I could just get my wife to wear it. Anybody know a creative jeweler?
Bleah, you all are heathen :-P I go to work every day and then come home and read Audiogon all night so that I can improve my system. Getting up to change the volume is a small sacrifice by comparison!
No remote sounds better if a/b'd in a true state of the art preamp. I thought I could not live without it, bit now realize I can and do. Not an issue at all as my current, non-remote preamp, is heads and shoulders beyond any other pre I have owned and the music is all that matters.
Have the rack next to the listening position. All of the pre's that I've had(Yamaha C-2, Sumo Athena, Blue Circle BC3/BC3000 and Hovland HP100)have all been manual. The Blue Circle's are dual-mono with two volume controls to add to "salt-to-the-wound". You got used to getting older and not "hitting one out the ballpark" every night. You'll adapt.
I've never had a remote volume control in my system, so perhaps this is why I don't find this an issue. Then again, I live with vinyl as my primary source, so... . .
If you ditch the remote, prepare to be frustrated.
Further, has anyone found a consistent performance superiority with all non-remote preamps or integrateds? i.e. every amplification scheme without a remote has consistently performed better than all with remote?
I have not found that to be the case. Ergo, the remote is not lethal to ultimate acoustic performance or listening enjoyment.
Application: It's back to the classic, "Every piece has it's own benefits, limitations, and unique sound, which if placed into a system will ideally perform in perfect conformity with its capabilities."
I've got an Ayre K1x preamp which has a remote for power on/off and volume, but not source select. It is annoying even tho it is just once every so often. Not having volume remote would be a non-starter for me.
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