Second, is there a way around this? Creek OBH-10? Others? Would this affect the sound in any way?Dave to answer your question, that add-on Creek is the surest way to degrade your sonics, & via remote control at that! Not only are you adding the attenuator's sonic signature into the picture, but also the additional pair of interconnects (or two pair if you connect via a tape loop). It's simply not advisable for even reasonable quality equipment, but yes it is certainly possible to add remote that way. Some will use the tape loop path as an everyday function, then switch it out of the signal path for critical listening. But if I'm sitting in the listening chair, that is one of those times when I would most want the remote control function, yet would least want any degradation.
But by buying a higher quality remote controlled preamp you'll not be sacrificing sonic quality. That's one of the things that you're paying for with the big ticket prices. I did just that; no regrets whatsoever. I'll never go back to a non remote unit; these can spoil you real quick.