Why no remote?

Thanks for the insightful responses so far. To clarify, I'd be more than willing to pay for the remote, it's just that first it has to be made available by the manufacturer.

I guess in the long run I'll go with what I think is the better match with my system.

Also, I think I'll open a pizza parlor.....of course, pepperoni won't be an option, no matter how much people are willing to pay : ).

Sometimes it's not just economics, it's a compromise or lack thereof. Some are not willing to compromise the sonics, no matter how small, for convenience. From what I can tell, most of the best pre-amps do not have a remote. i.e. Asthetix Callisto, Wyetech Opal, Foundation Research V-6, just to name a few.

Sometimes, it's a philosophy only. The mfg'er's attenuation and sonics are not the best and sometimes far from it, but buy eliminating the remote, they believe they'll appeal to the so-called audio 'purist'.

But if transparency and resolution and a remote are the attributes for your ideal pre-amp, then you should take a look at the Placette passive and active linestage preamps. placetteaudio.com or placette.com. Guy Hammel of Placette incorporates a generic Sony universal remote and to my knowledge has not compromised anything to achieve his performance goals.

I recently owned the Placette Active, and it was an excellent performer. I could hear a musical note just decay forever into the noise-floor, not to mention an added smoothness, continuity, and/or liquidity to the presentation.

However, it did not meet all of what I seek for in a preamp and I don't believe the Placette is for everybody or for every system.

But Placette is among the best at what they promote and do.

-IMO

It depends on just how much you want to get up for each perceived and therefore needed volume change. A lot of times I miss having my meitner preamp with the wired remote hooked up. I think it was considered the same as not having remote at all, with all the convenience. Its even good wire. May just have connect it.

Aesthetix showed the new remote for the Callisto at CES in January. It may be ordered as an option for new preamps or retrofitted to previous production units.

The remote consists of dual stepper motors and dual ribbed rubber drive belts, turning the dual mono, four deck, balanced, stepped ladder bridge volume controls.

The infrared receiver and power supply unit is in a separate box, keeping the noise away from the main unit. The umbilical cord uses the same multi pin locking connector design as the dual outboard supplies that power this unit.

I don't know the price but suspect it will be as expensive for the remote as many preamps cost.

I was sufficiently impressed that I have ordered this upgrade for my Callisto. I would have kept the Callisto, even if there was never a remote available. Admittedly, I am attracted to ultimate performance with convenience in the same package.

The best "budget" remote preamp I've heard so-far is Audio Synthesis passive remote stepped volume control ~$2.2k new.