Why no remote?

Well, here's one reason. To provide a remote costs money. If the manufacturer is trying to hit a price point, he can either improve the sonic components, or put in a remote control. So, at a given price, all other things being equal, the non-remote unit will sound better for the money. This is because the manufacturer had to cut out something somewhere else to find the money to include the remote. You guessed it, in the sound quality. In a price-no-object item, you might not have to sacrifice anything but money, and have the remote too. And at current markup structures, if the remote components and control gear cost the manufacturer $100, it will cost you at least $400 for the luxury, or it will cost you $400 worth of sound quality. Will you get up from the chair for better sound? I will. But for many people, convenience is more important than sound. So many manufacturers choose to include these remotes in lower and medium priced gear. In high priced gear, it is less critical, because you are paying the big ticket anyway and you can then have both sound and remote without sacrifice.

Oh, yeah... One more thing:

When buying used equipment remote-controlled gear might to some point be a-bit more marketable than non-remote since it in general drop its price to the point of non-remote gear anywhay...

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.