Why no remote?

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

Albertporter, would you care to go into a bit of detail about your thoughts on the Callisto?

And did you happen to see a mfg'er named Foundation Research at CES? They have a $6k preamp called the 'V6' that apparently has made quite an impression at shows in the Toronto area. Alas, no remote.

Much appreciated,

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.

Stenho, I've owned most of the preamps that are considered "ultimate" and borrowed a good many others. I could list and describe them in a email if you wish.

I am so completely sold on both the Aesthetix Io and Callisto that I have stopped looking to upgrade that part of my system. You would have to know me to realize how radical that is :^).

I did not see the Foundation Research, at least that I can remember. I understand that it is supposed to be good. Same with the new Burmeister preamp. A reviewer (friend) is currently trying several of these in his own system. His reference is the same as mine, the Aesthetix Io and Callisto. He too has been unable to find anything their equal.

Adding quality sounding remote functionality to a preamp adds significant cost and complexity to a design. Still I've come to the recent conclusion that a preamp cannot be considered a serious high end design if it lacks remote control capabilities. My argument centers around having the ability to remotely control channel balance. Minute changes in channel balance can snap soundstaging into focus. On modern pop/rock recordings the channel balance may need adjusting 3 or 4 times per disc. This is best accomplished from the sweet spot via a remote. It's a minor adjustment, but it's comparable to the difference between being in the zone on a speaker's toe-in angle versus nailing it dead-on.