Does remote control degrade the sound of tube preamps?

 Does this mean that MP3 does not have motorized volume control?

@chungjh It has a motorized control too.

I happily use an Atma-Sphere MP-1 with a motorized remote volume.

I could not live without a remote. Am constantly adjusting the volume.

I guess one option is to have the preamp placed near the listening position.

Motorized Alps RK50 like in my VAC Master - no. Motorized stepped attenuator like in the old Rogue Hera / Athena - no, but it was klunky to use as the control sucked. Digital volume controls like in the ARC Reference, there’s no additional penalty in the remote control ability. Many tube amps will use the motorized Alps RK27 pot out of convenience and cost considerations. There’s no additional penalty over the non-motorized RK27 but that pot is NOT the most transparent part; you can definitely hear the improvement with a better pot or stepped attenuator.

Really good motorized analog controls are expensive, hence the prevalence of digital controls these days.

OP,

Great idea… really hard to implement. Especially since keeping cables as short as possible, hiding them, and the need to have your listening position out in the room away from all the walls are all important constraints in having good sound… and not killing yourself tripping on something… an SAF.