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Is Remote Control Important?

How important is Remote Control to you when selecting components for your system. Do you consider buying products that don't have Remote Control, or only ones that do? If you had the choice of a CD player that was the best sounding, but had no Remote Control capability, would you buy it? Or would you buy the next best thing that had a Remote Control.

One reason why I ask this is, I have a friend who just sold me his entire LP collection because he said that he would never play them again, because he would have to get up off the couch to change records. When this same friend's reciever broke, I offered to loan him one of mine, but he refused because it had no Remote Control, and he would have to get up to change the volume. In his opinion, no music was better than having to get up to change the volume. And no amount of performance would substitute for a Remote Control.

Is this a predominant view in the audiophile world? Is convenience more important than performance?
twl
stehno
1,453 posts
 
There is rarely a component that excels so much in it's category, it has no competition. Although, I've heard (not listened to) the new Foundation Research V6 tube preamp has no competition and no remote.

If there are competitive products, I would have no problem holding out for the runner-up component that includes a remote, which I consider a very important option.

I'll probably save money in the process anyway, and could possibly make up the performance somewhere else in the chain via cabling, electrical tweaks, line conditioning, etc..
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
In top quality components the remote control requires a big extra stretch from your budget. I usually do no sacrifice this way but if I get some used component with remote that I like - why not.
I currently listen to the setup pretty close so I'm not lazy to get up and adjust the volume.
How about remote for the turntable or LP-changer?
Any high quality units out there?
newbee
4,790 posts
 
i think a remote is most valuable for being able at the listening position to dial in the exact volume which makes a recording come to life. but unless you're a mega buck perfectionist you can use a creek unit in the tape loop, or even downstream of your preamp with minimal loss, and save a lot of bucks over buying a component only because of the remote.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,271 posts
 
This is very much a personal preference issue with no real right or wrong opinion. For myself I think a remote control is mandatory. Convenience is important, but the ability to set volume and channel balance from the listening spot are true audiophile considerations. Until I acquired the Rowland Concentra I never had a component that allowed for remote balance control. I never really thought much of it, but now I consider it an essential feature. It amazing what just a slight adjustment in channel balance can do to the stereo aspects of a recording.
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