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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
kjg
171 posts
 
Remote controlled volume is very important to me, and does play a part in what components I consider for purchase.
peter_s
1,348 posts
 
I like a remote control, because (in the way of an adolescent!) I like to listenting to certain passages with more volume than others sometimes. Volume is the most important feature of a remote control for me. In addition, since I don't have a dedicated listening room, sometimes listening is interrupted with (gasp!) conversation with another member of my household (like my girlfriend), and I don't like to have to jump up off the couch to tell her where the rivet gun is (or something...).

So, a remote control preamp (for volume) OR a CDP with analog volume control and remote is a must for me. Maybe I haven't heard the highest of the high ends yet - enough to convince me to forego.
lugnut
1,190 posts
 
Performance is the top priority. I must admit that I like my remote for the same reasons as stated by others but I wouldn't miss it if it were gone. I still shift gears in my real car.
bob_bundus
1,834 posts
 
remote is important - you don't know how much you'll like it until you have it, then won't want to do without anymore
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
I've owned a Blue Circle BC21 preamp which doesn't have a remote for almost a year. I guess the remote would be convenient and that's probably why Gilbert Yeung built one in to the newer units, but I've found that I can get around it since I usually listen only at 9 o' clock or somewhere between 8 and 9. I don't change the volume much so it'a not an issue for me. However, for my home theater I couldn't imagine living without my RC2000 mkII.
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