Why do McIntosh come with cheap plastic remotes?

I think finally that the remote should be considered as an extension or the unit, being of equal quality.

Well said Sonic beauty. Specially when you pay mega bucks for that unit.

who needs a remote?

The more I think of it the more I applaud an inexpensive but functional remote. The hi-end is infested with too much bling. give me outstanding quality and I could not care less what it looks like.

I think manufacturers are in a quandary about how high a quality remote to provide, and how closely the remote should match the look and feel of the host unit.

They take away design and engineering focus from the unit itself, where most of the quality and product differentiation should be occurring anyway.

Custom remotes are expensive to design and build, when most of the internals and controls are standardized anyway.

I think in a few years, some manufacturers will stop providing remotes all together, and in their place, provide smartphone and tablet apps.

My 1999 construction Symphonic Line tube pre-amp came with a skimpy plastic volume only remote.

The Plinius M8 pre-amp (that I am currently using after mildly frying the SL with a bad tube) has a foot-long solid aluminum remote that I could use to bash in the skulls of any burglars seeking to steal my gear. My only concern with it would be fumbling it into (and through) my glass coffee table.