I too found the great desire to have a remote, too much to avoid in my last round of upgrades a few years ago. (For twenty years I had lived without one with my Counterpoint and ARC preamps.) This is why I went for the Ayre K-1xe, as its remote control is supposedly the best around as it can not affect the sound due to its design, (which is really complicated, and somewhat of a Rube Goldberg design, to be honest).
Hey Schipo, does that remote control unit of yours also get your beer when necessary? Lucky man if so!
:-)