2. amps-preamps
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Is preamp remote volume a deal breaker for you?

I've been looking for a quality active tube preamp with remote volume control. Most high quality tube preamps that are reasonably priced (ie, under $4000) do not come with remote volume. Those that do use the cheap motorized Alps pot (I've had bad experience with Alps), probably because it's cheap and widely available. I've seen some very expensive preamps us this pot, unfortunately. The two very high quality preamps I've read about are the SAS Labs 11A, Don Allens preamp, and Atma-sphere M3, but the designers refuses to implement remote because they believe the sound will suffer. Atma-sphere uses a huge hand assembled remote volume only for there expensive MP1. A preamp without remote is a deal breaker for me. How about you?
dracule1
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ncarv
983 posts
 
Definitely. Aesthetix & VTL have remotes.
mitch2
3,754 posts
 
I agree the Alps is crap. I had it on a $10k preamp and it just made the whole thing suck. The DACT on my TEAD sounds great. I actually like setting volume then leaving it alone for a given listening circumstance. If I want quiet I just pause or stop my source with its remote. I owned an MP3 with caddock resistors and the VC was very nice there too. The Bent guy has made some motor drives for remote volume on Goldpoint and DACT that you might retrofit if you had room. I see Audio Horizons is now offering a discrete resistor (no remote) volume control as an option on the 2.3. Lamm L2 Reference uses 2 TDK's.
realremo
460 posts
 
Sibelius - 45 is not old!!!
4musica44107
520 posts
 
I used to feel that a preamp had to have a remote if only for the convenience. Then I heard my first Shindo preamp and now could not care less about the lack of a remote.
gjrad
145 posts
 
No remote, no preamp. Must have a remote, I don't like getting up frequently to adjust the volume as I change the volume depending on the song. On exception would be if I could bring the preamp next to my listening chair but that is not possible so a remote is a must. Thor TA1000 MkII, Joule LA100 MKIII and BAT 5i.
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