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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
wolf_garcia
6,640 posts
 
If I didn't have a remote I'd hear even less of what people (i.e. girlfriend) attempt to say to me when I'm listening to my stereo. I've been to the Alps, and I'm staying.
peterayer
1,382 posts
 
I'm with Albert Porter. Sound quality first, convenience second.
larryi
3,798 posts
 
I think having remote control is almost essential for sound quality reasons. The ideal volume setting changes from recording to recording, and even from track to track, and often lies in a surprisingly tight range. Finding that volume is next to impossible without remote volume control. The ideal channel balance is easier to find without a remote, but, even that task is easier with remote. I frequently make small channel balance adjustments, which are very easy to do with a remote.

I also don't like ANY control that don't allow for small incremental change. For setting balance, one really needs steps as small as .5 db or smaller. One cannot reliably hear .5 db as a change in absolute volume, but that small a change in one channel can easily be heard as a change in balance.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,442 posts
 
Can't answer the question without hearing the unit with vs the unit without. Once you hear you will know and the rest of these opinions really won't matter. If in fact a remote controlled unit sounds as good as the best non-remote based unit, then buy the one with remote.

For me, my non-remote unit is so vastly superior to any pre around $4000 that I simply cannot live without the music it makes.I so want a remote, but the music I hear engages me so much I really don't care anymore. If you were to ask me this deal breaker question before owning my current non-remote unit, I would quickly claim- deal breaker! After my experience I can no longer say deal breaker. Life experiences change opinions and this question is no exception. If a sound system that totally engages you is the goal, then you're bound to change your mind based on experience.
timlub
2,039 posts
 
Remotes have never been a deal breaker for me.... until I found a few different nice sounding pre's with a remote...
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