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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
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
4,163 posts
 
Twl, I'm not really sure there's such a clear cut distinction between convenience and performance. Consider tonearm VTA adjustments. Since getting VTA spot on is critical to performance and the correct setting can differ from record to record, then is an adjustable VTA feature a performance item or is it convenience? At first it appears to be a performance issue, but if the adjustment cannot be easily, accurately and quickly performed, in other words conveniently, then how likely is the user to optimally adjust the VTA? In other words the lack of convenience could lead to lowered performance. (Didn't someone actually make a tonearm with remote control adjustable VTA?)

Regarding cost, nothing is for free, and a properly implemented, audiophile remote control that covers just the basic preamp functions (source, volume, balance and mute) has to increase the price. I imagine that for purist oriented tube equipment that the added cost can be quite significant.
twl OP
3,251 posts
 
Onhwy61, yes I'd like on-the-fly VTA. But I don't really need it to be motorized/remote. I could get up to do it. I think that part would lead to degradation of sound, because when you motorize something, it depends on the motor bearings for stability, and probably would not sound as good. I'd definitely go for a manual on-the-fly VTA if it was made right.

On the cost issues, that is part of my point. For the money that gets put into remote controls and stuff, people could get higher parts quality instead, and reap better sound for the same money. I like convenience, but I don't want to trade performance off for it.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
4,163 posts
 
Twl, check out the Townsend Audio website. They just introduced a remote controlled, motorized VTA adjustment.

http://www.townshendaudio.com/products/rockreference/rockreference.htm
judit
217 posts
 
I agree with Bob_bundus. When I am doing serious listening this often means changing listening level from track to track - just a bit, but an important bit. Being able to switch through CD tracks I don't enjoy is also important to me. On balance, Remote control allows a different and important flexibility for serious listening.
megasam's avatar
megasam
798 posts
 
Remote is essential.....why settle for less? Would you buy expensive HD widscreen TV with no remote feature?. Sit back enjoy your stereo from the comfort of you chair in complete control with your remote.
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