Remote control of hidden components?

You use an IR repeater.

http://www.smarthome.com/_/Remotes_IR_Distribution/Xantech/_/5/1yT/nav.aspx?src=WG1002345&gclid=CPPzl7fE3KACFZdM5QodbihJBA.

Having tried a singe remote.. I went back and threw the single out... (actually it's "somewhere" within my perimeter.. but where? I don't know NOR care.)
Yeah, a repeater. If you have one brand of stuff.. many boxes have a connection in back that allows one infrared 'eye' to run all the other stuff.
For the connection, read your owners manuals.. Then if one infrared eye is seeable through the screen, you got it. If not.. buy the repeater.

If the repeater idea doesn't work you can try something like the Universal RFS200 package that includes a nice remote and an RF unit that operates on radio waves rather than infrared so it can work through doors, walls, etc. It's a nice universal remote and at B&H Photo it's available for around $80 if that's not too much. It also comes with a DVD to aid in set-up if you're new to this stuff. Best of luck.

Maybe not the answer you want to hear but....a sony Playstation PS3 with the digital out connected to a DacMagic...and voilà...a nice cd player, top-notch Blu-ray machine, 250GB of stored music, AND because the PS3's remote is bluetooth, you could even operate the unit from the next room if you wanted to ! Purchase price is so cheap, you could certainly find a use for it if not for audio...