Worst remote nomination...

The remote on my Electrocompaniet CD player is the cheapest thing I have seen. Great player--just love it--but come on, charge a little extra and give us something proud to put on the table! The remote for my BAT 50SE pre is really nice.

Sure makes me appreciate the Conrad Johnson remote that came with my Premier 14 line stage and is standard (I think) with the other CJ Premier preamps all the way up to the ART. Just about perfect, IMO.

The absolute worst remote in my limted experience is the one that comes with the Arcam DV-88. Identical tiny buttons with tiny letters, non standard icons, layout and functions. A fairly expensive DVD player with a remote thats not backlit for use in the dark for watching movies in its appropriate setting. Not that it matters, it can't be read without a magnifying glass,the instruction manual and flood lighting! I guess I wouldn't mind so much that its so user unfriendly except that it does everything else so darn well! UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

I'm no fan of the Meridian "system" remote, especially since all I have is the CD player and the last thing I need is a desk-top console to change the freaking track.

That said, my absolute least favorite remote issue has to be the fact that the volume control for my preamp ALSO controls volume control on my HT reciever, the display dimmer on the pre mutes the HT receiver, standby on the pre turns ON the HT receiver, etc. . . . So I've got the lights dimmed to watch a movie (main outs running from the HT receiver into Line 2 on the preamp to integrate the two systems, with volume dialed in at 0 gain on the pre) and I, not surprisingly, want to dim the display on the pre -- viola, the reciever is muted. Wanna turn down the volume? it throws off the chanel balance by changing the volume of both at the same time and the only way to re-equalize is to get up and change the pre's volume back by hand. I tell you, what a pain in my behind.

Mezmo, while it may not be "remotely" funny to you, you brought tears to my eyes. Sorry for laughing at your dilemma.