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I Want Remote Volume!!!!

J

JimiJohnB

Active Member
I'm lazy. There - it's out in the open so there will be no questions as to this fact when you read the rest of this post.

Here's the deal: Like everybody else on this forum, I love my vintage gear. BUT...I can't stand always having to get up to adjust the volume. Seems like everytime I've just gotten comfortable on the couch or in bed, the next song that plays is too loud or too soft, and I gotta get up to adjust it.

I'm looking for simple suggestions on how to implement remote volume control (read no cords - not like the optional Marantz 'remote' controllers) that is cheap and degrades the sound quality as little as possible (after all, it is the sound that I'm after here).

Let's start with the bedroom system - I've got a Toshiba DVD player (for CD's) running through a Sansui 1000A tube receiver that drives a pair of B&W's. I know that some older CD players used to have remote volume control on them, but I really don't want to have to get an old CD player if at all possible. Any ideas?
 
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You might be able to get a remote volume control, remote and driver assembly from Cary's Audio Electronic Supply division. They offer them on some of their gear. If you are handy with a soldering iron, it shouldn't be that hard to implement one. Another way to go would be the remote volume/switching box that Creek makes. Audio Advisor and I think the Needle Doctor have these. You can put it between your pre-in and pre-outs of your receiver or connect your CDP to it and then it to one of the line inputs.
 
Pioneer RC760

In my title you will find the model number for a Pioneer Remote Control Unit that I found years ago for little or nothing. I controls volume on all inputs, tape, phono,aux etc. You just use this as a loop and it has multiple ac feeds as well. It's worked well for me and I haven't noticed any degrading of any of the signals. Hope this helps! :thmbsp:
 
Well the Creek OBH-22 looks like it would do exactly what I want, but at $450 it's definitely not cheap!

Maestro I searched for a little while for the Pioneer RC 760 but didn't come up with much.
 
Acoustic Research made a remote control designed to add a wireless remote to receivers. Originally designed to work from the tape out loop it was actually a free-standing line level preamp with decent specs. It allowed remote operation of volume, balance,mute, and several other functions. It also allowed A/B switching between 2 sources and you could also use the tape in as a line level input for a third device. It looked like something from Star Trek but worked great. I used this in my bedroom system for years. I recently sold mine on Ebay but they pop up pretty often. I think the model number was RC-1 but I could be wrong. You may want to check one out.
 
hire someone

why not just hire a local maid or young person... you could pay them per adjustment "turn to three now." you'd never have to get up and you'd have someone to bring your beer and mad dog. :naughty:
 
Yamaha also made a master volume control with a remote. Think someone recently described it as a 'passive' preamp, which I suppose it is. They come up quite often on eBay. Think I've seen them go for around $200, but also for as little as $50. Depends on who wants.
 
i think many companies made these...i have an aiwa "mini" component rc-300 remote receiver...it works well as a preamp,has several inputs,it's own tape loop and a motor driven volume pot...really a nice little box.i paid all of 6 bucks to the thrift shop for it i think,but alas,i didn't get the remote and no universals will touch it..which is something to be aware of with these things,i think they mostly date from the late 70's early 80's before remote controls became commonplace in receivers...so if buying,make sure you get the original remote,don't assume you can use a universal as you probably won't be able too...they're too old and were not common enough for most remote manufacturers to even know they existed,let alone provide the old obselete protocols that work them
 
Thanks for the suggestions folks. I'm just going to have to look around. There's a Creek OBH-10 with remote currently at $3.49 with 2 days left, so I'm going to keep my eye on it. It's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for, I think. Unfortunately it'll probably go for a pretty penny.
 
I sold Shain a hunk called the Chase Technologies RLC-1. It was a remote line controller, designed to add remote volume to an existing non-remote volume receiver, by way of getting stuck into one of the receivers tape loops.

It could be used as a stand alone preamp too, with 4 line level inputs. It had a small cult following for being dead silent when used in that application. I got mine from Sound City in North Jersey. Maybe they got some left.
 
Toasted that Chase Technologies passive pre looks pretty sharp. One came up on eBay recently - went for $95, which isn't just awful. I'm kinda surprised at how few of these type things there seems to be.....figured there'd be more for some reason.
 
You can go for the 'real deal' and get a Placette passive remote volume control. Supposedly the quietest available. Something over $1K new and something under $1K used, when you can find one.
 
I bought the Chase Tech RLC-1 for $59 new. Never used it and let Shain have it for $50. I still have the Chase Tech HTS-1 passive surround decoder. Basically a re-packaged Dynaco Quadaptor.
 
The other way is at your source.
In 2003 I bought some "KLH" branded DVD players for family members. For less than 30 buck each. The remote has volume control on it. The remote looks just like the one for an APEX model that our friends have. So maybe some of the other new cheap DVD players also implement this feature.
Of course you have to like the way they play the discs, and there is no display on the unit to tell you what track you are on, so this is probably not the best idea. Just a different way of looking at it.
 
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