Your wife is not short….she is alternately height enabled.
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Or Fun Sized.
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I quite dislike the use of replacing knobs and buttons with touch screens in both cars and audio equipment. I refuse to buy any audio equipment that depends solely on screen only based controls. PS Audio has lost me as a customer going forward for that reason primarily. I find myself car shopping for older, low mileage cars as I can’t abide the functionality or appearance of large screens that have supplanted previous controls. VW has listened to constant customer complaints and says they will shift to manual controls in future models for basic control functions like seats, fan speeds, hazard lights, & volume. Hopefully other manufacturers will follow.
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How do you feel about remotes?
I love my PWT SACD transport and DSD Mk 2–they have screens but you access the functions with buttons. But I have no issue with the touch screens on the P10 I have and the P15 I recently sold, or the DSD Mk 1 modded in my headphone only system–easy to operate and intuitively conceived.
Consider BMW, they have had buttons and switches for many functions (temp, fan speed, seats, defrost, cameras, etc.) for at least the last 15 years.
They also have 10 programmable buttons you can assign to any function you wish.
My main issue with more and more audio equipment these days is this; can the end user depend on a manufacturer to maintain repair parts for a reasonable period? Over and over, I’ve seen equipment become obsolete because repair parts are unobtainable. Also, if the manufacturer ceases operations, hardware that depends on software to operate has more vulnerablity without manual control access.
Of course there are more issues than that to consider these days. I bought Auralic products rather than Lumin because Auralic had both manual control and software based access to functions. Then Auralic goes belly-up because of worldwide economic turmoil.
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I forgot to ask. How do you feel about voice control and gesture control in cars?
Well, I’ve long realized how powerless as an individual I am in the modern world, how little control I have over the things I have and want to have as far as design, function etc. If I want great sonic quality. . . in many ways these vulnerabilities are what I have to expect.
As far as amplification I’ve found reliable modern tube equipment that the builder stands behind and repairs and even improves as time goes by. That’s a win. In the world of sources. . . change keeps happening and will.
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Wrong thread.
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There is something to be said for no surprises. 
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Like most technological advances these days, there are +'s & -'s. On the one hand, such innovations can be a plus for safety (keep your eyes on the road, etc.) and they can be an aid for older drivers whose manual dexterity may be waning. On the other hand, such things are a big contributor to the ever escalating un-affordability of new vehicles, decreasing reliability, & escalating insurance and repair costs. At this point in my life, I’m taking a pass on such things. I still look back on mid-60’s to early 70’s Mercedes for my personal standard of excellent interior design aesthetics so you can tell how retrograde my standards are. 
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I’m struggling to adjust the rear surround speaker volume cause the AVR and TV refuse to cooperate with the on screen display. Now I’m wishing I would have bought a Schiit Syn when tempted, even though I had no good reason at the time.
Reviving this thread with a twist. Are modern HiFi systems just computers in expensive cases?
I say this because some of the most active threads here are about firmware updates, rebooting the unit, restarting the network as well as trying to deal with screen glitches. I realize that part of the Audiophile experience is tweaking and fiddling with the system but I am not sure installing firmware and troubleshooting network problems scratches that particular audiophile itch.
This is why I love my “old fashioned” PS Audio system - BHK pre, Stellar Phono, DSD MKII, & PST. No screens to speak of; turn it on and it works. Fabulous sound and nothing getting in the way of relaxing to enjoy the music.
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Same goes for other household appliances. Ranges, refrigerators, dishwashers, washers & dryers all come with the electronic touch controls. A few years ago we were looking at new washers/ dryers. The store owner strongly suggested a Speed Queen with the manual knobs. Replacing control boards in other brands was keeping them very busy. It’s what we bought and have never had an issue! I believe these control boards spawned a rebirth to the “extended warranty” business!
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I had the same four components and went to the PMG components, kept the Stellar phono. Only the remote has been slightly problematic, otherwise functionality is as good as the BHK components. But, key point, I don’t use the streamer.
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And not to mention that many appliances have functions that only work with a Wi-Fi connection. “Sorry, I can’t do the laundry until the internet is fixed.”
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Good point, it is the streamer (in-built computer) that has been the main topic of discussion. I do love the look and reported SQ of the PMG series components.
My two nickels (no more pennies). I began my hifi journey in the 60’s and beyond question, the worst component was the potentiometer (a mechanical wiper moving a contact along the surface of a resistive material). No question the technology Is now much improved but, enter the era of remotes. What a joy, being able to make adjustments without getting up and walking across the room. But how to use a remote with a dial? Well, you could take the approach that Schiit does with its Loki max with little remotely controlled motors (I had one, kind of fun for a few weeks) but no wonder it cost $1K more than its little brother. So if we accept the premise that a remote is now an essential part of a hifi system, then how much to spend on the physical interface that we will rarely useon the component itself? I’ll bet the touch screen is the cheapest. And you probably need one anyway for all of the mostly one time setups like input naming.
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Among all the other components I’ve got, I’ll be very reluctant to ever get rid of two old work horses that are as old school as it gets. The Decware Zen Torii II amp and DeHavilland UltraVerve preamp are all point to point, no screens, no circuit boards. When they needed repairs, it was a piece of cake for a decent tech. The DeHavilland isn’t the last word in resolution but it’s very “musical” and pleasant. The designer jokingly told me she’s designed a preamp with “57 Chevy” level tech. The Decware doesn’t necessarily reveal what it’s capable of with everything you partner it with. It’s fussy about power supply and ancillaries. When you get everything synched copacetically, it is extremely refined and nuanced. I don’t use the DeHavilland much anymore but I’ll always keep it as my backup preamp for when the newer things need repair.
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It will take minutes to find a new home for the UltraVerve if you ever decide to part ways.
My streamer/DAC, a glorified Android device that has largely replaced a BS device, will brick one day. Both work well when they do and are infuriating on occasions when the software goes stupid.
I’d like to constrain those frustrations to one box. I think my perfect pre amp would be something like the Mapletree Audio 2CRM but I like the additive approach Schiit is taking with Forkbeard as they expand into digital.