I’d love to have one ‘master’ PS Audio remote. The silver aluminium faced one is almost there - it doesn’t control the P10. One day… I hope I won’t have any of the plastic ones , one remote to rule them all!
PR - I’ve bought maybe five Logitech universal remotes, and ended up actually using none of them. When they bought Slim Devices/Squeezebox, it was a sad day for me, which was borne out over time. Yes, they did a couple of good things, but it was the beginning of the end of a really cool company/ecosystem - though I have to say the later devices are still functional (which has little to do with Logitech IMO).
I’ll check out Neeo : )
All those remotes are handy tools for my wife to use to beat me over the head with. It was a total PITA. So I got a Logitech Harmony Hub universal remote. The hub itself is a unit that sits above and behind the couch to “look down, shoot down” at all the infrared remote gear including the stereo, satellite dish, and TV. Programming it is a pain, but once you do, all those remotes stay in the drawer out of sight and you can use an app on your phone or just the one master remote control linked via wi-fi to the master hub.
https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-hub
There are six ‘activities’ you can program into it. For example, I have 5 programmed so far:
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Listening to music on Bridge II
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Listening to music on CDs (using coax input via Oppo BDP-95)
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Watching streaming TV via Roku streaming stick
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Watching TV via satellite dish
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Watching Blue-ray (or DVD) movies via afore-mentioned BDP-95
For each activity the central hub must turn on the BHK preamp, configure its input, turn on needed devices (DS, Oppo, or TV) and configure their inputs as needed for the proper input. (Note: powering on the BHK preamp turns on the P10 and BHK 250 via 5 VDC trigger)
The one Harmony hub universal remote is reprogrammed for each ‘activity’ to optimize functionality for that ‘activity.’ Total pain to get it set up, but once you do, you don’t need to touch the other remotes. In theory.
In practice, though, because Paul for some reason used the same IR command to turn on the BHK as to turn on the DS, things do get a bit, um, exciting. So when I watch TV via satellite, there’s no reason for the DS to be on, yet there it is. No big deal, but annoying.
And for whatever reason, the Harmony hub increments volume in the BHK preamp by 3 steps at a time, not just one. So when we want to fine tune the volume to single-step values I have to either get up or use the DS/BHK preamp remote. But that’s a lot less pain than the basket-o-remotes like Jeffstar’s. And I no longer get hit in the head with remotes. 
Just don’t stand in the way of the IR remotes when you change ‘activities’ or the system gets out of sync with the hub, then you need to either use the app or the remotes to re-sync them. (Yes, you can change activities from one to another and it will shut off the undesired boxes and turn on/configure the new ones)
–SSW
I too have a box of universal remotes I’ve tried in the past, some fancy, some simple. About 15 years ago (or was it more?) I stumbled on the simple but very useful Logitech 676 remote shaped like the Tivo Peanut remote. (The current version is the 620.) I bought three extra of them way back cheap on Amazon for when they died and haven’t regretted it at all. The website programmer still works great when I want to add things. Tho it has backlit buttons and a small display I can easily drive it without looking from either hand and it controls everything in my strange system. The buttons are grouped logically so you can tell instantly by a single touch where you are on the keyboard by feel.
Had that one! Probably still do in a box in the basement somewhere. Never could develop any love for their remotes.
All those remotes are handy tools for my wife to use to beat me over the head with.LOL!
THE Darth Vadar of remotes
…
But that's a lot less pain than the basket-o-remotes like Jeffstar's. And I no longer get hit in the head with remotes.I like my basket-o-remotes, but then the ex never thought to use them as weapons.
It also discouraged her from using the stereo on her own. She would bitch about not being able to use the system, but when I would offer to show her how to use them, she would bitch about it being too confusing.
Probably saved the tweeters, as lowering volume, before switching components, would have been forgotten, or ignored.
I look at it as the difference between having/using the right tool for the job vs a multi tool. They both will get the job done, but the right tool is always more efficient.
It’s funny, first we had to have remotes, as getting up to change the channel or adjust the volume became too troublesome. Now we have to have one remote, to control them all. What next, a chip in our brains, so we can just think it?
Actually, other than the price, that NEEO looks pretty cool.
Keep in mind that I still have a flip phone, and no desire to replace it. [I should probably buy a few spares, soon they will be as hard to find as a TV without a remote.]
Now there is something to ponder, do they still make TVs that don’t have a remote?
frank7036 saidI’d love to have one ‘master’ PS Audio remote. The silver aluminium faced one is almost there - it doesn’t control the P10. One day… I hope I won’t have any of the plastic ones , one remote to rule them all!
A one remote works for everything PS Audio device is in the works but it’s a ways off. It’s a big project with a number of other things tied to it, but it’s not something we aren’t aware of and definitely something we want for ourselves.
You might want to consider using Blumoo. I use it, it is inexpensive and it resolves the issue of multiple remotes because it uses your phone or iPad to control your infrared devices. Its not very hard to set up and also has a macro function. I requested the DirectStream IR codes be included in their code database.
BTW, I also own the Meridian Darth Vader remote (MSR) but the Meridian MSR plus IP solution which emulates the Darth Vader Remote on an iPad is the best yet. I would love it if Paul could adopt that app based idea.
Welcome, David!
Blumoo looks to be a great option, and cheap.
Paul McGowan said A one remote works for everything PS Audio device is in the works but it's a ways off. It's a big project with a number of other things tied to it, but it's not something we aren't aware of and definitely something we want for ourselves.It would help with the 'ease of use' aspect and get more folks interested in our 'hobby' if it were easy to operate with one remote.
I think even 10 to 15 years ago the Mark Levinson gear all had ethernet connections that linked all the boxes together so only one remote was needed to run them. I wouldn’t think it’d be too hard for Paul to do that, however, it will increase development and production cost somewhat.
Edit: in other words, make BHK and Stellar lines “Sprout Simple” to use.
I am uninterested in video/home theater, but they have silly complicated systems which must invoke the same practical challenges.
Home theater is thriving. What are they using to turn on and control the TV, multi-channel system, sub, cable box, streaming service, etc. which keeps people happy?
Because Blumoo is reasonably priced, it’s worth a try. I found it endlessly frustrating, but I might be the outlier.
Elk, I think high end home theaters often use those Creston controllers with a tablet. All their gear is usually hidden away, so they have repeaters or the gear itself has an input to integrate the Creston. They often have macro buttons to simplify things. They would have icons for movies, music, Cable TV, etc.
Well, that was what they were doing when I used to read Stereophile’s Home Theater publication. Which was years ago.
Paul McGowan saidI am not sure what I can add to this discussion. Our remotes are designed to the best we can, to be one remote solutions. They’re not going to work for everyone exactly the way they would wish.
At a price of 10.365,44 USD in Denmark for the customer such a bad remote control with a high end Dac
inkl bridge 2. One can not read what's on the buttons once. You have not been so smart once, so you have blind writing on the buttons.
It's just a bad production. The customer buys a Porsche 911 (DAC) and is delivered with a VW motor (Remote Control).
I hope that PS audio can offer someone else to me.I have bought new reading glasses,
even with them it's impossible to read what's on the remote control. Sending you a bill Poul lol
I have got an Eq on my DirectStream Dac. Totally imaginatively resolved. I have removed the thin sound.
I have some fumbling with TIDAL Masters, I write I'm approaching one day.
So I've spent three full days on my new PHONO PREAMPLIFIERS from PS audio.
WAU. It will be loved in my home, a completely fantasy machine that has been built.
More Love from Denmark
Michael
Our scratchpad plan for the all-in-one remote is perhaps different than what many have been thinking about. All our products currently use IR to communicate with the remote control. Future PS Audio products will be morphing to RF of some sort—an entire project in itself.
By the time this all-in-one remote would hit the market it’ll have to control both RF and IR based PS products. To do that, it’ll have a charging base that acts as an IR blaster and RF transmitter so legacy products are controlled as well as (then) current models.
It’ll likely be a comfortable handheld touchscreen - probably the same size as an iPhone 7 - that charges by induction like the Samsungs - you simply lay the device atop the charging station and it gets charged without any plugs.
That’s the long-term napkin sketch at the moment.
The new remote sounds pretty cool! To the best of my knowledge none of the current PS products use RF, so that opens the door for a whole new round of updates to come. Perhaps a bit of a stretch, but this forum loves anticipation!
I am trying to add my Stellar Pre-amp DAC to my Harmony remote. I can’t get a code for it though. Does anyone know what to use for the Stellar Dac and the Harmony Elite remote?
Thanks
Scott
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