PrimaLuna's Blog

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗟𝘂𝗻𝗮 – 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆… 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝘆?

Remote controls. What on earth can you possibly write about them?

In the early days of PrimaLuna, my answer was: “Nothing. We’re not going there.”

A waste of money, I thought. When would you even use one? Back then, we only made integrated, pre-, and power amplifiers.

But the day we introduced our very first CD player, there was no escaping it: it needed a remote.

From my years in high-end audio distribution, I already knew the headaches remote controls caused for many brands. In most cases, they were simply off-the-shelf Philips or Sony remotes with a high-end sticker slapped on top. Frankly, it was embarrassing—but that’s just how things were.

Then came Krell. They were among the first to ditch the cheap plastic and release a full-metal aluminum remote. It made a statement. And it made an impression—on me too.

So when PrimaLuna had to make its first remote, the decision was obvious: it would be full-metal aluminum. And so it was.

In the photo you can see, on the left, the original “system” remote, followed by the latest version and a simplified model.

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𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀

Can something as simple as a remote control change or improve over time? Absolutely.

The original design has become more elegant over the years—less angular, more refined.

It also ships with two rubber O-rings, there to protect both your furniture and the remote itself. Simple but effective.

The first O-rings weren’t great. Over time, heat, use, and age made them crack. Later versions use top-quality EPDM rubber—virtually maintenance-free. They’re easy to replace, and for years now we’ve included a spare set with every new amplifier.

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𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲

What can go wrong? Occasionally, an electronic component—like an LED, capacitor, chip, or crystal—can fail. Because our PCB uses conventional through-hole components, any competent technician can diagnose and repair it easily.

Other failures come from wear: the Omron switches beneath the buttons—especially Volume Up/Down and Mute—can eventually wear out. We chose Omron deliberately so replacements will always be available.

Throwing away a remote because of a faulty switch? That would be wasteful—and unnecessary.

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𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻𝘀… 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗥𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆”

The remote’s buttons are also solid aluminum, built to last a lifetime.

But metal buttons need a tiny bit of play to move freely.

We never noticed it ourselves—until audio reviewer John Darko at Darko.Audio shook one and heard a faint rattle. (Who knew people would shake their remotes?)

The solution was simple but ingenious: a thin adhesive film that holds the buttons quietly in place without affecting their movement.

Problem solved.

Now you can “shake it out” while the music plays—silently.

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿

The most recent change? We didn’t think of it ourselves—it came from a customer:

“Why not print the battery type on the back of the remote?”

Brilliant. And done.

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𝗧𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆

Wondering whether an unresponsive remote is at fault—or the amplifier’s receiver?

Here’s a quick guide that shows you how to test it:

Help! My Remote Control Is Out of Control https://primalunablog.com/2016/08/03/help-my-remote-control-is-out-of-control/

One more note: many remotes ship without batteries because certain countries restrict battery transport. If your brand-new remote doesn’t work, check whether the batteries are installed—and that they’re fresh.

And please: don’t use rechargeable batteries.

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𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁

At PrimaLuna, even a humble remote reflects our philosophy: build it better, make it last, keep it fixable.

It’s more than just a piece of aluminum with buttons—it’s part of your system’s soul.