Why do McIntosh come with cheap plastic remotes?

Actually on a pure operational level, it also has to do with ergonomics, comfort in hands, not searching long for that mute button when needed, being able to not overshoot or undershoot the remotes volume level etc...a well designed remote does not do anything for sound and I agree.

But a well-designed remote does contribute to enjoyment and the overall enjoyment of using your sound system.

And for me this hobby is all about enjoyment.

And the remote is of course a natural extension of the gear’s quality, and brand-manufacturer’s value. It’s ok if this has no value for some, but still, you won’t find a TAG watch with a cheap $20 extensible wrist bracelet, let alone a Rolex with the same. And wrist bands don’t contribute to the watch’s performance, and some won’t care if the bracelet is stainless steel, or solid links or not. But you won’t find them cheaping out to save a few bucks like some audio manufacturer’s insist on doing on even quite expensive gear.

As someone said on this thread, only in audio....

Quality of the McIntosh remote is inconsistent with the gear it controls.  I've owned dozens of other brands and never experienced this. Seriously, they should take a closer look at this.  

I own a couple Tag watches, and they are jewelry as much as they are a functional time piece.  As long as the remote functions and doesn’t break, I’m happy with it.

Huh?

As a ten dollar watch from  Walmart keeps time just as well as a 3K Tag it hardly seems an analogy to audio .
And expensive watches are NOT jewelry but ego trips , usually seen on wrists of insecure people which is often an analogy to Audio purchases .