TBT Review: Manley Labs Absolute Headphone Amplifier / Preamplifier

I had the pleasure of meeting Manley Labs VP of Engineering and Design, Zia Faruqi, in the CanJam exhibit at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2018. While I was more than familiar with the Manley name, this was the first time I had seen them in the personal audio section of the show, so naturally I was quite curious about their debuting flagship headphone amplifier, the Manley Labs Absolute Headphone Amplifier ($4500). Zia was very generous with his time, and walked me through the devastating and inspiring story behind the amplifier’s creation.