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Offered is „The Absolute Headphone Amp“ by Manley Labs as exhibit from the category „Headphone Amplifier“ on audio-markt.de - the online market place for high-end. The advert with the number 2495022590 ends on 26.12.2026 at 13:26 o'clock.
This is a strong deal. At €3,000, it sits below the €3,123 25th-percentile mark from 18 comparable listings and well under the €4,169 median, making it an unusually attractive entry into the Absolute rather than merely a fair ask.
The appeal is real: this is a versatile, serious tube design with switchable single-ended and push-pull operation, adjustable feedback, selectable impedance matching from low- to high-impedance headphones, and both ¼-inch and balanced 4-pin XLR outputs. It can also serve as a line-level preamp, adding useful system flexibility. For a clean, fully functioning example with its original tubes, remote or accessories where supplied, €3,000 looks like buying-opportunity territory; verify both headphone outputs, transformer settings, controls, and tube condition before committing.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Manley Laboratories emerged in the late 1980s in Chino, California, as a collaboration between EveAnna Manley and her then-husband, David Manley, founder of Vacuum Tube Logic (VTL). Their initial offerings were high-fidelity vacuum tube amplifiers and preamplifiers, hand-built at VTL's facility. By 1989, the brand expanded into professional audio with the Reference 60dB Microphone Preamplifier, followed by iconic equalizers and microphones debuted at the 1990 AES Show. In 1993, Manley became an independent entity, operating from its Chino factory until 2025, where custom transformers became a signature of its warm, detailed sound.
The company specializes in premium tube-based audio gear, spanning professional studio tools like the VOXBOX channel strip, Massive Passive EQ, Variable Mu compressor, and Reference microphones, alongside hi-fi amplifiers, preamplifiers, and equalizers. All products feature in-house design, assembly, and quality control, emphasizing analog purity over digital conveniences such as speakers, turntables, DACs, headphones, or cables.
Manley holds a commanding position in the high-end boutique market, revered by recording engineers and audiophiles for its rich tonal character, uncompromising build quality, and iconic styling. Trusted in top studios worldwide, its gear commands premium prices and a devoted following, recently transitioning under new ownership by audio veteran Dirk Ulrich in 2025 while upholding its American-made legacy.
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