[Uncle Monty]

I love my Manley; my only criticism would be the volume control can sometimes be a little inconsistent - now and again you turn the wheel and nothing happens, so you turn it a little more and IT GETS VERY LOUD INDEED (see Michael Caine acting skills). With my ZMF VCs, I find low / medium gain and Feedback at around 12 o'clock works well in Push Pull Mode. I keep the EQ off and don't use the remote as I sit right next to it (the heat it generates comes is appreciated on these cold winter nights...).

 

[brams]

So the request is for us to add some kind of metering to the unit, and a display... yeah I think it would be an easier and faster and cheaper solution for you to add an oscillator and external meter or oscilloscope to your system for critical listening comparison calibration. Like a mastering engineer would have in their studio. Otherwise, please continue just enjoying music at whatever levels and settings pleases you most! Happy Holidays to all.

Thanks for your response! It 's great to see Manufacturers directly addressing customer questions/comments in these threads.

I was definitely not advocating any major design change and was instead hoping there would be an easy way to do this. For example adding simple markings even via decals around each control (or one large decal with mu,tiple cutouts and individual markings around each) and a mark on the control to better indicate the control position would help with more accurately repeating settings. Similarly, I was thinking that an output voltage driven digital peak hold readout to indicate relative volume level and located in the empty space just below the "Manley" logo is something that could be done without too much cost, but clearly my assumption was incorrect.

Nevertheless, I do understand that most users are likely happy with the unit just the way it is; it's quirky design is definitely part of its charm. Given this, I'll continue to do as you suggest and just twiddle the controls until I'm happy!

 

[manleylabs]

I love my Manley; my only criticism would be the volume control can sometimes be a little inconsistent - now and again you turn the wheel and nothing happens, so you turn it a little more and IT GETS VERY LOUD INDEED (see Michael Caine acting skills). With my ZMF VCs, I find low / medium gain and Feedback at around 12 o'clock works well in Push Pull Mode. I keep the EQ off and don't use the remote as I sit right next to it (the heat it generates comes is appreciated on these cold winter nights...).

If the wheel's set screws that secure it to the volume pot encoder shaft is loose, then this can be a cause of erratic volume control. There should be no mechanical "lash" if the set-screws are tight. They live in the collar portion of the wheel, "up in there" and invisible from the front. Contact my Tech Support team via our website Tech Support form if you need help with this.

 

[Uncle Monty]

If the wheel's set screws that secure it to the volume pot encoder shaft is loose, then this can be a cause of erratic volume control. There should be no mechanical "lash" if the set-screws are tight. They live in the collar portion of the wheel, "up in there" and invisible from the front. Contact my Tech Support team via our website Tech Support form if you need help with this.

Thanks for the reply - it's not a big issue and only happens sometimes. I'm sure Elite Audio would sort it out if it got worse - but I don't want to be without my Manley! I'll monitor the situation.

 

[brams]

Has anyone tried the Absolute with the DCA Stealth? So far its an excellent match with the LCD5 and T+A Solitaire P.

Even after over a year of ownership, my Absolute grows on me everyday and I honestly think it's close to being the perfect desktop amp for me. Used in this manner the connections at the back do not bother me at all. Tubes I settled on were Telefunken for the 12AX7s and GE for the 6AQ5As. For Dacs I switch between the dac sections of a COS Engineering H1 and Ferrum Erco. With the H1 and Erco both connected via a usb hub to my laptop as a source and the analog out from either the H1 or Erco feeding the Absolute I can use any of the three amps giving me the best of all worlds for my headphones. Even so, I go for the Absolute for most listening pleasure and strongly echo all the positive sentiments expressed for this amp in this thread.

Based on my very positive experience so far if Manley ever decides to update the Absolute I'll be first in line!