Is the Manley Steelhead still relevant?

$15K will get the "end game" piece.

As mentioned above, the Allnic, or something cool as the Luxman are at that level. After that, it's all table madness to blame for nervosa!

The "end game" piece is the Constellation Orion.  John Curl's swan song?

Absolutely! All Manley gear will always be relevant, IMO. EveAnna is such a passionate audiophile and tube expert. She’s a total rock star. All Manley stuff is made with all top notch components and tubes, as shown here on this Analog Planet vid where Mikey Fremer tours the Manley factory. This vid will show how their gear will always stay relevant and keep most if not eventually all of their original value. https://youtu.be/iunBAzr8GK0

Consider ARC Ref 3 doe 15K