The emphasis on increased turbofan fuel efficiency requires advanced turbofan designs that will integrate higher engine bypass ratios and shorter nacelles. The resulting acoustic signature of these designs will have a more broadband character as well as a smaller available area for liner installation. This two-fold impact compels a need for an improvement in the state of the art in liner technology. Increasing the acoustic absorption efficacy over a broader frequency range is a means to address this need. An acoustic liner development and optimization process was conceived and employed to achieve and demonstrate an improved broadband liner design concept. A series of increasing technology readiness level liner studies were conducted to enhance the optimization methodology while validating the concept. This progression spanned several NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate programs/projects due to its relevance. This article reviews the development and evaluation process of the multi-degree-of-freedom liner technology concept from formation through simple experimental models to a flight test over an approximate 10-year period, focusing on the discrete tests comprising the development.