I've recently become friends with fellow Head-fier @Joey_V. We met on a telegram chat and discovered that we live within five minutes of each other and had never met. I found out that he has a Sennheiser HE1 and after getting the typical ten minute demo of one at Dallas CanJam, I was not very impressed, but he was insistent that I needed to come to his house and experience it in a better environment with less time pressure. I did fall in love and it is a special system for sure, but it turns out the true treat was @Joey_V's 2 channel speaker system.
His 2 channel system featuring Magico M2 speakers, power amp by Boulder, two turntables by VPI, a Tourbillon reel to reel system by Metaxis, and supporting gear by some of the best company's around was nothing short of breathtaking. I can tell you that I have had the opportunity to hear some other very elaborate and expensive systems, but when I consider them all, I can easily rank those other systems then I find myself hitting a gap between the best of those and his system.
The preparation of the room is just as impressive with acoustic panels lining every wall and the entire ceiling, massive bass traps in the corners, and other treatments that create a sound so intimate, I spent the considerable time that he acted as DJ for me covered in goosebumps and with my hair standing on in. The acoustic treatments combined with the cozy atmosphere make the space feel unique and intimate.
We began the session with digital streaming tracks and when it comes to sound quality, the digital playback is exceptionally clean and resolving. Tracks recorded in the digital era, particularly from the ’80s onwards, really shine. The few older analog tracks I heard sounded good, but they had an almost sterile quality that didn’t seem to match the intended vibe of the recordings. This might be due to my own experiences with these songs in my youth on vinyl or low-fi formats like 8-track, where the grittier, more raw sound was part of their charm.
Modern artists like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheeran sounded fantastic, with the vocals and instrumentals rendered in vivid detail. I was particularly struck by how the Ed Sheeran tracks seemed to bring his voice right into the room—stunningly realistic. The bass from the Magico M2 speakers is perfectly balanced—tight, yet deep, and without the need for additional subwoofers. The mids and highs are equally impressive, capturing the nuances of each track with remarkable clarity.
The system had a way of enhancing familiar tracks and allowing me to hear them in a totally new way. A couple of Taylor Swift songs stood out to me, especially “Folklore,” which I felt I was hearing in an entirely new light. The depth of detail on Bon Iver’s vocals was mesmerizing; the system seems especially well-suited to bring out the richness of deeper voices.
One notable exception was Post Malone’s “Fortnight.” While I know his voice well, it didn’t quite have the same gritty, emotional depth I’m used to. The clarity was almost too much, smoothing out the rough edges of his delivery and what I have always heard as a “wobbliness” to his vocals that I feel has a certain charm. However, this would likely go unnoticed by anyone less familiar with his style. This is one of the areas where I find digital trails analog sound.
Moving on to analog recordings, vinyl playback on both VPI turntables was another highlight. Both decks delivered such an immersive, rich sound that I had trouble distinguishing between them. The Dean Martin track felt like I was sitting front-row at a vintage nightclub, a perfect example of how vinyl can transport you to another time and place. Honestly, if I hadn’t been listening with my eyes closed, I might have convinced myself Dean Martin himself was performing live in the room.
And then there’s the reel to reel tape. Simply put, it was a revelation. The depth of sound from the Oscar Peterson recording was extraordinary, capturing the warmth and age of the recording while retaining clarity and richness. The double bass was so lifelike, with each pluck of the strings sharp and precise, and the way the sound naturally degraded as it trailed off was remarkable—an experience unlike anything I’ve ever encountered.
The system seems to excel with acoustic instruments, particularly piano and guitar. It would be worth adding some classical piano tracks to the demo list—pieces that showcase the subtleties of the instrument, like the distinct sound of each hand on the keys and the damping effect of the pedal and damper on the strings. Similarly, tracks that feature vocal artifacts—such as lip sounds, tongue clicks, or subtle breath noises—would demonstrate the system’s ability to render even the smallest details with stunning realism.
My apologies to @Joey_V for not providing a more technical review. I’m still refining my ability to listen critically and don’t yet have the vocabulary to fully articulate the depth of my experience. But I hope this gives the reader a sense of how truly exceptional and absolutely special this system is.

His 2 channel system featuring Magico M2 speakers, power amp by Boulder, two turntables by VPI, a Tourbillon reel to reel system by Metaxis, and supporting gear by some of the best company's around was nothing short of breathtaking. I can tell you that I have had the opportunity to hear some other very elaborate and expensive systems, but when I consider them all, I can easily rank those other systems then I find myself hitting a gap between the best of those and his system.



The preparation of the room is just as impressive with acoustic panels lining every wall and the entire ceiling, massive bass traps in the corners, and other treatments that create a sound so intimate, I spent the considerable time that he acted as DJ for me covered in goosebumps and with my hair standing on in. The acoustic treatments combined with the cozy atmosphere make the space feel unique and intimate.

We began the session with digital streaming tracks and when it comes to sound quality, the digital playback is exceptionally clean and resolving. Tracks recorded in the digital era, particularly from the ’80s onwards, really shine. The few older analog tracks I heard sounded good, but they had an almost sterile quality that didn’t seem to match the intended vibe of the recordings. This might be due to my own experiences with these songs in my youth on vinyl or low-fi formats like 8-track, where the grittier, more raw sound was part of their charm.
Modern artists like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheeran sounded fantastic, with the vocals and instrumentals rendered in vivid detail. I was particularly struck by how the Ed Sheeran tracks seemed to bring his voice right into the room—stunningly realistic. The bass from the Magico M2 speakers is perfectly balanced—tight, yet deep, and without the need for additional subwoofers. The mids and highs are equally impressive, capturing the nuances of each track with remarkable clarity.
The system had a way of enhancing familiar tracks and allowing me to hear them in a totally new way. A couple of Taylor Swift songs stood out to me, especially “Folklore,” which I felt I was hearing in an entirely new light. The depth of detail on Bon Iver’s vocals was mesmerizing; the system seems especially well-suited to bring out the richness of deeper voices.
One notable exception was Post Malone’s “Fortnight.” While I know his voice well, it didn’t quite have the same gritty, emotional depth I’m used to. The clarity was almost too much, smoothing out the rough edges of his delivery and what I have always heard as a “wobbliness” to his vocals that I feel has a certain charm. However, this would likely go unnoticed by anyone less familiar with his style. This is one of the areas where I find digital trails analog sound.
Moving on to analog recordings, vinyl playback on both VPI turntables was another highlight. Both decks delivered such an immersive, rich sound that I had trouble distinguishing between them. The Dean Martin track felt like I was sitting front-row at a vintage nightclub, a perfect example of how vinyl can transport you to another time and place. Honestly, if I hadn’t been listening with my eyes closed, I might have convinced myself Dean Martin himself was performing live in the room.

And then there’s the reel to reel tape. Simply put, it was a revelation. The depth of sound from the Oscar Peterson recording was extraordinary, capturing the warmth and age of the recording while retaining clarity and richness. The double bass was so lifelike, with each pluck of the strings sharp and precise, and the way the sound naturally degraded as it trailed off was remarkable—an experience unlike anything I’ve ever encountered.
The system seems to excel with acoustic instruments, particularly piano and guitar. It would be worth adding some classical piano tracks to the demo list—pieces that showcase the subtleties of the instrument, like the distinct sound of each hand on the keys and the damping effect of the pedal and damper on the strings. Similarly, tracks that feature vocal artifacts—such as lip sounds, tongue clicks, or subtle breath noises—would demonstrate the system’s ability to render even the smallest details with stunning realism.
My apologies to @Joey_V for not providing a more technical review. I’m still refining my ability to listen critically and don’t yet have the vocabulary to fully articulate the depth of my experience. But I hope this gives the reader a sense of how truly exceptional and absolutely special this system is.