Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus, Forster F2 & Munich MU streaming set review: 8.8/10 Score (2025)

Name: Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus, Forster F2 & Munich MU streaming set review
Uploaded: 2025-08-19T09:30:24+01:00
Description: This Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus review is all about Roon. What is Roon? Why should we use it? Should we use origial Roon products or third party gear? Does it improve the sound experience over a straight use of

The verdict

The Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus, Forester F2 and Munich MU streaming set scores 8.8/10 in our testing — a matched Roon Core music server, linear power supply and network streaming endpoint engineered together for reference-grade playback. Best for dedicated streaming setups where budget isn't the limiting factor and every last improvement in playback quality counts.

Reference grade audio performance
Substantial investment

This Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus review is all about Roon. What is Roon? Why should we use it? Should we use origial Roon products or third party gear? Does it improve the sound experience over a straight use of let’s say Tidal Connect? A lot of questions and I don’t have all the scientific answers. But I’ll give it a try and break it down for you. A full Roon systems consists of 3 basic products: a Roon core (Server), Roon Apps (Control) and audio devices (Endpoints). Let’s first start with a small history lesson about Roon.

The roots of Roon trace back to 1999, when a group of friends in New York City, passionate about music and technology, began exploring ways to enhance the digital music experience. At the time, digital music was becoming more accessible with the rise of MP3s, but the user experience was lackluster, often reducing music to simple file lists without the rich context of vinyl or CD liner notes.

By 2003, this group, led by Enno Vandermeer, Danny Dulai, and Brian Luczkiewicz, developed a prototype: a touchscreen kiosk with high-end hardware, including a gaming GPU and a two-terabyte array, costing $20,000 to build. In 2006, the group formalized their efforts by launching Sooloos, a high-end music server system. In late 2008, Sooloos was acquired by Meridian Audio, a British company known for its pioneering work in digital audio. By 2015, the original Sooloos team saw an opportunity to take their vision further. The rise of streaming services and affordable high-quality audio hardware made their dream of a software-only music platform feasible. They reached an agreement with Meridian to spin out as an independent company, forming Roon Labs in February 2015.

Roon was designed to run on everyday computers (Mac, Windows, Linux) or dedicated devices like network-attached storage (NAS) or Roon’s own Nucleus hardware. The software aggregated local music files, streaming services (initially Tidal, later Qobuz), and internet radio into a unified, visually rich interface. It enriched music with metadata artist bios, lyrics, reviews, and credits sourced from its cloud-based servers, and introduced features like Valence, an AI-driven music recommendation system. In November 2023, Roon was acquired by Harman International, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. The acquisition provided Roon with access to Harman’s vast resources, enabling potential growth in scale and integration with automotive and consumer audio systems.

Why Roon matters

Roon’s appeal lies in its ability to unify local and streaming music libraries, enhance them with rich metadata, and deliver high-quality audio across a wide range of devices. Its subscription model ($12.99/month, $9.99/month annually, or $699 lifetime) reflects its premium positioning, targeting users with large digital collections or a passion for music discovery. By 2025, Roon had over 100,000 subscribers and supported over 1,000 Roon Ready devices from 200+ brands, cementing its status as a leading platform for audiophiles.

Roon Core (Server)

The Roon Core, also called the Roon Server, is the brain of the system. It’s software that runs on a computer (Windows, macOS, Linux), a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, or a dedicated Roon Nucleus device. It manages your music library, including local files (e.g., on a hard drive or NAS) and integrated streaming services like Tidal, Qobuz, or KKBox. It also handles audio processing, such as format conversion, volume leveling, and digital signal processing (DSP) like room correction or equalization. Probably one of the most important things Roon does is that it streams music to connected audio devices using Roon’s proprietary RAAT (Roon Advanced Audio Transport) protocol for high-resolution, bit-perfect playback (up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512). Last but not least, it runs continuously to ensure seamless access to your music library

Roon apps (Control)

Roon Remote apps (available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS) act as the control interface, allowing you to browse, select, and play music from your library or streaming services. They provide a visually rich, intuitive interface with metadata like artist bios, lyrics, reviews, and album artwork. More over, they enable control of playback across multiple devices or rooms from a single app. Roon ARC, a separate mobile app, lets you access your library on the go, even offline, by downloading files to your device.

Audio devices (Endpoint)

Devices that play music, such as Roon Ready streamers, DACs, networked speakers, or devices supporting AirPlay, Chromecast, or Sonos. They receive audio streams from the Roon Core via RAAT for optimal quality or other protocols (e.g., AirPlay) with potential resolution limitations. What about supporting multi-room playback, allowing synchronized or independent music streams across different zones? Roon Ready devices are certified for seamless integration and high-resolution audio, while Roon Tested devices are compatible but may not support RAAT.

Where does the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus fit in?

The Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus is a high-performance music server designed specifically for audiophiles, offering several benefits when used as a Roon Core or endpoint. Below are the key reasons to use the Rhein Z1 Plus for Roon operation, focusing on its advantages over general-purpose computers or other Roon setups:

• Optimized Audio Performance: high-resolution audio support, low-noise design, dual TCXO word clocks;

• Fanless, Silent operation;

• Dedicated hardware for Roon: powerful processing, plug-and-play Roon Core, purpose-built for audio, with superior hardware and noise reduction;

• Versatile Connectivity and Muli-Zone Support: dual gigabit ethernet ports, multi-zone capability, flexible outputs (USB audio with enhanced noise reduction and ethernet for Roon Ready devices, providing flexibility in connecting to DACs or streamers);

• VitOS Software Optimization: The Rhein Z1 Plus runs Silent Angel’s proprietary VitOS operating system, optimized for low-latency, high-stability audio streaming. VitOS supports Roon alongside other services (Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, AirPlay2) and its mobile app. VitOS Manager simplifies server control. Continious software updates and a dual-firmaware design ensure reliabilitey and future-proofing, preventing system failures during updates;

• High-Capacity Storage: The Z1 Plus offers NVMe SSD storage (250GB to 4TB), which is faster and more efficient than SATA SSDs or HDDs in many NAS devices. This allows for quick access to large music libraries stored locally, reducing reliance on external NAS devices and improving Roon’s library management performance;

• Seamless Integration with Roon ARC: The Z1 Plus supports Roon ARC, enabling remote access to your music library on mobile devices, even offline, with high-resolution playback. This enhances the Roon experience for users who want access to their music anywhere;

• MQA Certification: The Z1 Plus is MQA Ready, supporting Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) decoding for Tidal users within Roon, ensuring the highest quality streaming for compatible files.

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Why use a Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus?

The Rhein Z1 Plus is ideal for serious audiophiles, seeking pristine, high-resolution audio with minimal noise and jitter. Are you a multi-room enthusiast? The Rhein Z1 Plus has you covered. Music collectors with large high-resolution libraries needing fast, local storage also benefit from the Rhein Z1 Plus. In short, anyone wanting a dedicated, optimized Roon Core over a general-prupose PC or NAS should look into this Silent Angel product.

Why use a Silent Angel Forester F2 linear power supply?

Using the Silent Angel Forester F2 linear power supply with the Rhein Z1 Plus for Roon operation significantly enhances audio performance for audiophiles by providing a cleaner, more stable power source tailored to high-fidelity streaming systems. It offers a lot of benefits:

• Enhanced audio quality through power stabilization: power stabilization technology, noise reduction, impact on Roon performance;

• Superior build quality for reduced interference; robust enclosure, vibration suppression;

• Versatile power outputs for Roon Ecosystems: multiple DC outputs, tailored for the Rhein Z1 Plus and other Silent Angel devices, optimizing power delivery for Roon Core operations and enhancing overall system stability;

• Real-World Audio Improvements: improving soundstage depth, transparency and musicality, surpassing expectations for its price point. Ìt outperforms standard power supplies, such as the Roon Nucleus’s wall-wart, by delivering a more refined and immersive listening experience. The Forester F2 enhances bass potency, midrange transparency, and trebble refinement, making it ideal for audiophiles using Roon with premium audio setups;

• Practical benefits for Roon Users: The Forester F2’s stable power delivery enhances the Rhein Z1 Plus’s performance as a Roon Core, reducing network transmission issues and ensuring reliable multi-room or high-resolution streaming via Roon ARC. The linear power supply also integrates seamlessly with Silent Angel’s Bastei DC cable series, allowing further optimization of power delivery to the Rhein Z1 Plus, which can elevate audio performance without needing to replace the core server. With an IEC AC input (115-230V or 120-240V), the F2 is adaptable to various power environments, making it a practical choice for global Roon users

Why use a Silent Angel Munich MU as endpoint?

Using the Silent Angel Munich MU as a Roon endpoint alongside the Rhein Z1 Plus enhances a high-fidelity audio setup by leveraging the strengths of both devices to deliver superior sound quality, flexibility, and system optimization. Below are the key reasons to use the Munich MU as a Roon endpoint with the Rhein Z1 Plus, focusing on their complementary roles in a Roon-based ecosystem:

• Optimized Audio Performance with Dedicated Endpoint: The Munich MU is a high-end network streamer designed specifically as a Roon Ready endpoint, receiving high-resolution audio streams from the Rhein Z1 Plus (acting as the Roon Core) via Silent Angel’s proprietary RAAT-based protocol. This ensures bit-perfect playback of formats up to PCM 768kHz and DSD256, complementing the Z1 Plus’s DSD512 and PCM 768kHz capabilities. The unit features EMI noise-filtering technology and a high-frequency noise filter for its USB audio output, reducing electrical noise and jitter. This results in a cleaner, more detailed sound with “blacker blacks” and enhanced soundstage, improving the output from the Z1 Plus’s already low-noise design. Like the Z1 Plus, the MU uses two highly accurate TCXO (Temperature-Compensated Crystal Oscillator) clocks to minimize network latency and jitter, ensuring precise timing for audio data transmission. This complements the Z1 Plus’s TCXO clocks, creating a cohesive, low-jitter signal path for Roon playback;

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• Enhanced System Separation for Superior Sound: using the Munich MU as a dedicated Roon endpoint, you offload audio streaming tasks from the Z1 Plus, which focuses on running the Roon Core and managing the music library. This separation reduces processing demands on the Z1 Plus, minimizing electrical interference and improving audio purity. The MU’s dedicated Gigabit Ethernet port for audio streaming, paired with the Z1 Plus’s dual Gigabit Ethernet ports (one for network, one for audio), creates an isolated network environment. This reduces network-related jitter and interference, ensuring a pristine digital signal for Roon playback. While the Z1 Plus can act as both Roon Core and endpoint, using the MU as a dedicated endpoint allows for a specialized device optimized for streaming and DAC connectivity, potentially outperforming the Z1 Plus’s USB audio output in high-end setups;

• High-Quality Build and Design: Aircraft-grade aluminum chassis, vibration suppression;

• Flexible Connectivity and Integration: The MU offers USB audio output with advanced noise reduction, AES/EBU, coaxial, and optical outputs, providing flexibility to connect to a wide range of DACs or amplifiers. This complements the Z1 Plus’s USB-focused output, allowing for tailored integration into diverse audio system. Beyond Roon, the MU supports UPnP, DLNA, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect, making it a versatile endpoint for non-Roon playback scenarios. he MU can handle simultaneous audio streams to multiple zones, complementing the Z1 Plus’s ability to supply up to 10 audio outputs. This makes the combination ideal for multi-room Roon setups.

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Real life performance check

In our listening room our Roon setup is as follows: Roon core on a Synology NAS, Roon app on Mac OS devices and a Lyngdorf MP-60 processor as endpoint (Roon Ready). During the auditive comparison, we switched between our daily setup and the Silent Angel stack. The results were staggering. Let’s be honest. You don’t expect there to be any difference when listening to the same tracks over different Roon setups. Come on. It’s still the same Roon software, the same app and the same endpoint. Against all odds, the musical performance/presentation of both setups was totaly different.

Note: we couldn’t unlock the full potential of the Munich MU as our final endpoint is our Lyngdorf MP60 with only digital inputs. Full disclosure, we could only use the unit as a transport and not benefit from its “analog” part. The biggest change presented itself right from the start. Utilising the Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus as a Roon Core was a game changer. The sound and musical presentation was completely different, better. The noisefloor dropped seriously, presenting every track on a pitchblack background. Deafening silence. Absolute tranquility was introduced in our system.

Every track was characterized by a fluidity that created a more immersive experience. Instruments started to “sing” more. Voices became more emotional. The soundstage opened up with more width, depth and increased layering. Gearing back to our own system, the sound was more flat, less dynamic and less “alive”. Adding the Forester F2 linear power supply to the system increased dynamics even more and offered a more potent bass with increased punch, depth and grunt. Introducing the Munich MU as a transport brought more refinement and overall “class” to the musical represantation. It elevated the performance and increased finesse. Talk about a rock solid trio!

Software List

1. Pasayadan – Ganavya – Nilam

2. Liberty (immersive edition) – Anette Askvik – Liberty

3. Milestones – Chet Baker, Roger Rosenberg – Milestones

4. Cornfield chase – Hans Zimmer – Interstellar

5. Like it Feels – Henry Threadgill – Makin’ a Move

6. It’s a new Orleans Thing – Allen Toussaint – Songbook

7. Three Good Things – Mammal Hands – Shadow Work

8. Soothing Your Soul – Anne Bisson – Blue Mind

9. You Say – Lauren Daigle – Look Up Child

10. Needed – Rhye – Spirit

Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus review setup

▪ Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Plus music server

▪ Silent Angel Forester F2 linear power supply

▪ Silent Angel Munich MU network streamer
Lyngdorf Audio MP-60 AV Processor

▪ Lyngdorf Audio MXA-8400 8-channel power amplifier (L, R, woofer L, woofer R, L surround, R surround, L back surround, R back surround)

▪ Lyngdorf Audio SDA-2400 2-channel power amplifier (L front height channel, L back height channel)

▪ Lyngdorf Audio SDA-2400 2-channel power amplifier (R front height channel, R back height channel)

▪ Zappiti PRO 4K HDR Audiocom Cinema Edition media player

▪ Roon Server for bitperfect Tidal streaming

▪ Lyngdorf Audio Cue-100 speakers (L, R)

▪ Lyngdorf Audio BW-20 passive boundary woofers (L, R)

▪ Lyngdorf Audio FR-1 speakers (L surround, R surround, L back surround, R back surround)

▪ Lyngdorf Audio MH-2 speakers (L front height channel, R front height channel, L back height channel, R back height channel)

▪ Oehlbach Powerstation 909 multiple socket strip (2 pcs)

▪ Oehlbach High End Power Cable 4m (2 pcs to feed Powerstations 909)

▪ Oehlbach High End 8K – Ultra High-Speed HDMI Cable (2 pcs)

▪ Formovie Theater Premium Utra Short Throw 4K Triple Color Laser TV

▪ Vovox Excelsus XLR cables

▪ Vovox Sonorus XLR cables

▪ Vovox Excelsus speaker cables 5 (L, R, woofer L, woofer R)

▪ Devine Neutrik SpeakON 2 x 2.5mm speaker cables

▪ Vovox Excelsus power cables

If you’re also considering the Silent Angel Bremen SL1 Plus, see our full review.

Visit the Silent Angel website for full specifications and pricing.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Silent Angel Roon stack cost?

2.799 EUR for the Rhein Z1 Plus music server, 1.349 EUR for the Forster F2 linear power supply, and 2.599 EUR for the Munich MU network streamer.

What operating system does the Rhein Z1 Plus run?

Silent Angel’s proprietary VitOS, optimized for low-latency, high-stability audio streaming alongside Roon, Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, and AirPlay 2.

How much storage does the Rhein Z1 Plus offer?

NVMe SSD storage ranging from 250GB up to 4TB.

What does adding the Forster F2 power supply change?

It stabilizes power delivery, reducing noise and improving soundstage depth, bass potency, midrange transparency, and treble refinement.

What resolution can the Munich MU handle as a Roon endpoint?

Bit-perfect playback up to PCM 768kHz and DSD256, using dual TCXO clocks to minimize jitter.

Silent Angel Roon Stack

Rhein Z1 Plus: €2.799 Forester F2: €1.349 Munich MU: €2.599

The Silent Angel Roon Stack consisting of the Rhein Z1 Plus music server, Forester F2 linear power supply and Munich MU network streamer are ment for the absolute purists who want to get everything out of their Roon streaming setup. Admittedly, it requires a serious financial effort, but you do get what you pay for. A very stable, and reliable Roon streaming setup that delivers superior audio quality and offers serious flexibility. The fact that Silent Angel created a music server setup that exclusively runs Roon software (proprietary VitOS) proves their commitment to sound purity.