In 2019, Silent Angel, designer of High End digital components, introduced the Rhein Z1, which was immediately hailed as a new standard in high value audiophile music servers. Now, Silent Angel proudly debuts Rhein Z1 Plus: an all-new design whose features and performance advance the State-of-the-Art in server design. Like its predecessor, the Z1 Plus is housed in a beautifully sculpted, Aircraft Grade Aluminum chassis which minimizes mechanical and electrical noise while providing ideal heat dissipation. This is where the similarities between old and new models end.
Cooling efficiency has been optimized with cutting-edge Graphene materials technology and a custom-designed copper heatsink mounted to the Mother Board. The result is improved thermal stability and product longevity. Numerous techniques have been implemented to eliminate noise, including EMI noise-filtering technology, an advanced high-frequency noise filter circuit for USB Audio Output and a noise filter circuit at the power input. The combined effect of these
improvements is a significant and immediately audible reduction in background noise with “Blacker blacks” and increased resolution of fine detail. The addition of our Forester F2 Linear Power Supply (LPS) further improves intertransient silence and dynamic range to a level unsurpassed by any other server, including those that sell for multiples of Z1 Plus’ price.
Whereas the Z1 used a standard Word Clock, the Z1 Plus incorporates two highly accurate TCXO word clocks which minimize network latency and jitter for enhanced sound quality. For audiophiles seeking ultimate performance, an external 25MHz Word Clock input allows outboard clock upgrades, such as Silent Angel’s Genesis GX word clock.
Z1 Plus supports the latest high-resolution audio formats, including DSD512 and PCM up to 768KHz. It’s powerful 4-core CPU enables perfect Roon Core DSP transcoding from PCM to DSD256, while a high-performance NVMe SSD ensures efficient system and music data usage, with available storage up to 4TB. All major streaming formats including Spotify, Tidal Qobuz, Apple AirPlay and Amazon Music HD are supported. The ability to simultaneously supply up to 10 audio outputs makes Z1 Plus a true whole-house, multi-zone component.
Another unique advantage of Z1 Plus is Silent Angel’s VitOS Software. Capable of running multiple music applications concurrently, with optimized audio output priority, low latency, high stability and accelerated high-speed network transmission. VitOS makes the Z1 Plus a future-proof product: continuous software upgrades are available. The VitOS system update process will be protected by dual-firmware design, giving a redundant copy to prevent system failure due to unexpected power outage.
The Rhein Z1 Plus is the ultimate solution for music enthusiasts. It offers seamless connectivity to your digital music library and allows you to enjoy it at any time. Whether used as an ultimate-performance Music Server, Transporter, Roon Bridge or HQPlayer NAA, the Silent Angel Z1 Plus’ performance, features and versatility place in in a class by itself.
Silent Angel Z1 Plus is available starting 15 March, 2023 with MSRP starting at $3,199
All About Audiophile Company Silent Angel
Silent Angel is a relatively new name in the audiophile space, but it’s one that has quickly gained attention among digital audio enthusiasts—particularly those interested in network-based playback systems. Founded as a sub-brand of Thunder Data Co., Ltd., Silent Angel operates at the intersection of audiophile hardware and network engineering. Rather than chasing traditional analog sound paths, Silent Angel is focused squarely on improving digital music delivery, from servers and streamers to network switches and linear power supplies.
At the heart of Silent Angel’s philosophy is the belief that the quality of your network infrastructure can have a meaningful impact on the sound of streamed audio. This idea is still controversial in some corners of the hobby, but it’s one that Silent Angel embraces fully. The company’s products are aimed at listeners who take streaming seriously and who want to optimize every element of the digital signal chain, starting long before the DAC gets involved.
One of Silent Angel’s best-known products is the Bonn N8 audiophile-grade network switch. On paper, it looks like a standard eight-port Ethernet switch, but under the hood, it’s designed with tighter clocking, improved isolation, and noise-filtering components that aim to deliver a cleaner digital signal to streamers, servers, and other networked audio gear. While skeptics question the need for such devices, many listeners report improved clarity, soundstage width, and noise floor reductions after installing one into a well-resolving system.
Silent Angel’s product range extends far beyond switches. The Rhein Z1 is a compact, purpose-built music server designed to run Roon Core and other music server applications. Unlike general-purpose PCs or repurposed NAS boxes, the Z1 uses a passively cooled chassis, low-noise power regulation, and high-quality clocking to maintain stability and reduce electrical interference—factors that the company believes contribute to better sonic performance when streaming or serving music over a network.
Complementing the Z1 are components like the F1 linear power supply, designed to feed clean DC voltage to multiple Silent Angel components simultaneously. It’s a response to the fact that many digital audio products ship with inexpensive switch-mode power supplies that introduce high-frequency noise back into the system. For the purist or the system optimizer, Silent Angel offers ways to upgrade every step in the chain.
For playback, Silent Angel also makes the Munich M1, a streamer and DAC combo unit that supports high-resolution file playback, Roon Endpoint functionality, and multiple streaming platforms including Qobuz, TIDAL, and Spotify. The M1 is designed for plug-and-play use but allows for deeper system integration when paired with Silent Angel’s other components. Unlike many digital front ends that rely heavily on mobile apps, Silent Angel also offers its VitOSoperating system and control app, which adds another layer of usability and control.
The brand’s engineering background comes through clearly in its build quality and design language. The products are generally compact, with clean aluminum cases and passively cooled designs. The focus isn’t on flashy displays or overbuilt chassis—it’s on signal purity, timing accuracy, and physical isolation of noise-generating components. In that sense, Silent Angel follows a design ethos more similar to pro audio or industrial computing than traditional high-end audio.
Critics of this approach often raise the question: can network tweaks and cleaner digital signals really make a difference in sound quality? Silent Angel’s answer is yes, and the brand’s growing user base seems to agree. In systems where every other component is already performing at a high level—DACs, amps, speakers, cables—network-related noise and jitter may represent one of the final frontiers of performance. That’s the space Silent Angel operates in: the margins, the edges, the last few percent that matter to discerning ears.
Another aspect worth noting is Silent Angel’s approach to software. The company has developed its own operating systems and firmware for its products, rather than relying on generic Linux builds or open-source software. This gives them more control over updates, stability, and performance tuning—something that many audiophile companies overlook when building digital gear.
While Silent Angel may not appeal to the old-school analog purist, it represents an important part of the modern audiophile ecosystem. As streaming becomes the dominant playback method for music lovers across all price points, the need for better digital infrastructure has grown. Silent Angel is one of the few companies meeting that need head-on, offering purpose-built solutions that prioritize fidelity in the digital domain.
