Opinion 1

It seems like the popularity of the vinyl disc is not diminishing, and the extremist acolytes of the analog do not imagine a high quality system without a reel-to-reel tape player (and at that one from the era), but you cannot conjure reality and must confess, if you like it or not, that streaming must be seen as the current mainstream of distributing music. This is the reason, that all kinds of file transports, streamers and more or less integrated all-in-ones are in the hot spot of interest and are being sold by the dozens. And while on the higher price levels there is some kind of relative quietness, in the area of lower and midrange priced hi-fi, there is a ruthless and merciless fight for each and every soul entering the realm of digital media. And we received a product aiming at exactly that, dynamically changing market segment, in the form or the digital transport Silent Angel Munich M1T, which, going a bit against the price spiking trends, is offered for the modest 3890 Zlotys, in the 8GB RAM version. This makes, in my opinion, the 2GB RAM version, offered for 600 Zlotys less, much less appealing. This is even underlined by the information hidden in the company materials, that while the less equipped Munich will do well streaming from popular platforms like Spotify or Tidal, people who would like to use denser formats, especially DSD, should go for the 8GB version. There is an intermediate 4GB version also available, but on the market it is regarded as the audiophile equivalent of the guinea pig, so not a pig and not from Guinea, as it is on almost the same price level as the most expensive version, while not as powerful.

Before we will verify how the Munich fares in our audio systems, let us look at its externals, even if only for a moment, as it matches the looks of the power supply Forester F1 and the more worked out streamer Munich M1. So we have the same compact chassis made from steel sheets and a massive, bent in the middle, front made from brushed aluminum with a centrally placed golden company logo. Diplomatically speaking, the Munich is very sparse in how much information it provides to its user. Instead of at least a one line alphanumeric display, not even mentioning a screen presenting the album covers in high resolution, the manufacturer used only four micro LEDs, which indicate muting (the first one), the second one is for power and the last two are indicating the kind of files are being played – a bright yellow one informs about DSD, while a bright green was reserved for PCM. Kudos to those, who can get wise from this kind of signaling, while sitting a few meters away and not exactly centrally. A similar solution, by that I mean LEDs, was adopted by for example Moon in their MiND2, but the Canadians were a bit more generous, and provide information about the sampling rate of the reproduced signal. But let us not whine about that, as managing the device requires a tablet or smartphone, and there, on the proprietary application VitOs Orbiter, you can see all the needed information. M1T supports most of the popular streaming services like Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, Amazon Music, has a Roon Ready certificate and handles AirPlay and DLNA.

Looking at the back plate, you can clearly see the Munich being ready for every kind of situation it will be placed in, and the changing market reality. It is equipped with conventional digital outputs (AES/EBU and Coaxial), as well as I2S (using HDMI connection) and USB audio. There is a 1000Mbps Ethernet port and two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 ports for drive connectivity. The unit is also equipped with the proprietary M-IO and M-LINK connectors. Next to all those ports there is a DC input with a power switch. I just need to mention, that the external power supply has a standard IEC socket, so you can exchange the supplied computer type cord for something better, but I would recommend to invest rather in the power supply itself and use either the company’s own Forester F1, or the Polish Ferrum or Keces.
The chassis has ample ventilation slits, that allow for sufficient airflow to passively cool the insides. Those were placed on a large PCB, filling almost the whole available space, and equipped with a beefy heatsink, keeping the temperature of the chips beneath it in appropriate range. The heart of the unit is a four core ARM Cortex A-72 processor, running at 1.5GHz, utilizing 8GB low-noise DDR4 RAM and 32GB high speed flash. So we have here the M1 minus the DAC and headphone amplifier sections. So in fact this is a proprietary version of the Raspberry Pi 4. The whole unit is supported on small rubber feet, which can be easily exchanged for others, like the Silent Angel S28.

Moving towards listening, it was clear, that besides including the tested device into the system, it will be good to update its firmware to the newest version, which, in this case, added full functionality and compatibility with TIDAL and some more bugfixes, mentioned in the documentation. As the unit was fresh from the factory, instead of the usual two to three days of accommodation, I allowed to extend that period to almost a full week, as the sound proposed by the Munich evolved from a slight matt and granularity towards velvety smoothness and juiciness. But to not loose all of that time, I did listen to the Silent Angel from time to time, and when the intensity of changes to the sound slowed down significantly, I started to experiment, to satisfy my curiosity. Having one free output in the Forester, I started to compare the Munich with the supplied switching PSU with the line power supply. As you can imagine, the differences were in favor of the Forester, and significant enough, that I urge everybody thinking about upgrading the original PSU with a power cord, to forgo that idea and go for the Forester. Yes, this will mean you need to reach deeper into your pocket, but the progress will be unquestionable.
But let us start from the beginning, from the “basic” option, where the unit is taken out of its packaging and the supplied PSU and Ethernet cable is used. The playlist includes “Black Market Enlightenment” by Antimatter and … while compared to the Lumin U1 Mini lower resolution, smoothness and dynamics was heard clearly, then compared to the I-O Data Soundgenic HDL-RA4TB (in both cases the USB outputs were used) the result of the sparring was not so obvious, as it was the Silent Angel moving ahead in those aspects. So we deal hear with proper reproduction in terms of creating the stage, as well as joy of listening, to put it bluntly. Nothing is irritating, nothing draws attention without any need, and the accent is placed on coherence of the sound. The unit does not brag with details jumping out of the hat at will, what, looking at the price level of the Munich, seems to be a deliberate decision of the manufacturer, who, rightfully, assumed, that this device will work with other electronics from a similar pricing point. Additionally this correctness (in the positive meaning) brought the files played from a NAS as well as from streaming services like TIDAL and Spotify to a common denominator, what makes playlists using both sources not to jump around, surprising the listener. Of course differentiation between well recorded items (like the mentioned Antimatter), or the exceptional ones (“Tomba Sonora”) and evident mishaps (vide “Death Magnetic” by Metallica) was evident, while comparing the same recording from the NAS and the cloud was like hide and seek and trying to hear colors.

Adding the power supply Forester F1 supported by Luna Cables Gris DC and Silent Angel S28 feet improved everything. Starting with the noticeable increase of volume, through much appreciated increase of resolution and ending with much more visible accenting of dynamics. As a result of that, big symphonic benefited. “John Williams: The Berlin Concert” by Berliner Philharmoniker under John Williams himself, is quite a demanding material, both in terms of multiple layers as well as the sheer size of the orchestra. With the switching PSU it was presented like quite a monolithic conglomerate, while with the Forester the insight was much easier. Interestingly, the improvement of dynamics was mostly related to micro scale, where all kinds of nuances and sounds came out from the shadows, while they remained more in the area of guesswork beforehand. Another improvement was brought with making the whole ensemble heavier using a substitute for the audiophile Thixar brick, a doorstop weighing about 1KG, what resulted in better and more precise definition of virtual sources, without thinning them down at the same time, as the definition of the bass and the mass of the midrange remained the same, only the lowest tones reaching in places, there were never before.

It cannot be denied, that while solo the Silent Angel Munich M1T is very well priced file transport, its purchase should be regarded in terms of entering a certain ecosystem and gradually exploring its potential by expanding the peripherals used with it. This is the reason, that somewhat repeating the information mentioned before, I will again turn your attention to the key aspect of having a better power supply, than the included one, and to use an appropriate DAC paired with it, as good as we can possibly get, which will allow the device to really shine. On the other hand I am absolutely confident, that the ergonomics and intuitiveness of handling will satisfy everybody, as there are multiple interfaces, as well as one of the best applications available on the market to manage it, the VitOS Orbiter, which really makes me enthusiastic. So would I have any “but” in this summary? Yes, but a very small one. To be fully satisfied I would like to have a desktop version of the VitOS Orbiter, for a Windows PC. Of course you can find instructions in the Internet how to use the original app in an Android emulator, but similar to the Lumin, I am completely against such kind of trickery. Of course you can give all control to Roon, but as mentioned before, I have very mixed feelings regarding that software, as well as to manufacturers, who only see the iPad as a viable solution to manage their devices. But please do not take my rambling too seriously, as those are just academic divagations of a mannered old man, and try out the Munich M1T in your own system as soon as you have the opportunity. Even if you are not fully convinced file lovers, this small device will not ruin your budget, while its ease of use and the vast amount of compatibility and formats may allow it to become a nice add-on to your system, and also a bridge between the past, the contemporary and the future.

Marcin Olszewski

System used in this test:
– CD/DAC: Ayon CD-35 (Preamp + Signature) + Finite Elemente Cerabase compact
– Network player: Lumin U1 Mini + I-O Data Soundgenic HDL-RA4TB
– Digital source selector: Audio Authority 1177
– Turntable: Kuzma Stabi S + Kuzma Stogi + Dynavector DV-10X5
– Phonostage: Tellurium Q Iridium MM/MC Phono Pre Amp
– Power amplifier: Bryston 4B³ + Graphite Audio IC-35 Isolation Cones
– Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Contour 30 + Brass Spike Receptacle Acoustic Revive SPU-8 + Base Audio Quartz platforms
– IC RCA: Tellurium Q Silver Diamond
– IC XLR: Organic Audio; Vermöuth Audio Reference; Acrolink 7N-A2070 Leggenda
– Digital IC: Fadel art DigiLitz; Harmonic Technology Cyberlink Copper; Apogee Wyde Eye; Monster Cable Interlink LightSpeed 200
– USB cables: Wireworld Starlight; Goldenote Firenze Silver; Fidata HFU2; Vermöuth Audio Reference
– Speaker cables: Signal Projects Hydra; Vermöuth Audio Reference Loudspeaker Cable
– Power cables: Furutech FP-3TS762 / FI-28R / FI-E38R; Organic Audio Power + Furutech CF-080 Damping Ring; Acoustic Zen Gargantua II; Furutech Nanoflux Power NCF
– Power distribution board: Furutech e-TP60ER + Furutech FP-3TS762 / Fi-50 NCF(R) /FI-50M NCF(R)
– Wall power socket: Furutech FT-SWS(R)
– Anti-vibration platform: Franc Audio Accessories Wood Block Slim Platform
– Switch: Silent Angel Bonn N8 + Silent Angel S28 + Silent Angel Forester F1 + Luna Cables Gris DC; Innuos PhoenixNet
– Ethernet cables: Neyton CAT7+; Audiomica Anort Consequence + Artoc Ultra Reference + Arago Excellence; Furutech LAN-8 NCF
– Table: Solid Tech Radius Duo 3
– Acoustic panels: Vicoustic Flat Panels VMT

Opinion 2

Believe me or not, but current times do not leave a music lover any illusions in one aspect. I am talking about the need to have a file playing setup in every audio system. And I am not thinking about the most extravagant in terms of sound quality, or very worked out systems, but really anything, that allows to listen to streamed music. And if this is the case, the natural order of things, is the offering of such devices and accessories to follow demand for them. Demands in the form of improving the power supply, separation and filtering from mains distortion, or similar things, without which, we would be standing still, instead of moving closer and closer to the musical truth. Fortunately the manufacturers know about this, and like the tested device, are able to manage those demands easily. So what is the tested unit? It comes from a brand, that already has some history on our portal, Silent Angel, which provided us with another product, after the Bonn N8 Ethernet switch and the line power supply Forester F1, namely the file transport Silent Angel Munich M1T, a compact device with a big spirit, kindly supplied by the Wroclaw based Audio Atelier.

Like mentioned before, the tested Munich is a very compact device. Fortunately in this case “compact” does not mean microscopic, as if I would try to tell you how big it is, then I would compare it to half a clinker brick. Nothing special, you say? Not really, as due to a very good design and the front being from brushed aluminum, it can be exposed even if we do not have much space to spare. On the other hand, you can also easily stow it away if needed. In terms of looks – in the center of the front we have only four LEDs indicating the status of the device, above them a milled company logo, and to the sides the name and model, also milled. The chassis itself is made from aluminum plates, with four sets of ventilation slots on top. The backplate is fully loaded in contrast. Am I exaggerating? Absolutely not, because besides the digital outputs AES/EBU, COAXIAL, I2S and USB, we have three more USB sockets, dedicated to storage and two multipin interfaces, allowing to interconnect multiple devices from the manufacturer, a LAN socket, a DC power socket with a power switch. Not enough? Please look at the pictures, and you will see, that there is no place for anything else. In terms of management, the Munich has a free app for that. Regarding the supported formats and sampling frequencies – please look at the table below the text.

So what does the Silent Angel Munich M1T offer us? Maybe this will sound trivial, but it offers music. Without chasing the extremes in terms of reach of the sound spectrum, without bragging about the signal rise speeds, and without the “wow” effect from the start, something that becomes tiring very quickly, but caring only about the most important aspect, the well balanced weight and freedom of presentation. Its other asset is coherence. It is all about the case, that when the constructors put emphasis on the saturation and smoothness of the musical events, they needed to appropriately spice it with the treble. Any kind of letting loose there would turn into a disaster. A very big disaster, as after a few pieces, the sound would be only a caricature, and we would be forced to switch it off quickly, with a headache. Fortunately the guys from Silent Angel knew how to do it good. But this is one side of the medal. It is obvious, that when dealing with saturation, it is easy to get into trouble with the bass becoming too thick. Many times the lower registers become sticky and monotone, something that turns us away from listening, similar to unhinged treble. Of course here they were able to configure everything correctly too, what resulted in unproblematic reproduction of any kind of music.
Let us take for example the disc from Leonard Cohen “You Want it Darker”. As usual for this artist, this is a slowly and majestically sung material, and any kind of sharpening or washing out of his vocals in the lower registers would dispel the charm of his singing. It may not appear so, but it is very difficult to keep the darkness on one hand, and romanticism of his voice on the other while reproducing it. But “very difficult” did not pose any issue for the SA Munich streamer, it played it back as the artist intended, and I was enchanted from the first piece sung. The voice showed appropriate timbre and energy, what can be attributed only to the way the tested Japanese handled the sound, what I confirmed by having some other sources not hitting the mark.
Another material was the Black Sabbath “13”, so something stronger. This is a quite well recorded disc, what showed even better, that the coherence I was talking about did not extinguish the presentation, and also did not spill it on the floor. This band has proven for years with its repertoire, that it does not know what musical quietness is, what was appropriately shown by the tested unit. I got an appropriately hot fire, which not only reminded me of my youth, but also showed me, how much the technology of its reproduction has moved forward. The strong guitar riffs, drum kicks and charismatic vocals did not leave any doubt, that the choice for the sound characteristic of the file transport was a very good decision.
Finally something more demanding, even audiophile, I could say. I mean the disc “Monuments on the Moon” from the Polish ensemble RGG. Sometimes I even call it a project, due to the very bold passages of unidentified sounds, something very demanding for the reproducing audio system, in contrast to many other jazz recordings. This must be a wealth of very well shown speed of rising signals, energy, and brilliantly shiny, but free from any distortion, treble. It has to be raw, as otherwise, it will become boring. And as I mentioned before, the hero of the test, did not showcase too many of such characteristics before. Fortunately it was just shy of showing them, and not, that it could not reproduce them. Yes, it was in an esthetic a bit friendlier to the ears, but it was better to show it that way, than to distort and make it thinner, calling it the best approach for lovers of quick attack. This is the reason, that I was very satisfied with the less aggressive, but in final version, very coherent sound. It is much better not to race, but to have a very well executed idea for a sound.

When time came to summarize, I cannot write anything different, than to praise the manufacturers for the very nice tuning of the tested streamer. It sounded in an esthetic very close to me, with a nice timbre and smoothness of the reproduced music. It was less competitive – in the good meaning of the word – than my CD player, which costs a few dozen times more, but still it did not overinterpret any of the sound spectrum parts. If any of those lives in its own world, music becomes indigestible, and this is something the manufacturer could not allow to happen. And this is good, as due to that, I spent many hours with the tested product and I was satisfied with the nicely played music. Is this a toy for everybody? This is clear from the text above. If you do not look for competitive presentation, but instead, for beauty in music, it is a very strong contender to try it out.

Jacek Pazio

System used in this test:
Source:
– transport: CEC TL 0 3.0
– streamer: Melco N1A/2EX + switch Silent Angel Bonn N8
– DAC: dCS Vivaldi DAC 2.0
– Master clock: Mutec REF 10 SE-120
– reclocker: Mutec MC-3+USB
– Shunyata Research Omega Clock
– Shunyata Sigma V2 NR
– Preamplifier: Gryphon Audio Pandora
– Power amplifier: Gryphon Audio Mephisto Stereo
– Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Consequence Ultimate Edition, Gryphon Trident II, Gauder Akustik Berlina RC-11 Black Edition
– Speaker Cables: Synergistic Research Galileo SX SC
– IC RCA: Hijiri Million „Kiwami”, Vermouth Audio Reference
– IC XLR: Tellurium Q Silver Diamond, Hijiri Milion „Kiwami”
– Digital IC: Hijiri HDG-X Milion
– Power cables: Hijiri Takumi Maestro, Furutech NanoFlux NCF, Furutech DPS-4.1 + FI-E50 NCF(R)/ FI-50(R), Hijiri Nagomi, Vermouth Audio Reference Power Cord, Acrolink 8N-PC8100 Performante
– Table: SOLID BASE VI
– Accessories: Harmonix TU 505EX MK II, Stillpoints ULTRA SS, Stillpoints ULTRA MINI, antivibration platform by SOLID TECH, Harmonix AC Enacom Improved for 100-240V, Harmonix Room Tuning Mini Disk RFA-80i
– Power distribution board: POWER BASE HIGH END
– Acoustic treatments by Artnovion
Analog stage:
Drive: Clearaudio Concept
Cartridge: Essence MC
Step-up: Thrax Trajan
Phonostage: Sensor 2 mk II

Polish distributor: Audio Atelier
Manufacturer: Silent Angel
Prices:
Silent Angel Munich M1T – 2GB RAM: 3 290 PLN
Silent Angel Munich M1T – 8GB RAM: 3 890 PLN

Specifications
Outputs: AES/EBU, I2S, Coaxial, USB Audio
Inputs: RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet; 2 x USB3.0; USB2.0 for extra storage
Peripheral access: M-IO, M-LINK
DSD: 5,6M (DSD128) AES/EBU, I2S, Coax; 11,2M (DSD256) USB.
PCM: 384 KHz AES/EBU, I2S, Coax; 768 KHz USB.
Power Input: (DC) 5V/2A @ max.
Power Use: 10W max
Dimensions (W x D x H): 155 x 110 x 50,4 mm
Weight: 1,63 kg