Going to rip 2000 cds. Which software?

Bob,

I completed this same journey last year after exhaustive research and consideration of my need for simplicity vs performance.  My answer was the Naim UnitiServe using FLAC.  It is a great ripper, needs no external software and burning in FLAC I can actually transfer to other devices without it going WAV wacko.  WAV is a great format, however not so friendly in a software kind of way.

I am NOT particularly a Naim fan, however the server is extraordinary.

The server sounds very very good.  To give you some reference, my system is the server paired with a the Naim DAC V1, Manley electronics and Merlin monitors with the cadre of Decware and Nordost cabling.  Hope this helps

I use XLD on my Mac to rip CDs wih good results. It is free. The interface seems barebones but really has all the features you will need. It can rip to your desired format, add metdata and album art, and lets you build the Artist/Album/Tracks hierarchy you want. 

I am also a subscriber to Tidal Hifi and Roon. I organized my CD libary such that the CDs that weren't available though Tidal are ripped first. If I want to listen to a CD that isn't ripped yet, I can stream it via Tidal. 

Good luck with your project.

Bob - 
I'm a contemporary age-wise.  The way I got unconfused about setting up a digital library was to just jump in and try it.  I tend to take a pretty basic and pragmatic approach to most things audio - which is to say, I don't obsess about audio quality differences that others talk about if I can't hear 'em (e.g., WAV vs ALAC).  AND I tend to prefer lower cost solutions that provide 90% of a benefit rather than way more costly alternatives that will realize the last 10% or so.  I'm probably not your poster child for "audiophilia" as defined by some.  Consider my comments representing the "low tech" end of an implementation continuum. 

I use a MacBook Air and iTunes to rip CDs in ALAC to a pair of Western Digital 2TB Hard Drives (one is back up to the other).  iTunes gets criticized mainly (I think) due to association with lossy, compressed, and crappy sounding MP-3 files (I CAN hear that difference, by the way!)  But it doesn't have to be that way.  There are preference options to ensure good quality rips.  iTunes is very fast at ripping CDs (even w/quality parameters max'd out in preferences) and I like the way it handles meta data.  It works consistently.  No glitches or mysterious software issues on my MBA.

I use BitPerfect v3.0.1 for playback.  I have a double headed USB cable (one leg for power; one leg for signal) that I connect to a Gungnir DAC via V-Link 192 with a Stereovox SPDIF cable.  The Gungnir feeds into my integrated amp or pre-amp depending on what equipment I'm running.

I'm sure my relatively low cost/low tech approach can be criticized as "non-optimal".  All I can say is, it works reliably and things sound very good.  I guess it's jitter reduction, but to my ear the sound from ripped CDs vs actual playback in a CDP seems smoother and more relaxed (and I don't mean due to changes in frequency response).  Good luck in your research and final decision.  

Give Neal Van Berg @ Sound Science a call.  He sets up his MusicVault servers to be pretty much plug'n'play and can recommend the version that's most appropriate for your needs.  He'll even long on to your machine to help you through any problems you might have.  Best of all, since his server is a PC optimized for ripping, storage, and playback, it can be upgraded as the PC audio paradigm matures. 

Thank for your replies.

The Music Vault and the Naim server are both way out of my budget.  They are, however cool as hell and would be nice to have. 

Ghosthouse:  I ripped a couple of cds using ALAC and it took almost 15 minutes to rip each cd.  If that's normal, it's too long.  The number of hours I would spend just ripping approaches 500!  I'm guessing I've got my settings wrong.