It's amusing to read posts here from people who are suggesting tweaks to the OP to improve the sound, when the OP has made it clear that sound isn't the issue, but reliability.
The OP is fed up with trying to make a computer work as a music player and he/she isn't alone. I also did the Mac& Dac route and have ditched it after a couple of years for a dedicated server. Bluesound isn't perfect but on the whole has given me a lot less frustration than my previous set up.
If the OP still has his original CDs, the simplest solution would be to buy something like Bluesound and re rip them. If not, I am wondering if ALAC can be converted to FLAC. Bluesound will recognize his current files and play them but I am pretty sure they need to be in FLAC
The OP is fed up with trying to make a computer work as a music player and he/she isn't alone. I also did the Mac& Dac route and have ditched it after a couple of years for a dedicated server. Bluesound isn't perfect but on the whole has given me a lot less frustration than my previous set up.
If the OP still has his original CDs, the simplest solution would be to buy something like Bluesound and re rip them. If not, I am wondering if ALAC can be converted to FLAC. Bluesound will recognize his current files and play them but I am pretty sure they need to be in FLAC