Does a ripped cd onto a digital format sound better than the cd played on the cdp

Thank you Sbank. Let me give small example why bits are not the bits.
When we attempt to do something very simple like sending digital signal representing 1kHz we might actually receive three different signals. It is because in order to produce only 1kHz D/A converter would have to receive digital words in precisely exact intervals. Any variation would create additional signals - sidebands. Imagine that digital transmission of this 1kHz signal jitters in time because of 60Hz noise. That would create additional 940Hz and 1060Hz signals - most likely very small but audible, being not harmonically related to 1kHz. Amplitude of these sidebands would be proportional to time variation from ideal moment of delivery while frequency would be difference from 1kHz by how often this variation happens (in this case 60 times a second). Since music is not just simple 1kHz signal but a lot of them time jitter of digital signal will create a lot of additional frequencies - a noise, proportional in amplitude to amplitude of original signal (and undetectable without it).

Nice explanation.

Thanks Steve. Of course "received" is a big simplification. The moment of D/A conversion does not have to to be the same as moment of data arrival, but often conversion clock is based on incoming data rate to avoid getting out of sync (losing data). The question is what to do to avoid it. One option is to use system that buffers data, using different, independent clock for D/A conversion with signaling to make sure buffer always has enough of data, or doesn’t overflow and that’s how async USB works. Another option is to use device that reclocks serial S/Pdif signal. You can use reclocking DAC (like my Benchmark DAC3) or reclocking device before DAC (Audioengr makes one). Separate reclocking device has advantage of giving wider choice of DACs available. I like the sound of Benchmark with my gear, but changing it to non-reclocking DAC might require reclocking device or completely different method of delivery, like USB, that brings own problems (injecting computer noise).

Steve, Ethernet directly into the DAC?  Not sure how that works. I run Ethernet from my Roon server to a Roon endpoint/renderer but then I2S directly into the DAC.