MOVING TO computer/HD/audio player from CD's

Look into getting a streamer - Bluesound, Lumin, etc.  Some can also act as a server, allowing you to copy your CD collection onto it.  

I use Bluesound, so that's what I will speak to, but the concept should be similar with other streamers. 

I have a lot of music files on an external hard drive connected to my PC.  I share that folder of files on my network and the Bluesound software "sees" it and can stream to my stereo via analog outs, or in my case via a coax out to my DAC which is then connected to my preamp via analog outs.  I also stream Tidal, Qobuz, Radio Paradiso, TunedIn, Spotify, etc.

I use PC/Android, but I believe the Bluesound will work on Mac also.

I have almost 1000 CD’s of everything but taking music, more than 1/2 classical.  

The purpose is to put all the cd’s on an external SSD and  play them using an audio music player on the computer.  This would save massive space, make it portable, and make finding a selection much easier.   Optimally,  I would simply like  play them from across the room using my late 2013 quad core 2.6 ghz macbook pro.  

But... I’m not willing to spend $2000+ just to get a wifi or blue tooth connection between my pre-amp and my macbook pro.  The MBP has thunderbolt, usb 3.0, HDMI, and of course the headphone output, but the headphone output is also a digital output.  

For $300, I can buy a used 13 inch core 2 duo with optical output and hard wire connect it to my hi-fi system, doing the above.

I’m not sure whether my questions was answered because when I looked up the items listed(I’m not sure what they do) their prices far exceeded the price of a used 13 inch MBP and a couple of two terabyte SSD’s.  

You should look into high res music.  If you feel your system is revealing you'll certainly notice a benefit in this.  Learn how to compress your music files into the lossless flac format if you don't know how already.  A bit perfect extractor that can convert the music directly from the CD to flac (or any other format) is EAC or Exact Audio Copy.  Free software and the best thing out there for the purpose.

Using a NUC with wifi will cost you around $500.  Add a 10GB external drive via USB to it.  Don't use SSD.  They introduce more electrical noise than your standard spinning platter discs.  They are also much more expensive at the higher capacities.

You can install software directly on the NUC that can stream the music to your DAC.  I don't think you mentioned having a DAC so if you don't that could change this entire conversation.

I would recommend using Roon as your player/library software.  Otherwise JRiver.  You limit yourself with iTunes. 

You have a number of options using an iPhone or iPad and appropriate control app. For example, Audirvana has a nice companion remote app. I haven't used Apple's Remote app in years but it worked well with iTunes. JRiver has theirs. Stratospherix MusicStreamer app is different beast altogether, allowing you to avoid using other players. I used it for quite some time .. simple and robust using Apple's share technology:

https://www.stratospherix.com/products/musicstreamer/

An Intel NUC© is the same as a Mac Mini.  You can pick up an old one for about $139, with a digital optical output, which you would have to run into a dedicated DAC to go into the pre-amp.  You would need two 2-terabyte HDD’s(one for back in the safety deposit box), a small keyboard and mouse, and very small 7 inch screen(like they use in camera equipment).  With all the equipment it would cost between $400 and $700 depending on how much you paid for the external DAC, and the mac mini.  Since you can use screen sharing on both the Macbook Pro and iPhone(via Bluetooth 2 or wifi), you could run it from anywhere in the house, or even around the world.  It would give the best options in regard to quality of output to the pre-amp.  

Looking at this, I don’t think I’m quite ready to digitize for my system yet.  I’ll stick with CD’s for the moment and reorganize them.

Thanks everyone for their help to focus me on what I could do if I was so inclined.  

MOVING TO computer/HD/audio player from CD’s

I decided that continuing to increased my 1000 CD record collection was so 1940’s.

Don’t sell off your cd’s, I’ve had two friends who did this to fund "computer audio" and after some time chopping/changing trying to be satisfied with it, wanted to go back to cd so much they are now both musically grief stricken.
They have given away being audiophiles and become reclusive to anything to do with audio, SERIOUSLY!

Looking at this, I don’t think I’m quite ready to digitize for my system yet. I’ll stick with CD’s for the moment and reorganize them.

Sanity prevails.

Cheers George