A CD PLAYER whose sound quality NOT AFFECTED by the DAC?

Buy a better DAC.

The Bluesound Node only has digital inputs, so anything you connect to it will rely on its internal DAC.

can you back up and explain what you are really asking? I think along the way you may answer your own question. if you are asking ’why do i need a DAC" - well, every CD player has a DAC inside.  Thats' how the bits eventually become squiggly lines. What we refer to as DAC are just external ones created for various reasons, but mostly because little ,music is on physical media these days. I’m sure someone sells a $10K CDP. In the end tho, who cares?

It’s easy for me to learn and get more confused. I DO have a Marantz 2226b in the closet. Integrated Receiver. It’s got some Pre Amp possible U HOOKS on the back, ins and outs… maybe?

OP @moose89    

The DAC takes the digital data encoded on the CD and converts it to the analog audio signal to your system using a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter).  The digital data on the CD is just a digital representation of the music signal.  It's not like a computer that records bitt that can be directly converted to alpha and special characters.  The ONLY way a CD player does NOT use a DAC is when the digital signal is fed into an external DAC.