Looking for advice

@fuzztone What do you mean “close?”  It’s perfect!!!

😂😂😂

Actually, I only agreed with @soix. Guess you could have checked my system on my profile. I do have an Innuos Zenith MKII connected to a PS Audio Directstream via USB. I also have the Zenith running Roon as an endpoint. This slowed me to configure the squeezelite player to be configured to upsample playback to DSD64. I’m sure others will differ since what we don’t all hear or desire the same sounds. This configuration gave, for me, the desired sound. Sometimes recordings on CDs seem a little “sterile” sounding. The upsampling seemed to provide a little more warmth. I stream Tidal through Roon and some MQA playbacks sound a little muddy in my system. I just choose the flac versions of those albums. 

@dgplo17 

I spent $30 on a usb cd drive and used dBpoweramp software which will make sure that your stored cd is bit perfect and it will pull down artwork.  No fancy all in one will do better.

@ghdprentice  brings experience whereas I offer my build based on searching out those with expertise.   Go back and look at the profiles of those offerng their opinion and then look at some of their other posts and you can determine who to trust.. By all means don't trust me.

Does the Bluesound node have digital input to use with the Cambridge transport?

I may be wrong but don't believe it does. Do you currently use a CD player? 

I had an old Naim 3.5 CD player with flat cap power supply.  It stopped working and is thrashed.  

I think your Zen Mini strategy makes a lot of sense, especially if you have to do this in stages.  There’s a Darko review from a couple years back where I think he compares the Zen Mini to the Node (both older models I think) and I believe he preferred the Zen Mini.  In any event, I’d take the Zen Mini over the Vault as it’s likely a better streamer, and the Innuos Sense software is apparently one of the better sounding out there.  FWIW.