Is it worth upgrading a CD player?

My advice is the opposite of @kota1 .  The DAC is the most important part of a CD system.  If you have a DAC you like, then you are really just using the CD player as a CD transport, sending a digital signal to the DAC.

Streaming you are fighting bit losses as large files are sent over the internet.  I don't know for sure, and maybe someone who knows can speak up here, but I think CD players are much closer to "lossless".  If that is the case, there is not much to be gained.  

The key to digital is to get a DAC you like and it sounds like you have.  Once you have that DAC, I would never use the DAC in a cd player.

Jerry

Thanks for all your responses! I have around 1,000 CD’s boxed up (after switching back to vinyl 7 years ago, oh the irony) and I just did a trial on Qobuz which was great but I’m looking interested in playing the CD boxsets I have where the bonus discs weren’t ever released on vinyl so it’s my only way to hear alternate takes, unreleased tracks, etc.). At this stage my CD player is basically a transporter as it feeds into the Audiolab M-DAC+. From the comments above, as I’m happy with my DAC I should stick with what I have. Thanks again.

@side22olto  - I haven't heard your DAC so I can't offer an opinion on its SQ. As far as whether or not you may or may not heard a difference with another transport in combination with it only you can decide by listening with your equipment. However,  in general better transports  offer SQ improvements as they allow the DAC to better realize its SQ potential. If you are going to stay with a separate DAC I will agree with newbee to spend the money on a dedicated transport versus another CD player acting as a transport. If you are in the US companies such as Crutchfield & Audio Advisor have 30 day return policies so you can audition a transport that's in the price range of your DAC.  Net net, having 1st hand experience with this in my own systems , I'd suggest ignoring any advice that suggests that the transport doesn't matter, that bits are bits, yada , yada, yada

You can always improve your musical reproduction, but the question would be why.  If you are happy with the music then leave things alone, because real solid improvement means examining all components from power to speakers and determining the best order to replace components and that can be the start of a major outflow of cash.  I started thinking that I would just do one thing and then I realized that I wasted my money without another upgrade and so it went for the last eight or nine months. Don't start if you are happy where you are.

@jerryg123

If playing a CD has better sound qualityr or streaming is better is completely dependent on your equipment. On my equipment Red Book CD is eclipsed by HR streaming and equaled by streaming of Red Book CD format. In fact on average streaming equals my very good vinyl leg.

Which is my point. If you are going to work on a particular source… streaming is the one to pursue… the cost / benefit of having top notch streaming just completely eclipses buying and owning CDs.

I have given away my 2,000 CDs. They serve no purpose after a couple years of just collecting dust.