Combination streamer and music server…without DAC

8th-note;  I will try your experiment (i will substitute a desktop for laptop for ripping).       One thing I have noticed is that red book playback, at least with my set-up, is superior to streaming with Qobuz.  Just to let everyone know my present set-up is mbl corona CD player / dac with a Sonora UltraRendu + EtherRegen unit.  My wife has been after me for sometime to get rid of my cd collection.

I support your willingness to try the computer approach prior to spending hard earned cash.

Congrats on your retirement.

@russellrcncom :

Just to let everyone know my present set-up is mbl corona CD player / dac with a Sonora UltraRendu + EtherRegen unit.

It looks like you have a streamer, the UltraRendu (Sonore). That info was absent in your OP. Very versatile streamer, DLNA, SqueezeLite, Spotify Connect, and most importantly, Roon Ready. Not sure if you have Roon or not. Assuming your CD Player / DAC has an USB input (it sounds like it does), your job is to:

1 - Rip your CDs, and

2 - Have them stored them somewhere, in a hard drive, NAS, or anything that can "serve". Meaning that can be seen and pulled through from your ultraRendu web interface.

So you need a "server". The streamer part is taken care by the Sonore UltraRendu. A computer would do the job as a server, and in the absence of a proper, purpose built server to listen to and compare with (i.e. Aurender, or Innuos), it will sound just fine. It will get you started. Bottom line is that you already have isolation / separation between a potentially noisy computer and your streamer (ultraRendu). Which is a very good first step (vs. streaming directly from a general purpose computer to the DAC via direct USB connection)

Rose 150b