Streamer/CD ripper

“how does the sound quality compare playing the file on a streamer versus playing the CD on a CD player?”
@klarinet

Technically, a ripped CD should sound the same as the one played through a cd player. But in reality, just like no two cd player sound the same, the SQ quality of a ripped CD can vary from mediocre to absolutely phenomenal. Here is why, the quality of the DAC associated with your streamer/ripper, internally or externally will largely impact the quality of the sound. For example, a streamer/ripper with internal DAC like Bluesound Vault 2 may just suffice your needs. Or you may find it’s internal DAC anemic or worse sounding than the DAC inside your Rotel CD player. If your goal is to rip and stream your CD collection then Vault 2 makes sense even if it doesn’t sound good right out of the box. Cause, you can always improve the SQ of Vault by adding an external DAC.

I used to own Vault, while I never experienced any issues with ripping or accessing ripped music, I did not care for its internal DAC and subpar Metadata Editing and Library Management. And its internal storage is limited to 2TB. Nevertheless, the Vault 2 remained the stepping stone for anyone looking for a one box, plug n play streamer/ripper with a built in DAC. That’s how I got started / transitioned to ripping my CD’s before upgrading to ACS100.

If you want to take things to next level, look into Aurender ACS100 which offers much superior performance, Metadata Editing, Library Management and user installed upto 8TB of storage. You do need an external DAC with ACS100. As a rule of thumb, internal storage will sound better than external add-on storage.

Another consideration, are you going to continue buying CD’s in future or this is a one time chore to rip all your CD’s. If this is a one time chore then find a way to rip your CD’s on a computer and buy a high quality streamer like Aurender N200 with an internal storage and separate DAC. I keep my ACS100 around cause I consistently purchase CD’s and rip them immediately for easy accessibility.

I am sure there are other options, regardless of whichever solution you choose, one most important thing to consider other than SQ, is the control app you will be using to manage your music library and music playback. This is a critical part of the experience with streamers and usually the difference between joy (I love my new tech) or frustration (I hate it, where is my cd player remote). There is a bit of learning curve with streamers so be patient and take a leap towards the present/future of digital playback. Good luck!

Personally I'd buy a separate streamer and ripper. You can always rip your CDs on your computer using DBpoweramp or maybe borrow one.

You will find that there aren't any differences between CDs played through a CD player, ripped CDs and streamed CDs. Quality of hardware notwithstanding of course.

I'd highly recommend an Aurender N200 or N20, depending on your system. These units have internal storage options too, you will need a stand alone DAC.

I had a Rotel CD player for many years, it sounded so much better then other players on the market when I got it (early 1990's) I had 5-600 CD's when it finally died and my dealer who I trusted told me not to buy another CD player but to get a Bluesound Vault and burn all my CD's. I was hesitant, but did it and loved it. It's an easy to use, all in one unit for burning  and playback, had very good software and great support, sounded as good if not better then the Rotel CD. I kept it for almost 7-8 years, although I did end up getting an outboard DAC the last 2 years I had it. I have now upgraded to a Arrender N200 (I now use a PC to burn the few CD's I buy, otherwise it's all HD digital music).

So +1 on the Vault, but you will end up upgrading, if you can go directly to an Aurender (with the ones that burn CD's) it will save you having to upgrade. With the Vault it takes about 3-5 minutes, very easy and not really a bother once you get into the rhythm. Personally I cannot tell the difference between a CD and one that's been burned (my system is up in the $45K level, just FYI), but I can tell the difference between CD and HD quality easily. The difference in useability is wonderful. 

I personally would hesitate to recommend using a PC at first, it can be frustrating and you have to buy software, burn times can be 10-12 minutes, it should have a decent CD recorder/player in it, etc. But it can save you money.

Hope my journey helps. I'm glad to chat privately for more details if you like.

a. Too long but you are free to do anything else while waiting. Why weren’t you ripping every CD for 25 years?

b. They do not sound ANY different with equivalent quality playback gear. A more important comparison would be ripped vs streamed. Don’t worry about it.