Digital Path to Complete my System

I use a Melco N 100 NAS.  I bought Melco Optical disc player to use as a ripper (it can also be used as a CD player) but it will accept other optical rippers.  Since I have thousands of CDs I also bought an additional Melco storage unit.

   The N100 will also play music, usb only.  The Melco app isn’t great so I use mConnect.  You can also play Tidal and Qobuz streaming services.

  I added a Cambridge Audio CXN streamer because of its facility with podcasts and Internet Radio, but most importantly because it adds AirPlay and Chromecast.  I use the latter for Apple Music and a boutique streaming service for historical recordings.  The CA doesn’t have internal storage but works well with Melco serving as a NAS

@jmrrobbie1 What is the rest of your system and please especially share your preamp and phono stage? What kind of sound are you looking for?

Given what you’re looking for I’d recommend looking at the Innuos Zenith.  It offers excellent performance and has a built-in CD drive so you can just simply rip all your CDs directly into it rather than messing with external drives, etc.  Also important is their Sense app that gets top marks for usability and sound quality and is constantly being updated for better performance via easy firmware updates.  Last, Innuos offers excellent customer support so if you have any questions/issues down the road you’re in good hands.  If it was me I’d also add something like a Denafrips Hermes DDC that employs an OCXO clock and also opens up using other connection possibilities to a DAC, most notably a potentially superior i2S connection if the DAC accepts it.  Considering performance, convenience, ease of use, and customer support this could be a very attractive option and still leaves you over $10k in your budget for a DAC.

Which gets to the DAC.  That’s a very personal choice based on what sound characteristics you’re looking for so not knowing that I can’t make any meaningful recommendations.  At your budget I’d be looking at Bricasti, Meitner, Weiss, T+A, and Lampizator (if you’re open to tubes) among others.  Hope this helps, and best of luck.

Esoteric N01 XD would be perfect!

My analog side of my system...McIntosh 12000 integrated (tube preamp with ss amp), McIntosh MCD 600 SACD player, VPI classic signature tt - fatboy arm & shyla cartridge, PS audio phono preamp, nakamichi dragon cassette deck, La Scala AL5 speakers, Tributaries cables & interconnects, and then the Blue-node to stream. My desktop/den system is a Hegel 190 integrated with Kef LS50meta.

Again - want a digital path to complete my main system....just hesitant to dive in as the digital side seems to change so quickly...and I have no experience. I like the idea of ripping my CDs to a databank as suggested. Don’t want to fuse (too much) or "refine" the digital path down the road. I like where my where my analog system is...except for the possibility of trying/upgrading the phonostage...the never-ending rabbit hole.  Not to go into the politics of analog vs digital...I enjoy the "act" of placing a record on the platter...diving into the $5 dollar used record bin for albums of my youth I still do not own, and even cleaning/prepping the LP before the needle drops. That said - I am looking forward to putting together & completing a digital path/side. Surprised how good the little Blue node is for the pricepoint what it brings to the table = so much at a push of a button.

Appreciate everyone’s insight,

JR