PM’d.
I’ll have a look and see whether it’s within my capabilities 
iTunes will work, but two points:
1- you can use dbpoweramp to batch convert later to a different system if you like
2 the thing about doing is that it’s not much fun once. A second time… There is merit in a secure ripper that you know works properly.
There are as many approaches as there are people.
Here’s my random brain dump.
Rip to FLAC, not to a lossy format, not to an Apple proprietary format.
Use dBpoweramp to rip. It gets its metadata from several sources and so it usually right. It also compares rips with a database of everybody else’s rips to check that you all agree, and if you don’t it will re-rip sectors until it’s all good. You have to enable this option
It will also rip copy-protected CDs (the “defective by design” option).
You will need to pay for all these options in dBpoweramp, but you didn’t expect to get all this good stuff for free, right?
Personally I always rip and always download to a central “Downloads” folder.
After this I use MediaMonkey (again, pay for a lifetime license) to organise the music, and to fiddle with tags after the fact.
The absolutely crucial thing about MediaMonkey is the “Auto organise”. I tell it to re-scan for new files, it looks in my Downloads folder, and I have a single rule set up for auto-organising files. I tell it to copy everything to
\\DISKSTATION\music\<Album Artist>\<Album>\<Disc#:2> <Track#:2> <Title>
and to delete the original. So I end up with a file structure
\Artist\Albums\01 03 Blah.flac
At this point you have a fully functioning playback setup. You can use MediaMonkey to play straight off your PC (maybe buy a £100 DAC? I use a Meridian Explorer from eBay) and you’re cooking with gas.
You’ll see \DISKSTATION above - this brings us onto storage.
Your three basic options are
- the disk inside your PC / Mac
- a USB disk plugged into your PC / Mac
- a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device - this is a PC/Mac turned on its head - primarily a disc with a basic computer attached, rather than the reverse
The NAS can be desirable because you don’t have to have a running PC to get music, and because the NAS is tuned for storage stuff like serving and backup, but a lot of people live with the PC + USB disk option very happily.
Personally I have a Synology NAS. If memory serves so does Chris @vacdac. I think Chris just plugs a DAC into his NAS, and the NAS itself is capable of playing music like this.
Other people use a NAS or a PC as a DLNA server (basically it just serves media files), and use any number of dedicated streaming boxes.
Other people use Roon on their PC or NAS.
I just use a very simple Sonos box. I have a single (Music) share on the NAS, although it could equally be on a PC. Sonos scans this share (as opposed to the NAS or PC deciding what and how it wants to serve). You browse music on a tablet and phone and tell Sonos to go and play it.
Bluesound is a very similar notion but it less hamstrung by older architectural decisions (fundamentally it will play higher bit rates, Sonos won’t). I think Bluesound also do a good ripping solution, but don’t quote me on that.
Whatever you get, make sure it has good Tidal and Spotify integrations - you’re going to want this at some point.
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My house has a flat roof, so no loft. Instead I stash CDs in the garage.
I simply pull out the disc and insert and file it in one of these
There’s probably about 3000 CDs in that stack. Also makes a handy table for polishing shoes.
It will probably feel like sacrilege at first, but once you’ve come to terms with the fact that the CDs are bordering on worthless, and that they’re really just a backup of last resort then you can win back an awful lot of very expensive space in your house.
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… for LPs.
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Auralic Mini with internal drive to put all your ripped CD’s on, plus built in Tidal integration if you don’t want to rip CD’s, or dont fancy buying any new ones. Really simple to use and seriously good - even the built in DAC is superb. Also has an excellent control app (assuming youhave an iPad).
No need to have a PC or NAS anywhere in the playback chain and works perfectly wirelessly as well (my system is upstairs, my router by the front door).
I don’t know if the OP uses or plans to use Spotify but if so, he should be mindful of the fact most (if not all that I’ve seen) of the ‘high end’ streamers (Moon MiND, Auralic, Lumin, Lindemann) don’t have (simple) Spotify integration.
Also for most of them, their user interface is reportedly much better on Apple devices than Android.
For those reasons I’m considering getting a Sonos Connect and plugging it into a DAC to improve the SQ if needs be.
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Man up and get a Pi.
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What about spotify and chromecast as an option? I have been on subscription for nearly a yea and this is my main source of music. Vinyl is mothballed, I’m finding the quality really good and 99% of what I want is available on Spotify.
Minimal faff - No ripping to do and assuming that you have a smart phone or tablet just £40 initial cost.
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You can get Spotify by plugging in a chromecast
as suggested above. It plays from the web direct so matters not if it’s not integrated. I have mine plugged into the back of the dac and it’s back up to Cyrus integrated Tidal when my sub runs out.
I have a synology NAS and Cyrus stream to play the tracks.
If most likely get a Melco or aurender one box job if I did it again. The NAS just gives me room to store photos and movies etc too
Is Spotify the new Dogging? SPDIF a fearful type of STD? Am I right in thinking a ‘Squeedebox’ is one of those manual jerk tings? I have no problem with the term tablet or FLAC as I am on the receiving end of both. I am unclear on how to transport the Tide(al) as this would require large ditches and a heap of magnets. Vortex Box is what we call the outdoor toilet here in Devon although I am paralyzed with fear as to why I need more Tera bites (Is this mosquito related?)
Mr. MWS is undone this thread reads like
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When I first joined The Wam I had sold my CD player as I had upgraded the analogue gear to a level where CD just sounded terrible in comparison. I was convinced vinyl was better. I then started reading all this stuff about ripping CD and streaming them with a Squeezebox or whatever, met a few of these strange futuristic types controlling their systems with their phones and decided to do something similar myself. @AmDismal built me a computer, installed the software and showed me how to use it. I trained my kids to rip the CD’s and I was away.
Jump forward five years or so and I now run Roon/Tidal and the bulk of my listening is digital. I have a pretty expensive record player(s) and I pretty much ignore it! I probably don’t listen to any of my rips either as Tidal is so good, I am constantly listening to new stuff or old music I don’t know. Having been through all this, I definitely think there is merit in the suggestion up-thread that you should get a laptop, usb dac and a Tidal sub first and see how that works for you. Ripping CD’s is probably becoming pointless…
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Yes, but what happens when the interwebs breaks down or gets blown up by some terrorist group…
Also, isn’t Tidal owned by some flaky actor/pop singer types? Can’t see that lasting…
Keep your media at home, where it’s safe 
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… and have a CD player that only you can use? 
Don’t care…long as it sounds better
Not a reason to eschew a Tidal sub though. The library is vast. I don’t understand why any serious music fan wouldn’t have some kind of streaming sub.
Another very good feature of Roon is the library export function. It creates a spreadsheet which contains only my Tidal additions, so if that service goes to the wall I still have a list of album titles.
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Depends how you define it. I’m not driven like you to constantly seek out new music. I feel more comfortable listening to familiar stuff.
Everyone’s different 
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This thread has got me thinking about changing my streaming set up.
My cd player Luxman D08u has a decent dac with usb connectivity and dsd decoding etc. I have a wired network with a couple of Ethernet points by the hifi plus a Synology nas connected to network.
If I abandoned the transporter and went for Tidal / Roon/ Dac in cd player, what would be the best way to get music to the dac ? One thing that is important to me is access to bbc listen again services, with squeezebox I can control this from my tablet. Can anything else do this ? Although this is getting more flaky lately with LMS and I fear will eventually stop working.
Final point is I have a Sonos soundbar in the lounge which is fine for background music and I am thinking of adding small sonos speakers in a couple of other rooms so would want to be able to play basic stuff through these. Adopting sonos is also pushing me away from squeezebox / LMS.
I used to listen to spotify a lot on desk system but since I got a separate room for hifi I do this less and less so would be great to have access to new music through the hifi.
Cheers
Thanks for the input guys.
There’s a couple of things which bothers me about only using streaming services;
- I have obscure tastes and I have yet to find a large proportion of my favoured music on streaming sites. They may have the artist but it’s only a compilation of stuff. Unacceptable.
- Artist royalties.
I would like Spotify/Tidal integration as I do enjoy the “hunt” for new (and new to me) music. But not as my only source.
It seems to me that, at this stage a backed-up Laptop loaded with CDs played through summat to my amp is the way to go for me.
The finer details I’ll probably discuss later. @Gyroscope has given some great insight as to where I think my immediate future lies.