CD transport vs.streaming

I would go out on a limb and assert, DACs aside, there is huge variation in performance with various CD players whereas it can be hard to discern any clear differences between most any streamer. Even a <$100 Roku stick does a pretty good job with CD quality sound these days. Old error prone technology versus newer with much better error handling and prevention built in.   Modern Jitter resistant DACS help close the gap.

If its the same source material and resolution and things are done right it doesn’t matter. Streaming has all the +’s though on overall utility so work on that if needed. The right DAC is a must. Most any good quality streamer will do. THat’s to do it right. What sounds good is largely subjective, so you may have to tweak anywhere to get the sound to your liking once the digital is good, especially if you are a 20th century tube/phono kind of guy historically. I recommend a good quality Class D amp in lieu of tubes these days.