Hardware/Software To Manage Multi-format, File-Based Audio Playback

Thanks much maxwave!  That looks like a great solution.

Have you ever thought of Roon it will handle any format thown at it. I tried it last year and was instanly converted.It was also the most transparent of all the music players I tried.

Separate music player is a convenient option. There are many out there. I cannot be happier with SONY HAP-Z1ES. Once the files are in, and it digests them, it cannot get any simpler. You control it via the phone and it works. Like a really big CD-changer and has USB out (including DoP) in case you want to use different DAC. It is older model now, but still has all you asked for.

I used to use JRiver to excellent results. Later moved to Roon because of it integration with Tidal. Both sound excellent, can be used with a phone as remote. Roon has the added advantage of being able to stream to multiple devices on your network. Put all your music files on a hard drive in your server running Roon or JRiver and you are good to go.

I'll throw my agreement in for either JRiver or Roon. Either could do the job; both are strong entries; and each differs from the other.

Roon provides the metadata for you, in case you haven't done a great job tagging all those files. It also integrates Tidal and Qobuz (if you have subscriptions) so that they seem like part of your own collection. It uses its own network protocol, which has the advantage of presenting the identical GUI whether you're running it on a local computer or streaming with a tablet controller to a remote renderer.

JRiver is more customizable than Roon, cheaper, and has less of a hardware demand. It uses its own GUI when running locally, and it's better IMO in letting you edit the metadata (tags) in your own files. When streaming over the home network, you use a DLNA client on the tablet, so the GUI will be different.

I decided to stick with JRiver after trying Roon, because I had my files well tagged and didn't need Roon to do it for me. Also, my NAS isn't powerful enough to run Roon, but it is powerful enough to run the simple UPnP server that one can use without Roon. So I can access the server from any of the 3 or 4 systems in my house (and my phone) without needing another computer running 24/7 as a Roon server.

I hope I hit the right technical level with that, and that it helps.

Roon will read almost all formats.
It won't process WMA files (Windows Media Audio).  

These are all great suggestions! Thank you all. 

I have an Mac mini from around 2006 that I’d like to use to run whichever software I go with.

I am curious, of the software you have suggested, which has the most tools for editing and enhancing files ripped from older CDs? 

Thanks.

I was hoping one of the software options can recognize and mitigate pre-emphasis and ringing in older CD’s and will also allow for custom EQ’s, loudness matching, etc...

I think Jriver make the most sense. Not too expensive and seems to offer a lot of options.