Looking for advice

The transport is the easiest to replace.  I ripped all CDs to NAS, or you could use a streamer/server's internal, or USB drive.  I went with separate DAC and streamer and put money into the DAC and went with a relatively good price/performance option of Ifi Zen Streamer with upgraded power supply.  When money comes my way I will upgrade the streamer, but I'm happy with the ripped CDs and will not buy a transport.  Any time you use separates, the problem is that you can spend a fortune on power cables and USB/I2s interconnects.  So, I have an integrated amp, but I am settling for a bit less performance than going with separates.

Since today’s streaming can exceed or at least equal the sound quality of CDs… or ripped files, I would recommend putting all your money into a streamer and DAC,  This should allow getting off to a better start in streaming and ultimately a better sounding system. Blue sound is a good place to start… put more money into a separate DAC. You want a separate Streamer and DAC to allow independent upgrading. And single solutions are isolated and can be quieter and of higher quality. 
 

I’ve been at digital for forty years in about every combination possible. 

Does anyone have any experience or can comment on the zen mini mkiii?  This may be a good option for me to rip cd’s, and it’s a streamer DAC. In future, it allows me to upgrade the power supply and upgrade the DAC…keep as a streamer/ripper. I can forget about a credit transport. Blue sound vault another option…if I go towards separates, keeping the older Krell. 

@jengelmann is close. Played CDs are marginally better on a quality transport but I rarely use mine. All CDs are immediately ripped and the convenience outweighs any SQ differences. Just rip them on a PC, it makes it easier to tag them anyway. Start with a DAC you like (separate) and an integrated amp is fine if it has the I/O you need.

@fuzztone What do you mean “close?”  It’s perfect!!!

😂😂😂

Actually, I only agreed with @soix. Guess you could have checked my system on my profile. I do have an Innuos Zenith MKII connected to a PS Audio Directstream via USB. I also have the Zenith running Roon as an endpoint. This slowed me to configure the squeezelite player to be configured to upsample playback to DSD64. I’m sure others will differ since what we don’t all hear or desire the same sounds. This configuration gave, for me, the desired sound. Sometimes recordings on CDs seem a little “sterile” sounding. The upsampling seemed to provide a little more warmth. I stream Tidal through Roon and some MQA playbacks sound a little muddy in my system. I just choose the flac versions of those albums.