hi,
provided you ar ripping into a popular lossless format via a ripper which adds the meta data, the crucial part is done!
I use a few personal confusers all attached to a passive poewr line conditioner during the ripping and playback process. maybe it helsp. maybe not. dunno.
getting the files off of the disk and into the system is the hair pulling experience.
tons of ways to do it.
current trends as I understand them say using ethernet to a renderer and then into a dAC, which can be one and the same gizmo, is best.
E net is supposedly the better path than USB or other digital interfaces yet most if not all dACs employ at least one of these connections.
some apps will enable you to oversample the base or native file upwards beyond sensibility. again, I dunno about that biz.
I'd offer just get the best gear you can which handles red book files the best in your own opinion, and be happy.
Aurender has my attention though there are many others similar to it.
the only way I know to find out what I like is to try what seems sensible and find out, provided 'whatever' is within ones means.
good luck.
