Upgrade my CD player or futile effort?

Very recently I have listened to a Denafrips Ares that was newly imported so I will assume it is the Model II.
This was compared to a Linn DAC that had recently received one of the Companies offered upgrade treatments.
The CDT was a Wadia Model from a bygone era.
The Linn was also used with a Streamer Device as well
Both DAC’s were with components that had almost Zero usage time, and the Denafrips presented in the manner that was making it look like it was getting the upper hand in the SQ.

At this same DAC demonstration, I also received a demonstration of a New Imported Phasemation EA 350 Phonostage against a New Design All Valve Phonostage.
The TT was a SP10R with Glanz 12" Arm and a Miyajima Cartridge.

The Denafrips Ares when compared to the Linn DAC stood out for its delivery, especially knowing it was needing a extended use to allow it to really offer the truth of its capabilities.
I do recall saying that in my home a Streamer with the sort of SQ being heard would be quite welcome for a second system to be used by other family members. 

Both Phon’s were in my view able to deliver a much more impressive presentation, when compared to the DAC’s but each Phon’ is close to Five Times the Purchase Value of the Denafrips Ares.
From my own personal preference, I prefer a CDT > DAC that can deliver in a manner that conjures up the thoughts of it sounding Vinyl Like, but I am sure this can mean very different thing to each assessing the experience.

The Denafrips Ares during the Demonstration, in its rawest of usage time did not offer what I refer to as a Vinyl Like delivery,  the Ares and the Linn has the shared traits of a more commonly experienced CD presentation and SQ, the Clarity and Lucidity is quite noticeably present, I did suggest at the time the experience would be a great to return to when each device has had a few hundred hours of usage. 

To keep the events during the demonstration in context, the Denafrips was sold to a attendee of the demonstration a few days after the event and the seller of the Ares purchased a Denafrips Terminator, I will hopefully hear this later in the year.
The All Valve Phonostage was retained by the systems owner and purchased.

I thought I would share my cd player journey.
Stage 1 were the following:
Oppo 103D SE
followed by a major step up to my
Esoteric K03xs SE
Dissatisfied with the harshness of leading and trailing edges, I sold it
Meanwhile, I have bought and upgraded two other disc players, the Oppo204 and Pioneer LX800, that were seemingly excellent with very analog sounds c.f. the Esoteric, then I caught this unit...
Audio Research Ref CD9 tube cd player and had it upgraded including renewing the power supply that failed.
Fyi, all upgrades are limited to EMI RFI control by the Upgrade Company here.
I tried various DAC’s also during my time with the Esoteric, including the Lampizator Amber III that was also an upgraded unit. Sold that too...
Most definitely the ARDC Ref CD9 SE is the most analog experience where you don’t notice you are listening to CDs. It’s seriously seductive.
The analog experience is helped by the rest of the systems variously ARC LS10SE preamp and D240 MkII SE power amp into my MB2SE by PMC. And my other system that features right now the XP20 preamp by PassLabs into the Luxman M900u feeding into some very fine horn speakers, L’Instrument by Viking Acoustics.
The bottom line is that carefully selected cd players that are synergistic with your system will and can create a fully analog sound, better than your vinyl experiences, with no pops, clicks, or dust particles to interrupt your brain’s pleasure signals.
Listening to Leonard Cohen just now his final cd... and it’s eerie, smooth mellow, and gorgeous. The super tweeters in the speakers have plenty to pick up and blow out...
I enjoy the two bcdp’s but they are more digital and less range full than the ARC Ref CD9, and this kit is still burning-in, speakers, and the CD9 player.

I have a Linn Mimik II and a Quad 99, both of which give my LP12 good competition.

Yeah, I have a Rega Apollo and a Schiit multibit DAC. Sounds wonderful! Very ‘analog’ sound. I also want to hear that Denefrips DAC. Invest in digital and it will sound fantastic. 
Sam in Massachusetts 

While a better DAC R2R ladder will help you, if you can rip all your CDs "bit perfect" into a computer and store them on a USB flash drive with a backup copy and play the flash drive through a streamer such as a Bluesound, it will not be as difficult as you think. You might even eliminate the use of the CD player. I did this with my Bluesound Vault 2i and use storage on a flash drive because that is the only way I can index my collection by composer's folders rather than by "artist and song." I stream free radio stations from anywhere in the world especially if the atmospheric conditions weaken the antenna signals from distant classical stations for my Magnum Dynalab FT 101A FM tuner.