As you research and evaluate your options, consider a Pi based stream/renderer for your DAC.  I have used a Bluesound Node 2i as a streamer for my Denafrips iniitially but was limited to toslink and Coax.  I looked in to the PI2AES pi based streamer and it was a much better option for me sonically and with multiple connnections:  AES/EBU, toslink, coax, usb and I2S.  There is a link here for PI2AES to help you evaluate a Pi based streamer.  Not sure what OS the Ultra Rendu uses but I have read that this is a great unit but no experience with this.  HTH.
Bob

Donnie..I’ve gone back and forth as well.  I’m looking to consolidate my musical experience into one platform while having the ability to access to my hard disk collection.  Right now I think I’m going to do a monthly subscription to see if the experience is worth the cost.  With my turntable and cd Collection in storage… I figured this would be a good time to experiment. I was toying with the idea of buying a NUC but I’m trying to be frugal.  A hundred dollars to upgrade my laptop to a solid-state drive was no big deal to give Roon a whirl.

Dom

Roon is good. That 15 minutes to get up and running is what you're paying for. The interface is clunky, but the information and lyrics and all that is great!

I liked it so much, I bought the Lifetime subscription. It streams to my Directstream DAC with the Bridge II interface, and I have it going to my TEAC DAC directly with USB.

I just wrote a reply and got dinged because it had a hyperlink. Have to post two times.
New here, just ordered a SP phone stage
Anyway, I love Roon. I use primarily RasberryPi Endpoints. Pie2AES, with and without audio hats, Allo DigiOne Signatures and a couple others. easy to setup, if I can do it, anyone can. I also have RasberryPi displays attached to do rudimentary control and realtime display of what is playing at a particular Endpoint. I also play Sirius, web version SQ is far superior to the satellite, radio stations ,and my digitized music on my NAS drive. It is really not that expensive to connect any and aloo of your classic systems as I do.
The user interface is way cool and the AI for continuation of listened music is really incredible. Additionally, I use a Roon Entrypoint to listen to my vinyly anywhere an endpoint is. The possibilities are endless, sound quality is not comprimised by the connections and playing all or independent is a feature of Roon.
Their support forums are also informative and helpful, along with all of the YT videos out there.
I will post links to some of these advanced features after

Dom, have you considered an Optical switch? I've never used one but I have used a powered HDMI one and I had feared possible audio and video degradation but the darned thing works flawlessly and there is no perceivable degradation of signal.

Alright, cool. I have tens of thousands of discs, really love them, and am not at all interested in streaming which was why I thought of the switcher for optical.

To me, at my age and with the number of discs I have, it just doesn't make sense to rip and store discs, just time better spent with other tasks. When I have had others demonstrate to me a network or streaming system the sound wasn't better, which would be a motivator I guess. I'm going to keep spinning discs.

As for discs from Japan, there are two reasons I seek them out. First and foremost, Japan has a peculiar system of disc release. It ignores the international market for the most part and has a captive small market to feed, and they can produce, print and distribute a given number of discs they beliee will sell (the labels seek input from shop owners as to how many they would order). They then print and distribute and are less likely to warehouse and advertise over time and can plan the next "batch." The audience is perhaps far more slanted towards JAZZ than the US, and I am a jazz fanatic. Japan releases far more back catalog than any other market does and so to continue studying and enjoying jazz most often titles that I want are often only released in Japan. The second reason is mastering and pressing. Japanese versions when there are available US or European versions to compare to me, on my system, more often sound superior than otherwise. As our systems are so revealing I find myself seeking out the best sounding version, and more often than I probaly should, a newer transfer with better mastering and pressing of titles I bought many years ago that I really love. I can sell or trade or give away older versions which helps feed the "need" to upgrade titles.

I'll freely admit I have over three decades gone way over the top in my collecting and I would not wish my particular situation and drive on anyone else. It started in earnest 31 years ago when I quit smoking and did so in part by putting all the money I would have spent on cigarettes aside and buying discs with that money . . . and blossomed from there as the labels begain reissuing in droves jazz titles I wanted to investigate, that were in the books I was studying and talked about by the online groups I had become a part of. Also I married at this same time and stopped playing music in bands, also moved into more serious employment, and sought from the audiophile methodology and the study and acquiring of music a replacement for the visceral and immediate reward that playing with others brought. Long story short. . . I built myself into a situation where I need to keep a storage unit so my wife is happy and I can't seem to stop collecting. I need to curb and reverse this behavior this decade, wish me luck.

Lon,

I had no idea that the Japan releases were focused on Jazz...which is what I have been listening to most of the time in the past few years. Like yourself...I started collecting CD’s when I was in my 20’s.  I had memberships to Columbia Hluse, BMG, and a third one that I can’t remember right now.  When digital music was introduced..I became a download junkie just for the fun of it, utilizing Napster, bit torrent, etc etc.  

Unfortunately it came at a price of downloading mp3 files due to the faster download speeds due to limited household bandwidths.  I was better served sticking with CD’s.  

I kinda figured that the mastering and pressing was a factor.  I know the Japanese are super passionate about their music, so no shocker that the mastering/pressing  is superior.

Thank you for the information on the Japanese labels.  I’m going to look into it further, and buy some to try out.  My Torii has been sounding very good recently, so much to where I can’t stop playing music and even get a bit down when a day passes when the amp isn’t turned on.

It’s currently almost 2 AM, and I’m still listening to music.  😀

Dom

It really isn't that big of a deal to rip your CD's.

I just throw one in the CD drive on my computer and the software takes care of the rest. It isn't like you have to stand there and stare at it while it does its thing.

My JRiver software is set up so that when I put a disk in it automatically does it. You can do a dozen a evening easily. Mine even ejects the CD out when it is done.

A couple of weeks and you are done.

I know that I've done at least 50 in a day before without spending too much time with it.

Just do what is in front of you that day and pretty soon that mountain of work becomes very manageable.

Cool. At that rate would still take me 15 or more years to rip my collection, and I don't even have anything I can do with the ripped files right now. I think I'll stick with my disc playback!

No doubt that it’s easier to just leave them on the shelf, and play at your leisure, but I’m afraid that as time passes, our CD’s will start to fail. How much time, I guess depends on each CD (I’m not really sure about all of the factors that will affect this), only time will tell.

All I know for sure is that I have had a handful fail (will not play, or play very garbled). I take great care of mine, and anyway what I’ve had happen is not skipping - just a terrible break up of the sound.

As of yet, I have only ripped about 15% of my collection, and going forward, the problem might not be real bad, but I’m afraid what could happen.

I could have ripped a few while I typed this...but I’m lazy

Yeah, I bought my first CDs in 1985 and they are still fine. I've never had a CD go bad, but I have had several lasers go bad in the succession of CD/SACD players I've owned. That is really my motivation for ripping, to get away from reliance on lasers.

Good for you Donnie. As for me, I don't even have a PC, nor a lap top with a cd drive. I'm happy with my discs and the great sound I get from my systems. . . have not heard anything that sounds better nor do I want to buy something else.

Win, lose or draw, when I'm dead I'm dead.

I don't really do CDs but I do do vinyl and books.  I would never substitute the physical media for digital.  I guess it's another way to divide up the world -- "virtual" vs physical.  I like cash too!