Does a ripped cd onto a digital format sound better than the cd played on the cdp

If you're comparing the analog outputs from a CD player to a DAC that is receiving digital audio data from a digital streaming source like a computer or network streamer, then the two primary aspects that could result in a difference are the reliability of digital data transfer and the quality of digital-to-analog conversion.

For example, a CD player with a poor optical drive may end up reading errors during playback. Some deeply technical computer hardware review web sites and forums will analyze optical drives for error detection and data read reliability. Whereas if you rip data to a digital file, you can check at that time that the data read was correct, even going as far as comparing the file data to other people's file data. And then reading the file data and moving it around becomes very reliable.

Digital-to-analog conversion is fairly well covered in online discussion, audio equipment reviews, and measurements.

The counter argument against digital transmission into a DAC is that a digital audio signal like S/PDIF may be subject to incorrect interpretation or timing inaccuracies. Versus a CD player where its internal I2S data stream will go straight into an internal DAC with both parts driven off the same master clock, or clocks that are tightly coupled.

There can also be other considerations at play, such as how AirPlay transmits all audio data at 16-bit/48kHz, Wi-Fi reliability issues, etc.

Veroman, it is hard to compare since playback gear is different. On the brand new CD it might not make any difference, but scratched CD is different story. Most of CDPs cannot correct errors (cannot read again), playing in real time. They can correct scratches along the track shorter than about 4mm, have to interpolate for scratches 4-8mm and will fail for >8mm. Computer while ripping disk, can read the same sector hundreds of times having better chances of recovering data (renewing CD). Proper checksums for whole CDs are even published. I instructed program I use (XLD) to read each sector up to 200 times, if necessary. Once it is ripped it becomes data, that can be copied, stored, backed up etc. In ideal case this data would be delivered to DAC as a data (without timing). That’s the case of async USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi.

Possible advantages and possible disadvantages to this.

Advantages: CD’s are made with stampers, which wear over time and are periodically replaced with a new one during a production run. But when burned by a laser, pits and land edges are more clearly defined which results in fewer errors on playback. Also, a few products are available that help with the refractive properties of polycarbonate (like UltraBit and others).

Disadvantages: These might be larger and more numerous. One is that whenever you move digital content from one place to another, you introduce more error. Yeah, some of that might be purely digital in nature (processing), but likely most of it, even though it may actually result in more (digital) jitter, will have analog origins. Electrical losses, even through top grade gear/wiring will still occur. When traveling in a wire, digital signals are in an analog form, not "ones and zeros", and are as subject to noise and distortions as much as about any other analog signal. Also, things like power supply noise, especially in ’non-audiophile’ gear like computers, will contribute their impact to sq as well.The mistake would be to think that if you only take care of possible digital influences, that you are then home free. Power treatments for the gear concerned, good wiring (whatever you think that qualification should be for your purposes in this regard), will likely minimize the worst of those. My guess is the audible differences may be small. but it just depends on how picky you are about that kind of thing.

Bottom line: It may not sound exactly ’wholly worse’ or ’wholly better’...but, maybe a little ’different’. Whether the effort and expense to fix it would be worth it would still be up to you. IOW, you might still have to try something like that and see, in order to know.

+1 with Ivan.
My experience has been that moving CDs to hard drive results in a slight decrease in sq.  Perhaps Ivan has identified the reason.  Streaming at “CD quality “ takes sq down another two notches.
cD replay is currently at a really high level.  I am having great fun pulling old CDs off the shelf and continuously being pleasantly surprised at how great they sound

It can sound better and I my system, my aurender sounds a tad better than cd on my K-03.  Music from ram sounds better than a laser tracking a disc.