ALAC is as good a format as anything. Some renderers (players) do better with uncompressed WAV, but that’s a shortcoming in those renderers, nothing intrinsic to the file types.
iTunes, if setup and working right, will send a bit-perfect signal, so at its best, it will be as good as any player. (I don’t recommend it, though. Other options are more flexible and reliable.)
McIntosh gear is pretty nice. Some may prefer other stuff, but that doesn’t make the other stuff "better" in any absolute sense. And there is a big difference between DACs in run-of-the-mill CDPs, especially those of 10 years ago or more, and today’s better ones.
As to comparing a turntable to a digital file, it depends on what you think is "better". If lack of: mechanical artifacts, wow, flutter, crosstalk, and uneven frequency response are what you mean by "better", you may prefer playing a digital file. Analog has its own magic, but it is not necessarily closer to the master tape.
iTunes, if setup and working right, will send a bit-perfect signal, so at its best, it will be as good as any player. (I don’t recommend it, though. Other options are more flexible and reliable.)
McIntosh gear is pretty nice. Some may prefer other stuff, but that doesn’t make the other stuff "better" in any absolute sense. And there is a big difference between DACs in run-of-the-mill CDPs, especially those of 10 years ago or more, and today’s better ones.
As to comparing a turntable to a digital file, it depends on what you think is "better". If lack of: mechanical artifacts, wow, flutter, crosstalk, and uneven frequency response are what you mean by "better", you may prefer playing a digital file. Analog has its own magic, but it is not necessarily closer to the master tape.