Divorcing..Splitting the cd collection..

Go the mac mini route. It is faster and more stable. Best your wife pay you for the cds via buying you the mac mini. Otherwise, buy her the mini and you keep the cd's. I would not value the actual cds at more then $1 each. So, before going to a server solution, best you just do a mini. Used, it should be only about %500.

Well, I guess all the above solutions cannot help the loss of the real CD collection. They all describe just the keeping of musical data - not the medium itself and all the memories coming with it. So I'd suggest you sit down and really sort out who's gonna get which. It might come down to a couple of CDs where it is impossible to compromise but in most cases you'll beable to give away or keep the respective CD. In the end both of you will have at least half of the common memories (if desired at all!) and it's a fair agreement. For the rest of the CDs go for a decent hard disc and iTunes as described above. I'd suggest to rip NOT data reduced!
All the best for both of you!
Tilmann

Kiss and make up.

Take turns choosing original CD's to keep, once chosen make copies of the half that is not yours. Each gets half the originals and have copies.

A good quality blank CD burned at a slow speed on a decent burner can equal the original.

the value or worth is in the original purchased copies.