What are My Options for Ripping My CD Collection ?

@foamcutter 

I can live with my current streamer if there are less expensive options for ripping with comparable sound quality (FLAC or better).

Ripping does not affect sound quality.  It is akin to copying files from here to there.  You can copy files to an ancient floppy disk, and the original and the one on the floppy will be identical.

So you can use a cheap, external, USB CD reader, and you will not lose anything.

(FLAC or better).  We are MAC based.

CDs store music using PCM (pulse code modulation).  Nearly every option for storing ripped files will also be PCM based.

flac is as good as you can get.  The wav format and the alac format are flac's equal, in terms of sound quality.

flac, wav, and alac will all store the exact same bits that make up the song.

Since you are Mac based, then alac would probably be your best bet (because Apple created the alac format).  But Macs will play the other formats.

So since any of the above mentioned formats are each other's equal in sound qualty, then the next item is metadata.

If storing each song's metadata matters, the steer clear of the wav format.  It is very limited when it comes to metadata.

The next item is the ripping software.  If metadata matters to you, then the ripping software is important.

A good ripping program will detect the CD that you have in the drive, and will try to match it up with an on-line database.  When it finds a match, it will grab the metadata from the on-line database, and it will associate that metadata with all of the ripped files from the CD.

Then, when you use a good music player, it will see the metadata in the files, and it will allow you to search and filter your ripped files by all sorts of criteria.

I use JRiver's Media Center.  It is amazing, and it is available for the Mac.  It is not free.

There are free music apps, but I have no suggestions.  They might have ads, or be difficult to navigate, or not offer all of the features that you want, etc.  JRiver's Media Center does everything right, but it is not free.

I am sure that there are very good free offerings, too.  An open source app might be best.  Open source apps usually do not have nags or ads or hidden agendas.

Since you are Mac based, then alac would probably be your best bet (because Apple created the alac format).

Nope. FLAC is better than ALAC, and apple hasn't created anything since Steve Jobs sadly passed away. Also, last time I looked (not that I follow apple trash or anything like that), macOS still didn't read FLAC files natively.

So you can use a cheap, external, USB CD reader, and you will not lose anything.

That's false. You need to use error-correction software and a high-quality drive if you're planning on ripping your CDs with any kind of speed and expect a bit-perfect transfer.

@devinplombier 

Nope. FLAC is better than ALAC

In what way?

alac = Apple Lossless Audio Codec

and apple hasn’t created anything since Steve Jobs sadly passed away.

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lossless_Audio_Codec

After initially keeping it proprietary from its inception in 2004, in late 2011 Apple made the codec available open source and royalty-free.

@devinplombier 

You need to use error-correction software and a high-quality drive if you’re planning on ripping your CDs with any kind of speed and expect a bit-perfect transfer.

For speed, yes.  For ripping, no.

You do not need a quality CD reader, and you do not need error correction.

A CD is a storage medium.  Any CD reader can read the bits with 100% accuracy.  If a CD reader does so with errors, then that CD reader is defective.

Rip a CD using a state-of-the-art box, and rip that same CD using a cheap-o USB CD reader.  When you play the ripped files, you will not hear any difference, no matter how high-end the stereo is, because the PCM bits in the ripped files are 100% the same as what was on the CD.

How is flac better than alac?

ALAC provides a 40-60% compressed ratio. I would stick to third party, FLAC or WAV if going lossless. ALAC was designed for Apple users and if storage space (a problem in 2004) is of issue to you now, then it is an option.

Software (like DbPower) can correct errors. However, in the thousands of rips I have done using MS Media Player, software such a as DbPower would have fixed only a handful of failed rips (maybe). Of course, those discs were damaged/scratched and I should not have bought them in the first place. Error correction is sales fluff and not a real time issue if you have done it thousands of times like I have.

Metadata is called up from the network in which it resides. Hence, it can change (ie varying info; different photos of artist or genre). Those who carry their music around and play in cars, etc are subject to ever changing metadata info. Meh, don't dwell on it.

Media Player (Microsoft) no longer (as of this year) downloads metadata. I have to type in tracks, etc. Since I have nearly maxed out on music, this manual aspect of ripping is not an issue for me. If I was starting new, I might change methodology for the sake of convenience.

I have backed it up to 4 different Hard Drives, one of which I keep in a large fireproof gun safe. If I lost those files I would have to call the suicide prevention hotline.

I feel you @8th-note!! One of the drawbacks with ripping music vs streaming is fear of losing your music. I have two external hard drives and when I backup every 6 months or so, I do it twice. I like your fireproof gun safe idea!! Probably better than hiring a security guard!

@goodlistening64 

ALAC provides a 40-60% compressed ratio. I would stick to third party, FLAC or WAV if going lossless.

alac's compression is lossless compression.  None of the PCM bits contained within the source (n this case, that would be the CD) are lost.  Every last PCM bit that is on the CD will be in the alac fle.

It is like using zip / 7zip.  When you later unzip the contents of the zipped file, you get the exact files back.

Audio has compression, such as used to brick sound quality (loudness wars).  alac does not do that.  You will hear nothing different from audio CDs ripped to alac, flac, or wav files.