Whoa I was looki g at your current player and that you want to add computer audio that is of similar quality. You are thinking a 500 DAC is going to compete with an 8000 CD player? I would think no matter what you will be highly disappointed with the sound you will get compared to your reference player. I don't know your CD player but from your descriptions in your system it sounds like you did your homework and its a good one. I've tried lots of 500 DACs amd CD players and they don't compare to players costing 10x or in your case even more than 10x as much.
If I were you rather than making your head spin with all the possibilities. Just get a new Mac mini and a DAC like the Ayre QB9 or PS Audio perfect wave 2. You can just hook up a USB cord and get going and the sound will be good maybe not quite to your CD player but pretty good. You can use the iPad or phone to control the mini. Personally me yes I would rather have the full laptop to control the mini. You can use screen sharing instead of the app which to me is better I prefer iTunes on the computer to the remote app and if you don't have a monitor and keyboard hooked to the mini (headless) it can get a little tedious trying to use only the iPad to control the mini for all the cd ripping you have to do.
Lastly I don't know what to think as far as the best way to rip CDs. I got into this about 7 years ago. I bought a brand new wavelength cosecant DAC and followed Gordon from wavelengths instructions on how to rip my CDs. I ripped 6000 CDs and not they tell me I did it all wrong. I should not store my music in ALAC and needed a special program to rip CDs. Oh well it sounds pretty good and I still have all my CDs so maybe one day when the final best way to rip a cd is figured out ill re rip all my CDs lol.
If I were you rather than making your head spin with all the possibilities. Just get a new Mac mini and a DAC like the Ayre QB9 or PS Audio perfect wave 2. You can just hook up a USB cord and get going and the sound will be good maybe not quite to your CD player but pretty good. You can use the iPad or phone to control the mini. Personally me yes I would rather have the full laptop to control the mini. You can use screen sharing instead of the app which to me is better I prefer iTunes on the computer to the remote app and if you don't have a monitor and keyboard hooked to the mini (headless) it can get a little tedious trying to use only the iPad to control the mini for all the cd ripping you have to do.
Lastly I don't know what to think as far as the best way to rip CDs. I got into this about 7 years ago. I bought a brand new wavelength cosecant DAC and followed Gordon from wavelengths instructions on how to rip my CDs. I ripped 6000 CDs and not they tell me I did it all wrong. I should not store my music in ALAC and needed a special program to rip CDs. Oh well it sounds pretty good and I still have all my CDs so maybe one day when the final best way to rip a cd is figured out ill re rip all my CDs lol.