I'm looking into ripping my cd collection to a hard drive source(as flac files). I've read reviews about sonos, olive opus, transporter etc. I've learned a lot about the different systems and how they work but there are a few basics I'd like some help with. The DAC, or audio card, are obviously very important on how the digital file sounds when played back, but how important is the optical device in saving the binary down to the hard drive. I've started saving files to with my desktop (on a separate Iomega 500gb hard drive) using the Samsung 252S that came with my Dell Dimension 8400 and JRiver's Media Center. Is this sufficient for saving the files knowing that eventually I can get a better playback source - by replacing my audio card or getting a music server - or am I wasting my time saving the files with the desktop? The olive and similar music servers have their pluses with a built in cd drive (which I assume is high quality) but there's no room for storage growth etc. The sonos or transporter allow for flexibility around the house but rely on the desktop (and it's quality) as a source.

Enlighten me

Thanks