Per Spidermike's suggestion,( "If you want to get into details, pm me with what stereo equipment you have and what your listening habits are (or start anew thread). ")
I have a MacBook Pro and external CD drive.
I listen mostly from my iPad to a wireless speaker.
Next most common use is from my iPad through my car speakers
I have an AV system that I use with my TV that I can Airplay content from my MacBook to, though I seldom bother.
What I would like to do is store and organize my music and play it back on demand without subjecting myself to the tyranny of iTunes.