I think you are absolutely right in your supposition that an error-corrected hard drive rip is better than reading off of an optical disc and performing error correction on the fly.
The problem becomes how to get the digital stream decoded in a DAC without introducing timing errors (jitter). Top flight CD players, even though they are performing their error correction in real time, have an inherent advantage in that they can pass that digital data via native I2S to their internal DAC without introducing timing errors.
But when you output the digital data via USB, Firewire or S/PDIF to an external DAC from your computer source, you are introducing those timing errors not present in the stand-alone CD player.
Some of the solutions available, such as Empirical Audio's Pace Car Reclocker + external DAC, or Wavelength Audio's asynchronous USB DAC (with proprietary USB driver) can bridge the gap between computer audio and a really excellent stand-alone CD player. But solutions like these will start at $2K - $3K.
So, to answer your question - there can be a sonic advantage to computer audio, but it requires careful implementation. Then the obvious convenience and lifestyle features you noted are a big bonus.
Steve
