The problem is, for many people (perhaps even most people), ‘listening for something’ can actually make them hear it. Whether it exists or not. I won’t rehash the well understood sciences surrounding this. These kinds of myths then propagate.
That’s not to say some things don’t cause an unexpected change in sound in someone’s hifi, but even then there may well be other factors specific to the test conditions and environment.
haha, this is also true!
We are up for a devilish dilemma: Are we open enough for how the music actually sounds? Or is it ‘all in the head’ anyway? 
If you are using a Roon core to feed a Roon endpoint of some kind, there can be no difference to hear as the endpoint gets exactly the same data regardless of lossless format. Yes, a FLAC file contains typically contains some lossless compressed data. But, it contains the exact same data as an uncompressed AIFF file.
Now, if you were not using a Roon endpoint, then you could argue that the decompression process affects the sound. I can’t hear it and I have pretty good ears so I would FLAC no matter what.
But, in the case of using a Roon endpoint, there is no room for an argument as the endpoint gets identical uncompressed data regardless of FLAC or AIFF source. If you think you hear a difference, can you provide ANY technical reason that there could be a difference??
Wow, what a debate this turned into.
Just to clarify, when I said “I see no difference” I meant I couldn’t hear any difference.
Two additional things to take into account:
Not literally blindfolded of course. 
single blind means that the subject of the test doesn’t know which file is being played. A double-blind test means that the subject doesn’t know and the person running the test also doesn’t know which file is being played.
Whether or not there are differences that affect sound quality when decoding lossless files should not matter since with Roon the decoding is anyways done in the Core and the player gets the same lossless stream in all cases.
Not if you’re a true card carrying dyed in the wool audiophile. In these situations science, common sense, mathematics and logic needn’t apply.
Extermal CD Drive with a computer, dbPowerAmp and and a USB hard drive.
But…does anyone manufacture a CD Ripper w/hard drive and built in software that is not a (redundant) streamer? I believe Brenan makes one but that does not appear all that well reviewed.
It’s quite a niche requirement so there aren’t a lot about.
I suspect that it would be a slim profit margin to create such a device, and people like to make-do with what they already have.
I have many MacMini’s and the Apple Superdrive…so I can “put one together” but would prefer to have a dedicated unit, but I understand that few would want it. Thought I would inquire as to whether anyone had come across such a device. Thank you for taking time to reply.
By a used Bluesound Vault, it rips and functions as a Roon endpoint. Otherwise, pc/mac and dbPowerAmp will do, that’s what I did and still need to do 
Thank you. The Vault 2i may be a solution. Have you (or someone you know) used it?