Leonard Cohens Ghost

I'm a newb and was gifted a hard drive with 400+ CDs as WAV files, recorded with Windows Media Player 7. I want them all on my phone as mp3s (while maintaining the originals) and obviously want to batch convert as simply as possible. The path is E: Data > Music > Phil > then a folder for every artist > inside those, folders for every disc by that artist. Questions: Can you simply feed the "converter" the “Music” folder? The “Phil” folder? Does the converter extract the individual discs and their files, making this a single-step process? If not, do I have to feed every disc folder into the converter? Should the conversion take place on the PC or the phone? If it’s the phone, what’s a good app for Android that does this and stores them in a decent library? Probably sounds like a lot of "How the heck does this actually work?" 🫤 Thanks for your patience.

I’m an older guy who’s downsizing. I have 400+ CDs to rip/dispose of: mostly 60-90s rock, with some classical, jazz and blues. A mix of MoFi, gold, remasters and lots of old AADs. Years ago I ripped several dozen into WAV files with a CD/DVD drive in a Dell tower using Windows Media Player. No perceptible issues but I’m uncertain if I should continue with that drive/software for my entire collection since I’ll be getting rid of the hard copies. I’ve heard two things seemingly at odds with one another: 1) Win11 Media player is low-end AND unreliable. A higher-quality drive and software is vital. 2) For ripping/burning, it’s binary. If it copies without issue, it’s copied. Playback is the thing. I’m a novice (that’s one step above newb😉) but know neither is 100% correct. I’m willing to invest a tad if need be but would prefer freeware (EAC, dbPoweramp, etc.). I won’t even peek into the audiophile rabbit hole. My friend did several years ago and I haven’t seen him since. Asking for input and suggestions (for an upgraded optical drive and software if that’s your opinion) and equally important: your recommendation of the best free media player/library that has a user-friendly interface). Many thanks. Apologies if I undershot your experience level.