I was gonna recommend a paid for service until the last sentence. Still, it might be worth considering. Really, there is no difference between ripping to a computer and the Brennan. I wouldn't touch the Brennan as I don't like the interface. Do you have a Premium Spotify account? The bit rate is higher at around 320kbps.
iTunes has gapless playback ability. I can't comment on any other player myself. I believe gapless info is embedded on the cd itself.