List of players:
Ferguson CDP1 [rebranded Sony].
Sony 3xx ES [bought in 1991 or 92].
Naim CD 3.5
Naim CDS 2 [with original XPS, bought in 2000].
Sony SACD/CD [model not known by now, but obtained for very little in 2004].
Looking back at them the Ferguson was a CD player of its time, and soon superseded in sonic terms. I liked that for classical music there was no wear on the CDs from the heavy tracking that often surrounds the ends of long classical pieces. The finale of Beethoven's Choral Symphony [for example] on LP presents some spectacularly demanding music at the twenty fifth minute when the LP is tracking only a quarter of an inch from the label. This never lasted long back in the day. A few playings [even though I used to change the needs at three monthly intervals] and the frail tracking was turning to groove wear.
The Sony 3xx ES that followed was a battleship. Heavy, well engineered, and good sonics to match. Eventually it suffered transport failure, and I suppose that I did not really consider servicing something that I bought well as new because it was the previous year's Sony model [New Old Stock in other words], and they used to make a revision annually more or less in those days.
The Naim CD 3.5 was a very pleasing machine, which served loyally till I was gifted the CDS 2. That was a strange one, because my dear Norwegian grandmother was in her last illness, and my mother had challenged her will so that legally I was written out. A peculiarity of the eldest child being left the half, so that the "farm" would not be divided. A Viking Era law still in force in Norway! But my grandmother sent me a personal cheque to buy something "that you otherwise would never have, given with a still warm hand." She had died by the time I bought the CDS 2.
However it was the first digital device I encountered that did not have that early CD player sound. On classical music it yielded nothing in my view to a mint LP on any turntable that I had heard. Times went a bit rough, and in the end I sold the player for not a seriously depreciated price. I bought it "ex-dem" and it was absolutely mint when the forced sale came, so no problem with the price as Naim had fully serviced it at Salisbury prior to sale in the days when their servicing was keenly priced. New transport, PIC upgrade and new door hinge. The door hinge thing gives a clue how much use I gave that player. But the new owner was utterly delighted with it.
Obviously the Sony SACD player was a stopgap till I went computer audio with iTunes.
So my favourite CD player was the CDS 2 with original XPS. A nicely balanced sonic quality that served classical music well, and no doubt other genres as well. But also a fantastic gift from my Norwegian grandmother ...
Halcyon days ...
Best wishes from George