Best CD player from this list

I would stay away from the Bryston BCD-1 player as they have been problematic, no parts are available for repair and the transport tends to malfunction over time. Two of my friends have them and they are now boat anchors.

Hello,

I would say the Ayre CX-7 mp. That is one of the most analog sounding CD players out there. Also, They are still servicing these due to still having plenty of CD Trays. They are coming out with a new CD player called the CX-8 very soon that will probably run you close to $6k. So at $1500 this CX-7 is a steal. Due to them making a new model you will be able to have this serviced till the second coming. 
I hope this helps. 

Thanks for the feedback guys. To provide some additional info, I’ve been demoing a friend’s 840c. Of the list I provided, the two I’m most interested/curious about are the 851c and cx7e mp. The 840c sounds very good; especially with electronic music—i.e. Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre, etc. As another example, it also sounds particularly well with Pink Floyd’s The Wall. I feel this album was recorded in a manner giving it a clean, neutral sound. Perhaps slightly dry, but not flat. One thing about the 840c that is apparent is the difference in sound between the outputs... RCA vs XLR. This has been noted in both professional and a couple owner reviews, but listening first-hand really brings it home. I definitely prefer the XLR output as it is more dynamic with greater extension on both ends of the sound spectrum, as well as more air and openness... vs the RCA input. If I were to have any complains about the 840c, it would be perhaps a thinness to the sound. This can cause some brightness on music that is recorded  in such a manner to begin with. So maybe what I am looking for is more fullness, and perhaps a touch of warmth. However, I don’t want to lose the detail and articulation. 
 

mahler123:  My handle goes back to college. I had taken music appreciation as an elective and it really introduced me to classical music. When I was a kid, I played the drums and later tinkered with keyboards/synthesizers. I especially liked JS Bach’s organ works, and are still some of my favorite classical music to this day... along with a host of other composers and types of music. 

I heard the cambridge 851C several years ago and it sounded magical.  i loved it.  better than my marantz sa8005 which is a classic.  highly recommended. 

I have the Simaudio Moon 260D transport with DAC and it is an excellent CD player built like a tank with a good DAC and also has balanced XLR outputs. I also run my Bluesound Node 2i through the DAC in the Moon. Only downside is that it is not a SACD player.