Things that make you go, "Hmmmmm...."

“Music is not a competition. Criticizing digital doesn’t make your vinyl sound better or make digital sound bad. It just reflects poorly on you. Take the chip off your shoulder and enjoy the music. That’s what it’s about for many of us.”

@tomcy6, well said!

The OP is a hardcore vinyl lover, he have no intentions to buy any CD player, let alone a cool looking one. Honestly, pursuing a CD player now is a fool’s errand. I would look into investing into digital streaming and continue to enjoy both vinyl and unlimited access to online library of music. 

Old cd players don’t appreciate in value because the technology is rapidly evolving.

That old trope passes for "well said"? You mean like the way turntable technology rapidly evolved to direct drive and tangential tracking? Oh. Wait. What's that? Never happened? 

Course not. Because technology is NOT be-all end-all determinative. Implementation, the details and techniques by which the technology is actually put into use, THAT is what matters! 

This may unwittingly shed some light though. Could be the slavish pursuit of technology uber alles is part of what drives so many to keep buying the newest, forgetting that if there's one thing this thread proves its that hardly any of the newest turns out good enough to stand the test of time.

Which, nothing new there either. Most new music is crap. Most new cars are crap. On and on. So of course most new CD players are gonna be crap. Which by the way, since people with a chip on their shoulder (and apparently an axe to grind, maybe even more than a little defensive to boot) keep bringing it up maybe better state for the record (heh) there are no exceptions to this rule and so most new turntables are crap too! So there! 

The OP is a hardcore vinyl lover, he have no intentions to buy any CD player, let alone a cool looking one.

For the record, "hardcore" is an insult, not an argument. 

And "intentions to buy" is irrelevant. When I picked up Robert Harley's Complete Guide to High End Audio I had no intentions of ever buying a turntable. But he got me curious, I kept digging into it, and now have a fantastic rig.

 Honestly, pursuing a CD player now is a fool’s errand.

Love the way you stuck that "now" in there. Good one.

The Sony SCD XA5400ES SACD/CD player has held its value and is still has very good sounding playback.

I own three and have a spare Laser assembly, with service manual for installation.

The 5400 will still hold up to most any very expensive CD player and used ones have held their original $1500 price.

I would throw my old CEC CD3100 into the ring IF I had a clue as to its original sticker.
It’s kinda irrelevant what I paid for it as a non working example.
And I have not seen another for sale so also a bit of a downer.

But used as a transport it is excellent imho.
Looks?

Dull as dishwasher I am afraid so no brownie points there.