Repair my Sony CDP 608 ESD?

"I am buying a Cary 306 that's 4 years old, hopefully it will last me a good while"

I congratulate you on deciding against repairing your Sony. FWIW, it's a familiar dilemma. If the Cary gives out, take a serious look at the Oppo 105D (or 103D). Right out of the box, it's crazy good (and affordable). 

yes the Cary is fantastic! Maybe not as dynamic as the Sony was, and sounded kind of bland at first. But after listening to it all these months and really listening, its just smoother in the treble and is less fatiguing. but the BASS! wow such nice bass. clear, strong bass, I'm a bass player and I've never heard what the bass player is doing as well as I do now. Tight extended bass, but not bass heavy, of course the mids are beautiful, but I find that good mid range reproduction is not hard to come by, its the extremes that are difficult. It will be a long time before I shop for another CD player, the Sony lasted me 30 years! so i can't complain. 

And thanks Tony, I have heard many great things about the Oppo, it was up for consideration but I just got the price on this Cary, sometimes money talks. 

I like Cary spinners as well.  The only thing that Oppo has going, in that, it is a catch all player.  Othewise, there are much better separate DVD + CD/SACD players.

I looked at many modern models that play SACD, but seeing I don't own any SACD discs. And frankly, there aren't many titles that I like available in SACD, so, I really didn't see the need for a universal player. Maybe I'm just old school? 

alpha_gt-
which Cary do you own?