From a subjective basis, the early machines suffered on their analogue outputs, as well as spraying loads of ultra-sonic and RF frequency mush into the system, either down the signal leads, or the screen of the interconnects.
14 bit means a reduced noise floor (FM radio is 13 bit and this gives around 65db dynamic range I understand) and the way I heard it was "dirty" sounding analogue tape hiss and exaggerated Dolby A tracking errors on early CD transfers (the fadeouts on Trick Of The Tail by Genesis and a track or two on David Bowie's Low in original CD issues). These early machines didn't do reverb very well either, either because of the DAC's/digital filters, or shortcomings in their analogue circuits..
The early Sony CDP 101 was basically good, but with a "dead" kind of presentations, whereas the early Philips and Marantz concoctions just gave me a headache, pure and simple. My first CD player was a Meridian MCD Pro, which is still working (just about) and this was the first machine to allow me to listen for long periods.
How early do you want me to go? By the late eighties, there were some classic machines coming out and many of the best of these are still amazing. All that's happened since is that the technology has got cheaper and the transports are two a penny nowadays. A Cambridge CD player at £300 is probably as good in performance (bench tests and sound) as many late eighties top end players I suspect, even if it's cheaply made in China for pennies in real terms.
I can't go on and I can't go back, I don't feel so matter of fact,
I tried and tried to make good sense, What's the good to try it all again?
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