Consider the possibility of an environmental factor such as RFI/EMI. Maybe a ham radio operator nearby, whose transmitter is not always in use? Plus, UK CD players are more likely to do this in general, Rega, Naim, etc. at least in my experience.
Mystery!
Some weeks ago my Cyrus CD t transport stopped reading my discs, so I brought in for repair. The technician said it played perfectly for him and he couldn’t find anything wrong with it. So, I brought it home, and sure enough, no matter what I tried the discs would not load. Brought it back to the store and he said he still couldn’t find a problem. Loaded perfectly for him. Went back to the store today with my own discs and they loaded without a problem.
Brought it home, and now it works!
What’s going on????