I have heard a few people claim the average life of a CD laser is 10 years. I wonder if this is based from manufacturer specification or real life experience. My CDP was most likely manufactured in 1993. It spend about half of its life in storage. Seems still quite healthy. Read a claim which I copy below from the manufacturer. Wonder what is the usual working life of this thingy from your experience? KARIK RETURNS HOME AFTER 79,000 HOURS AT SEA In 1994, Linn sound systems were installed in the world's most famous ocean liner, the QE2, during a major refit of the vessel. Chosen for the job based on our reputation for exceptional performance and unrivalled reliability even in harsh maritime conditions, Linn systems were installed in all the major crew and public areas onboard. Last month a KARIK CD player was removed from the QE2 and replaced after an incredible 9 years of uninterrupted service on board. The first officer on the vessel informs us that the compact disc player had played for 79,000 hours without interruption. It had voyaged around the world 9 times, and traversed approximately one and a half million nautical miles of sea and ocean, the equivalent of a trip to the moon and back. It even survived the famous Hurricane Louis tidal wave which hit the ship in September 1995 and which had it rolling 28 degrees!