How many years are CD players good for?? (1 Viewer)

[DavidLW]

I think the 5 years life span pertains to the time frame in which the average consumer will replace his/her consumer grade electronic equipment because it has become obsolete (it's about 3 years with computers). People start to think replacement because their old (but still functional) equipment can't play SACD, MP3, DVD-R, CD-R, no S-video, no DD, not HD ready, not Letterbox, no progressive outputs and all the other bell and whistles that's now availble on new equipment that often cost less than half of what you paid for your original equipment. Even if there's nothing wrong it, after five years, it's time to retire the puppy and upgrade. What you got five years ago on a $500 DVD player is what you get now on a $100 player. I believe most electronics companies aim is for their equipment to last at least five years (under normal use). If the equipment last five years, or more, then they will not hear many complaints from the buyers because the cost of replacing it with something way better is far less than the cost of repair. Not to mention gas, S/H and time. Most will not bother and most (if not all) consumers will rationalize that it's time to upgrade anyways. This is not to say that consumer electronics are only meant to last five years. Think about it. How many here would complain if their consumer grade electronic equipment (except for maybe TV's) quit after 5 or more years of service? In fact, some of us uses this as an excuse to upgrade and look forward to it. Can't jusitfy upgrading otherwise.

 

[Andy Goldstein]

my first cd player, a sony d5 (the first portable player at 300 bux, while the home units were going for 800 - 1000) bought in 1984, is still going strong. it has many thousands of hours in the car, and many hours in a bag over my shoulder while i mowed the lawn. if you like the unit, buy it!

ag.

 

[scott>c]

I have just purchased a used Sony CDP-508ESD and its still playing with a build date of 1989!!!! 18 yrs and still running strong!!!! 15lbs and sounds damn good!!!!! LOL

 

[LanceJ]

My Technics SL-PG4 bought in 1992 was used pretty much daily for acouple hours, and the last couple years used 3-4 times a week overnight set on "repeat" playing nature sounds CDs........and it lasted 8 years until *I* broke it.

One of the RCA jacks developed a short (because I used one of those damned Radio Shack Gold series interconnects that use plugs requiring a million PSI to push it on!) and I dripped solder on the legs of one of the chips. :frowning:

At the local Wherehouse Music stores which used to be Sound Warehouse, for years they were using stacks of Technics carousel players from the mid 90s (I know this because I used to sell the model of player they used) that were in use all day and about four years ago is when most of them finally started failing.

I have no idea how good modern transports are. And Sony & Pioneer seem to be the only companies selling affordable "real" mid-fi CD players (i.e. they don't play dvds or MP3 files) that aren't built like crap like most dvd players are.

 

[Chris*Liberti]

I have a Fischer from 1985-1986 that still plays. The drawer motor has trouble, but it still plays.