Laser expected life span only 5 yrs? I have a Micromega Stage 6 cd player that is about 13 yrs old (purchased new for about $1000) and fairly heavily used. It is still going strong, never had any laser failure issue.
Compare this to today's megabuck players having laser problems within only a few yrs. Isn't it a money earning strategy for some manufacturers to leave weak points in their products just to guarantee them additional income in the future?