When to replace tubes on a CD player?

When they become noisy or the high's/upper mid range becomes dullish, that is they lose the luster inherrent in tubes.

If they were new when you put them in, they should last 5000 to 10,000 hours! That's a lot of years. Newbee's response is what to look for in the future.

Years? Not necessarily.....if the player is left on all the time, which is not unreasonable, if one wants to have the player warmed-up and ready to go all the time. 10,000 hours is about 14 months.

Some tubes, in some circuit applications last much longer than others. I am guessing, but don't these tubed CD players just use a tube stage for the output. In such a "cathode follower" circuit, tube characteristics are not critical, so, in preamps, they can outlast several sets of the high gain tubes. (At least that the way it worked back when everyone had tube equipment, and it was no big deal).