Optimus CD-3400

[Ronflugelguy]

I bought this some years ago, when I needed a poratable walkman for various reasons. Had not used it for several years. Today when I set up the second system in my bedroom, I needed a CD player. So I grabbed the 3400 and lo and behold this unit sounds better than i remember!!!!!!!!!BTW, I have one of those Headroom battery packs for it with 4 "D" batteries, which gives the low end more authority, and cleans up the highs.Anyone else have one of these?

[Joseph]

Don't have one but I recall lots of good press in Stereophile about what a good sounding portable it was. Believe there was even an aftermarket docking station built for it.

[mne563]

Wasn't that the player they gushed about in Stereophile all those years ago? I had one, but like every single thing I've ever bought at Radio Shack, it finally stopped working or fell apart. I did get lots of use out of it tho, I always listened with a pair of Sony V6 phones, and I could hear everything. I think I wore it out playing Nine Inch Nails "Downward Spiral" over and over and over again. Ran mine on the traditional AA batteries. Good memories! :thumbsup:

[Ronflugelguy]

I only used mine at work after closing when doing paperwork. And during my divorce when I was living at home with my parents. It hasn't got many miles on it, but has a few. Not used jogging:D

[Ronflugelguy]

It has ambience that is better than my other players. Sounds so bmooth, but still has wonderful detail. It just doesn't show up so pronounced on cheap headphones.

[thegage]

Believe there was even an aftermarket docking station built for it.

I can't remember the name of the manufacturer at the moment--you'd know it if I did--but I saw and listened to one at Clark Johnsen's old Listening Studio. A really big hunk of milled and polished aluminum that enclosed a rechargeable abttery pack. IIRC the price was somewhere north of a couple grand, for a player that cost a couple hundred:eek:

John K.

[-=Rudy=-]

Anyone know who made this player for Radio Shack?

[sgraham]

I have a 3420. I had bought the one everyone was raving about, but on quiet passages it made nasty noises so I returned it for a 2nd sample, which was the same, then I got this one. It was the best sounding CD player I'd heard at the time and I used it as my only player, hooked up to my stereo, for quite a while.

It doesn't like most CD-R's, though. Mitsui being a notable exception.

[Shakey]

Originally posted by thegage


I can't remember the name of the manufacturer at the moment--you'd know it if I did--but I saw and listened to one at Clark Johnsen's old Listening Studio. A really big hunk of milled and polished aluminum that enclosed a rechargeable abttery pack. IIRC the price was somewhere north of a couple grand, for a player that cost a couple hundred:eek:

John K.

Okay you guys made me go find the Sterophile with the article.
October 1994, Sam Tellig, the manufacturer was Dick Sequerra.
It was called the Power Station was listed in the article as selling for $300.00. It also mated with the CD-3400's two outputs, one RCA for the digital output and two RCA's for the line out.

I never could bring myself to justify spending more for this than the player cost, $180 list and I bought mine for about $120.00 new.

I understand the reason for discontinuing the piece was the supplier of the drive stopped making it and the OEM just didn't care to find a replacement or couldn't. The drive I believe was intended for computer applications initially.

I had mine hooked up at home as a drive with an Assemblage DAC-1 and Sonic Frontiers UJB. Which doesn't help explain why I didn't go all the way and buy the Sequerra.

[RetroSmith]

Wow! I had TWO of the 3400s and the BOTh developed the same problem, after a while, you would put a disk in and the player just wouldnt see it.

Another HUGE problem was that if you moved this thing at ALL it would skip. i tried to take it on my work commute and i eneded up having to stop...any little thing made that bad boy skip!

[Chip Stylus]

I read that these CDP 3400 players were constructed around a Misubishi cd-r computer drive.

- - -

I have had good luck with cheap players that load the track into RAM (buffer memory, 45 seconds or greater).

Anyone else had good sound out of these cheap ones? The build quality is terrible so you end up buying 2 a year at $25 - $30 each pop.

- - -

btw, The Abso!ute Sound LOVED the 3400 as much as Stereophial. THey recommend placing it atop 3 tennis blass and wighting it with something atop the player. AND never use a/c power, just batteries.

[GabeG]

Originally posted by thomoz

btw, The Abso!ute Sound LOVED the 3400 as much as Stereophial. THey recommend placing it atop 3 tennis blass and wighting it with something atop the player. AND never use a/c power, just batteries.

Actually they didn't. I believe they thought the thing sounded pretty good for what it was, but HP in particular, thought it veiled everything in an effort to make it sound good (which was giving alot of credit that the designer actually voiced the thing).

I believe the cover of the particular issue stated something like "hi end cd for $150? If you believe that, we've got a bridge..." or something like that. The whole TAS article was in response to Stereophile's raving about it.


- Gabe