Hi there! Anyone have any experience with either of these decks? Is the 3421 worth$100 extra? Only interested in SQ, not the MP3 capability.

Thanks

If pure SQ probably worth going for the 3421. My 3403 (near same as 3413) has what I think is a fairly high noise floor. The fuzz gets just a little bit annoying when connected to an amp. That said I think otherwise it sounds really good. Mp3 seek/performance is stellar, quicker than the sub $600 alpine I looked at. Unfortunately the fuzz thing isn't something I noticed at the shop. What I'd personally do to differentiate between the two in this respect is go to the shop and put your ear a centimetre from the tweeter. Then repeatably switch from 0-1 volume level whilst playing a track of silence. If you don't notice any difference between the two in this respect go for the cheaper one. Also the fuzz is slightly more pronounced with bass tone. Also with treble but not as much as bass. Also there's minor track seek feedback. Note that this may be perfectly acceptable to some, particularly when looking at the lower end of the spectrum.

thanks very much ezymyth. most appreciative.