Your Questions: Are Pioneer CDJs Overrated & Overpriced?

Digital DJ Tips forum member Aldoboymusic writes: “Is it me or are the flagship Pioneer CDJ models a tad overrated and overpriced? I used to own both the CDJ-800s and CDJ-850s, but my new Pioneer XDJ-RX blows them both out of the water… yet just one CDJ-2000NXS2 costs more than the XDJ-RX, which is a complete DJ solution in one…”

Digital DJ Tips says:

For the average user, yes. But Pioneer DJ’s flagship club gear isn’t intended for the average user. It is intended for installation in flagship clubs. You’re right, the Pioneer XDJ-RX that you own costs a lot less and can do pretty much everything you need to DJ, and to DJ well, using Pioneer’s Rekordbox system, just as the Nexus gear intended for clubs can.

What Pioneer DJ concentrates on with the club gear is a top-end standard that the biggest DJs can rely on. Frankly, Pioneer can charge what it wants for it, because the best clubs know that DJs will demand the industry standard gear, and have balance sheets to justify the expense. Commercial sense, therefore, would lead Pioneer to price such gear at a premium.

Is it good? Yes, it’s awesome (we are in the middle of reviewing the new Pioneer CDJ/DJM NXS2 set-up right now, and we love it). Is it for most DJs? Hell, no – it’ll set you back a small fortune, and far cheaper controllers will probably do all you will ever want or need.

The important thing here is not to get hung up on this stuff. DJing is DJing, no matter what you do it on. The skills are the same, and they really aren’t anything to do with the gear. You are absolutely not missing out by not being able to afford the very best DJ gear, not a single bit.

And when the time comes for you to play a gig using such gear, you’ll realise that, nice as it is, it’s just a couple of decks and a mixer – the same as nearly all DJ systems, from the DJ app on your iPhone to vinyl set-ups to budget controllers to the (very nice) XDJ-RX you already own.

It’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you do with it that counts.

Do you think CDJs are essential being seen as a “pro” DJ and not a “hobbyist”? Is “proper DJing” supposed to be done on club-standard gear like CDJ decks, or can great DJing be done on even a tiny little controller? How important is image in gaining respect as a DJ? Let us know below.