While most DJs use controllers with laptops, a growing number of them – from hobbyists to mobile to “pro” DJs wanting a second system to use at home – are nowadays using “standalone” DJ systems instead.
What we’re talking about here is the kind of “all in one” DJ units that look like DJ controllers (indeed, some such units also are), but that don’t require you to plug in a laptop to use them.
The advantages of standalone
Standalone DJ systems are hugely appealing to DJs who just don’t want to rely on a laptop controlling everything when they’re DJing. Maybe you think it looks a bit naff to be DJing using a laptop. Or maybe you want to also use standalone club gear when you’re DJing out and about, and want to have a similar type of set-up at home.
Read this next: Standalone Vs Laptop DJing – Which Is Best?
One reason standalone systems are getting more popular is that they’re getting really powerful. Indeed, they’re starting to feel as if they’ve basically got a computer embedded in them – which is because really, they have!
Touchscreens, great graphics, smooth animation, powerful DJ features like stems and samplers, built-in music streaming and cloud services… the best of the current crop of standalone, all-in-one DJ systems can give you all of this – and not a laptop in sight.
In this roundup, we list our favourites for 2025.
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Contents
- AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ
- Denon DJ Prime 4+
- Pioneer DJ Opus Quad
- Numark Mixstream Pro Go
- Denon DJ Prime Go+
- AlphaTheta Omnis Duo
- Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3
- Denon DJ SC Live 4
Best Standalone DJ Systems 2025
1. AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ
Different brand name, but this is basically the replacement for the super-popular Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ, from the same people, and is the all-in-one DJ unit so many working DJs wish this company had made before it threw the curveball that was the Opus Quad. What people really wanted when the Opus Quad was laucnhed was a replacement for the XDJ-XZ, but with true four-channel standalone capability. That’s exactly what the XDJ-AZ delivers.
That means it looks and feels very close indeed to using Pioneer DJ pro club gear with a bit of controller functionality thrown in, giving an all-rounder that is just as comfortable working with music from USB as it is from the cloud (both your own library and Beatport streaming) as it is plugged in to a laptop running either Rekordbox or Serato. Of course, it is a full standalone mixer too, for use with all manner of external sources.
It has a much more powerful processor for smoother, faster operation, a next-gen screen over the XDJ-XZ (similar to that on both the Opus Quad and the XDJ-RX3), WiFi, and the inevitable gimmick – in this case, a built-in transmitter so it can be used with AlphaTheta’s HDJ-F10 SonicLink headphones without a cable.
It’s not all good news: They’ve dropped the FX send/return and it only has one Ethernet port for Pro DJ Link meaning you’d need a hub to use it with CDJs, but that won’t bother the faithful – this is the unit they’ve been waiting for and we can confirm it is already flying off the shelves.
Price: $3199 / €3299 / £2799
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: AlphaTheta XDJ-AZ
Find out more: AlphaTheta website
2. Denon DJ Prime 4+
What you lose in “industry standard” layout and looks, you gain in power and cutting-edge features with Denon DJ’s flagship all-in-one – this is undoubtedly the most technologically advanced unit here. Powered by Engine DJ software for preparing your music and making playlists, this unit is true four-channel standalone, and has built-in WiFi/Ethernet for over-the-air access to streaming services, giving you millions of tunes at your fingertips.
It can be expanded into a true four-deck set-up by adding two Denon DJ LC6000 deck controllers. Its embedded software is very powerful with a sampler and even stems, and you can control home smart lights directly from it, and DJ lighting too via SoundSwitch, a next-gen lighting control system that’s built-in. Cheekily it will even read and play from Pioneer DJ’s Rekordbox-analysed collections on USB!
With Serato support – should you want to use it with a DJ software package – the Prime 4+ offers great “bang for your buck”. It will be a natural choice for many, not least those who don’t care about “club standard” gear or who want an alternative to the all-dominating Pioneer DJ/AlphaTheta brand.
All of that said, apart from a cosmetic update over the Prime 4 that came before it, all it offers extra is Amazon music streaming and – for now – that stems feature we mentioned.
Price: $2199 / £1949 / €2199
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Denon DJ Prime 4+
Find out more: Denon DJ website
3. Pioneer DJ Opus Quad
When everyone thought Pioneer DJ would update the XDJ-XZ (something they finally did with the XDJ-AZ – see the top of this feature), they instead launched a completely new product, the Opus Quad. With its striking design (think stylish furniture piece meets Atari console), huge screen (think Tesla car) and next-gen internals, the Opus Quad offered a new take on standalone DJing from Pioneer DJ.
It’s powerful (this was the company’s first true four-channel standalone), imposing, and undeniably pricey – but you’re getting a DJ system that has the potential to compete with the best here, because unlike with previous standalones from this brand, the Opus Quad has computer-based embedded tech which is easy for the company to add features to. Like the XDJ-AZ, it has CloudDirectPlay (so you can stream your own music to it over Dropbox) and Beatport, but this one also has Tidal, so it’s great for mobile DJs.
It’s a refreshing take on the way Pioneer DJ/AlphaTheta has done things traditionally, and one that has definitely divided DJs. Though if you lke its styling, it’s certainly got more than enough power for most people.
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Price: $3199 / £2899 / €2975
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Pioneer DJ Opus Quad
Find out more: Pioneer DJ website
4. Numark Mixstream Pro Go
Another Engine DJ-powered unit, this great value two-channel DJ system has the same software inside as the Prime 4+, giving all the same benefits. It has a surprising pair of tricks up its sleeve – a built-in battery and a pair of built-in speakers. You’re not going to rock any parties with the speakers, but they’re actually pretty good for the size, and along with the battery make it that bit easier to get practising anywhere.
What’s really special about the Numark Mixstream Pro Go is that it brings high quality standalone DJing down to a price point unheard of until now. All of the systems here will cost you well north of $1000, some a LOT more, yet here we have a perfectly capable standalone system (mic input, USB/SD card source choices, booth and balanced master outputs, some on-board effects) for well under that price.
Read this next: What DJ Gear Is Worth Spending Extra Money On?
This unit is really meant for consumer use, but we can see it sneaking into a few mobile DJ’s kit lists, and not always as a second, back-up device either. I recently saw it in use in the club on a Mediterranean ferry for instance, so pros are loving this too.
Look at the Mixstream Pro+ too if you don’t need the battery – it’s otherwise exactly the same unit.
Price: $839 / £685 / €777
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Numark Mixstream Pro Go
Find out more: Numark website
5. Denon DJ Prime Go+
It’s testament to how good the Prime Go design was originally that – like the Prime 4+ above – Denon DJ has seen fit to relaunch it as the Prime Go+ with very few changes, the most noticeable being a natty new paint job.
In short, this is a super-portable DJ system, like a shrunken Prime 4+ with a battery added, or a “professional” Mixstream Pro Go minus the speakers. It has 25% more battery life than the original Prime Go, a faster processor, and has Bluetooth (both in – useful – and out – not so much), although sadly it has lost the Ethernet port from the Prime Go, which we think is a mistake for a pro unit. It also adds Amazon streaming to its wide choice of available music services.
This would be a good choice for pro DJs looking for second unit to add to their set-up, maybe to use in outdoor segments of complex bookings such as weddings, as it is designed to be a reliable, unshowy workhorse.
Price: $999 / £899 / €1085
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read the article: Denon DJ Prime Go+ Adds Amazon Music, Improved Battery Life
Find out more: Denon DJ website
6. Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3
This isn’t the most powerful unit here, and it’s not the most innovative. But the Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3 has turned out to be hugely popular, presumably because for many DJs, it has all they will ever need, and comes from undoubtedly the leading brand in the DJ booth.
The XDJ-RX3 is the third iteration of the XDJ-RX range, and sports a 10″ screen, much improved on the previous models. It is also appreciably faster. As with all Pioneer’s DJ gear, it is Rekordbox-powered, meaning you prep all your music using Rekordbox software (free) on your laptop first.
Doing so gets you on-screen waveforms, musical key info and BPM info, lets you use sync and beatmatched effects, and also gives you the chance to add cues and loops and build playlists before your sets.
The XDJ-RX3 looks and feels like “club gear” (albeit with smaller jogwheels than pro gear), and for a relatively simple two-channel DJ system, it does the basics very well. All that’s sadly missing from a performance point of view for us is key shift/key sync.
With booth and master outputs including balanced, two mic inputs, and the ability to act as a standalone mixer for record decks or CDJs, it would be just as at home in the club as in the bedroom – and it even works as a controller with Serato, Rekordbox and VirtualDJ software too. All of this explains why it is so popular – indeed in many smaller venues in the UK at least, nowadays this seems to be the de facto DJ console provided.
Price: $2099 / £1699 / €2199
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3
Find out more: Pioneer DJ website
7. AlphaTheta Omnis Duo
The first product officially under the AlphaTheta brand, which is the new name for Pioneer DJ, the Omnis Duo can be seen as both a cut-down Opus Quad, and a rival to the Denon DJ Prime Go+.
Like the Prime Go+, it is a smaller-sized, all-in-one DJ unit with a flat touchscreen and built- in battery. It’s designed to be used as a portable unit and has both Bluetooth In (including transport controls) for feeding in music from phones and the like, and interestingly, Bluetooth Out – something we haven’t tested (at the time of writing this), although do check out our review for more info on this. It can also accept music from SD card or USB, and it can also work with Rekordbox on a computer, although no streaming service integration that we are currently aware of, at least.
Read this next: How To DJ On Standalone DJ Gear Without Exporting To A USB Drive
With both booth and master output and dual microphone inputs, this unit would equally be at home as a casual DJ unit to use anywhere without a laptop, or as a workhorse for a mobile DJ who needs a second set up for things like outdoor receptions, bar gigs and so on.
Price: $1499 / £1369 / €1549
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: AlphaTheta Omnis Duo Review
Find out more: AlphaTheta website
8. Denon DJ SC Live 4
Bit of a strange one this, because until now Denon DJ has been known for pro-quality gear that favours mobile DJs, yet the SC Live 4 comes in both price and features-wise below that bar.
It sits somewhere above Numark (a sister brand – see the Mixstream Pro Go above), though, because it has most of the controls of the Prime 4+ to which it appears superficially similar – yet it also has built-in speakers and a plastic build like the Mixstream Pro Go.
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Also, unlike Denon DJ’s other Prime gear, this is strictly software control (there are no external inputs except mic), and it lacks many of the other pro features, including an Ethernet port, making it WiFi only. It also has a disappointingly small 7″ screen.
But if you look at the Prime 4+ and decide you can’t afford it (yet want more control than that offered by Numark’s Mixstream Pro units), this gives you pretty much the full four-channel Engine DJ experience at a far lower price. We think livestreamers, serious hobby DJs and people who play out occasionally may well find the SC Live 4 (and its two-channel little sister the SC Live 2) hits their sweet spot.
Price: $1299 / £1079 / €1599
Our rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full review: Denon DJ SC Live 4
Find out more: Denon DJ website
Rekordbox vs Engine DJ
So you’ve hopefully figured out that you do still need software to prepare your music. You 100% need it on the Pioneer units, and while the Numark and Denon DJ units can cope with you just adding music files unprepared, they still work better if you do the preparation beforehand.
Rekordbox, the software you need to prep music for Pioneer DJ’s gear, is also fully fledged “laptop” DJ software, whereas the newer Engine DJ software (for prepping for Denon DJ and Numark standalones) is just for that – no laptop DJ element at all. Even so, Rekordbox is the better of the two packages, although Engine DJ is improving reasonably rapidly.
Therefore if you want to DJ with both a DJ controller/laptop and have a standalone option too, Rekordbox is probably the better bet, as the same software does both. That said, Engine DJ plays much more nicely with Serato and Rekordbox, happily working with libraries from both of those systems – something that can’t be said about Rekordbox.
Finally…
Standalone DJing is certainly coming of age. Ironically, this is the way it’s usually done in clubs, and has been for decades, albeit with club “separates” – but club gear has also always felt woefully underpowered against software and controllers, something that is now changing.
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As the worlds of standalone gear and laptop DJing move closer in feature sets, we can only see standalone gear becoming more and more popular. Hopefully our guide has helped you to decide if now might be the time to leap – and if so, what to leap to! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
Phil Morse
![Laptop-Free DJing & XDJ-AZ Rumours [October Live Q&A]](data:image/svg+xml;nitro-empty-id=NzA0OjE0ODk=-1;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTUwIDE1MCIgd2lkdGg9IjE1MCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxNTAiIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyI+PC9zdmc+ "Laptop-Free DJing & XDJ-AZ Rumours [October Live Q&A]")
