Average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars
Average rating of 5 out of 5 stars
Average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars
DJ-CD Player - What to Consider When Buying
Pioneer has set the club standard with its CDJ series when it comes to outfitting the DJ booth with high-quality CD players. The CD players initiated an evolution and have gone through an evolution: because classic CD players are hardly the devices today, but rather DJ media players with CD functionality.
- So why bother with CDs in today's time at all?
- What are good CD players on the market?
- What should I consider when buying a CD player?
You'll find these and many more answers to these questions in our guide.
Why CDs Still?
There are several reasons that still speak for the use of the Compact Disc! Firstly, the sound quality of a CD is not to be underestimated and far superior to any MP3 file. So, anyone aiming for the best quality practically has to reach for the CD.
Those who work professionally as DJs and regularly perform on, for example, online platforms or in radio should also be able to handle CDs: many radio stations don't want DJs who exclusively perform with controllers and MP3s and consider it a criterion that they perform with CDs or Vinyl.
Here comes point 1 again: sound quality must be optimal, as through compression over the Internet or via radio, playback with already compressed MP3 music suffers doubly.
Brands, Models, Features
You really can't get around the Pioneer brand. This brand initiated the CDJ series and still dominates the market today. The models are all high-quality crafted and still set the standard today. Alternatives come from Gemini.
The players of the Gemini CDJ series can be understood as the affordable clone of the Pioneer flagships, as evidenced by the name itself.
However, these devices don't want to be understood as just another CD player in the entry-level market, but Gemini wants to provide the price-conscious professional with a tool based on the well-known CDJ design of the market leader.
What Should the Player Offer?
Important basic functions include the ability to set one or more cue points and the ability to save and reload them (usually from an external source such as USB sticks). The cue points are then automatically loaded when the CD is inserted. Some players also offer an Auto-Cue function, which sets the loops automatically.
In recent years, many CD players have been released that can also handle MP3s. Those who value this should check whether the player supports it and which formats are supported.
The display should be sufficiently bright and adequately sized so that all information can be read even in poor club lighting.
The Jog Wheels are used to make smaller or larger jumps in the tracks. Opinions differ here. Some prefer a heavier wheel to precisely reach the desired point, while others prefer lighter Jog Wheels to quickly jump to corresponding points.
In high-quality models, information is also displayed on the Jog Wheel (On-Jog Displays) such as the current time of the track and whether the deck is currently running in sync.