Denon SC5000 Prime vs Pioneer CDJ 2000 NX2
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  1. #1
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    Default Denon SC5000 Prime vs Pioneer CDJ 2000 NX2

    Looking to get thoughts on Denon SC5000 Prime vs. Pioneer CDJ 2000 NX2.

    Always used Pioneer gear (every generation of CDJ/XDJ) but considering purchase of new Denon decks instead of CDJ 2000 NX2s.

    Has anyone used the Denon units live? How to they perform relative to the CDJs?

    Price not an issue for me looking at functionality.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Tech Guru SlayForMoney's Avatar
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    Um...Prime gear isn't even shipping to dealers yet so wait a month or two for reviews.
    Denon X600 - 2x Denon SC-2000 - AKG K181DJ - NI Audio 2

  3. #3
    Tech Mentor blackavenger's Avatar
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    Well, as far as hardware is concerned, The SC5000 blows away any Pioneer player. I own the NXS2 and have demoed the SC5000, so I have hands on experience. Engine Prime, however, needs some work! I'm not a scratch DJ, so the jogs being capacitive versus depressive isn't an issue for me. Pitch Resolution/Key Lock on the Denon's are faaaar superior. Those dual layers are so convenient. What I found most attractive about the SC5000s is the ability to take an unanalyzed thumb drive full of tunes, pop them into the players, and mix on the fly.......reminded me of the vinyl days. It was a LOT of fun!

    If they get a few quirks worked out with the software, both on the players and in Engine Prime, I will be selling my NXS setup and getting a pair of SC5000s. That said, I don't think you'll be seeing these in booths for at least a few years. Pro DJs and Club/Bar owners are rather stubborn when it comes to change. But this feature set is without a doubt the future of the standalone media player. I suspect we'll be seeing Pioneer emulate many of the SC5000s features on the next iteration of the XDJ line.
    Last edited by blackavenger; 07-15-2017 at 11:11 AM.
    A&H Xone:96, (2) X Pioneer CDJ-2000nxs2, Bozure ISO-201, (2) X Technics MK5, "TEIL1" (Delay Pedal), Strymon "Blue Sky" (Reverb Pedal), Ableton Push 2, A&H Xone:K2, (2) X Shure M44-7 w' Ortofon SH-4 Headshells, V-Moda Crossfade LP2, Crates & Crates of Vinyl, 2011 & 2012 Macbook Pros - (2) X SSD/16GB RAM for both machines |
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  4. #4
    Tech Guru SlayForMoney's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackavenger View Post
    That said, I don't think you'll be seeing these in booths for at least a few years. Pro DJs and Club/Bar owners are rather stubborn when it comes to change. But this feature set is without a doubt the future of the standalone media player. I suspect we'll be seeing Pioneer emulate many of the SC5000s features on the next iteration of the XDJ line.
    Actually, I'm already seeing them in booths. It's amazing how those stubborn club/bar owners suddenly change their mind when they realize that they only need 2x Denons to have the same functionality and backup for a significantly smaller price. All they see is $$$.
    And Pioneer will probably need at least 1 year to bring out a new player that will be up to par with Denons hardware wise.

    For those who have a big rekordbox collection it's probably not worth switching to Denon yet (importing the tracks, adjusting your workflow, dealing with bugs and lacking features of SC players/Engine Prime - no active loops, no linking players with Engine, etc...), wait to see what Pioneer will offer.
    Denon X600 - 2x Denon SC-2000 - AKG K181DJ - NI Audio 2

  5. #5
    Tech Mentor blackavenger's Avatar
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    I was all set to buy a pair of SC5000s, but I don't feel they're quite ready for "Prime"-time yet. Every issue that springs up by users is passed off as user error by the mods over at the Denon Forum. Now, while that is usually the case w' many issues regarding DJ gear, some of the grievances are clearly the players themselves. One guy complained that his SC5000 locked up on him whilst playing an outdoor gig and the mod actually had the gall to suggest that it might be due to the "color" (lol) of his flashdrive and how it might draw in excessive heat. Ridiculous! Oh no, it couldn't possibly be a glitch w' the player itself....no, it had to be because he was using a black-colored flashdrive. Unbelievable!! Hell, I merely expressed doubt in the stability of Engine Prime and had my comment deleted (and my account reduced to "read only"...in other words, I cannot start a thread nor reply to any posts), stating that I was trolling. Denon better get a grip on that form of moderating before it soils their reputation. I love Serato's method for forum moderation.....let users vent whatever frustrations or criticisms they have about a feature or product and then respond constructively. It's as if Denon (or at least their forum moderators) want to think of themselves as an Industry Standard without the years of providing a proven product.

    I think I'll stick to my NXS2s for a year and see how the SC5000s progress. I certainly LOVE the hardware and the feature-set of the Denons MUCH more than CDJs, but I don't feel like being a BETA tester for however long it takes to get them to operate properly.
    Last edited by blackavenger; 07-19-2017 at 02:45 PM.
    A&H Xone:96, (2) X Pioneer CDJ-2000nxs2, Bozure ISO-201, (2) X Technics MK5, "TEIL1" (Delay Pedal), Strymon "Blue Sky" (Reverb Pedal), Ableton Push 2, A&H Xone:K2, (2) X Shure M44-7 w' Ortofon SH-4 Headshells, V-Moda Crossfade LP2, Crates & Crates of Vinyl, 2011 & 2012 Macbook Pros - (2) X SSD/16GB RAM for both machines |
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  6. #6
    Tech Guru the_bastet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackavenger View Post
    I was all set to buy a pair of SC5000s, but I don't feel they're quite ready for "Prime"-time yet. Every issue that springs up by users is passed off as user error by the mods over at the Denon Forum. Now, while that is usually the case w' many issues regarding DJ gear, some of the grievances are clearly the players themselves. One guy complained that his SC5000 locked up on him whilst playing an outdoor gig and the mod actually had the gall to suggest that it might be due to the "color" (lol) of his flashdrive and how it might draw in excessive heat. Ridiculous! Oh no, it couldn't possibly be a glitch w' the player itself....no, it had to be because he was using a black-colored flashdrive. Unbelievable!! Hell, I merely expressed doubt in the stability of Engine Prime and had my comment deleted (and my account reduced to "read only"...in other words, I cannot start a thread nor reply to any posts), stating that I was trolling. Denon better get a grip on that form of moderating before it soils their reputation. I love Serato's method for forum moderation.....let users vent whatever frustrations or criticisms they have about a feature or product and then respond constructively. It's as if Denon (or at least their forum moderators) want to think of themselves as an Industry Standard without the years of providing a proven product.

    I think I'll stick to my NXS2s for a year and see how the SC5000s progress. I certainly LOVE the hardware and the feature-set of the Denons MUCH more than CDJs, but I don't feel like being a BETA tester for however long it takes to get them to operate properly.
    This makes me extremely happy that I did not buy these units. It sucks to see that Denon is acting so terribly.
    - Equipment - 2X Technics 1200, 2X Audio Technica ATLP1240, 2X XDJ700, 2X XDJ1000 MK2, Denon DNX-1100, Mixars DUO, DJM750 MK2, NI Audio 10, NI Aduio 4, Serato SL3, 4X Shure M44-7, 2X Ortofon Pro S, 2X Numark Groove Tool, Maschine MK3, Samson Carbon 49, Roland SE-02, Novation Launchcontrol, TouchOSC, Nocation Peak, Arturia MiniBrute, Korg Volca Kick, MicroKorg (Classic), NI Komplete Audio 6

  7. #7

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    Funny, I remember having discussions like that with Silvio on the Denon DJ forums years ago, looks like he still works there.

    I doubt Pioneer is worried, they have another product cycle in 18 months, while the SC5000 still has to prove itself.
    Last edited by ErikMinekus; 07-20-2017 at 07:36 AM.

  8. #8
    Tech Mentor blackavenger's Avatar
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    LMAO, and now the thread for that discussion (that got me demoted) has been locked! Oh man, Denon, you are so screwed. Already making HUGE mistakes with the tiny community that you've got.

    http://denondjforum.com/t/elastic-be...o-beats/4473/6
    A&H Xone:96, (2) X Pioneer CDJ-2000nxs2, Bozure ISO-201, (2) X Technics MK5, "TEIL1" (Delay Pedal), Strymon "Blue Sky" (Reverb Pedal), Ableton Push 2, A&H Xone:K2, (2) X Shure M44-7 w' Ortofon SH-4 Headshells, V-Moda Crossfade LP2, Crates & Crates of Vinyl, 2011 & 2012 Macbook Pros - (2) X SSD/16GB RAM for both machines |
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  9. #9
    Tech Guru astromech's Avatar
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    A&H Xone:96 | Xone:K1 | 2 x 1210s | Traktor Pro 3 | Apple Macbook Pro (2015) 13" | Sennheiser HD7 DJ | Maschine Mikro Mk3
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  10. #10
    Tech Mentor blackavenger's Avatar
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    There is no doubt....they are sexy AF!! That's why I haven't completely written them off.
    I will revisit them in a year or so and see how far they've progressed. I would LOVE to
    ditch my CDJs. I still think the feature set of the Denon players are the future.
    Perhaps Pioneer will respond w' their own version of the SC5000s. But even still,
    w' Pioneer's model of updating features via a whole new unit, versus regularly updating
    the firmware on currently available hardware, I think I would rather follow Denon's model.
    Regardless, they NEED to put their Forum moderators in check......that place does not
    promote a healthy environment for discussion of the feature set and/or resolving issues
    had by users/customers. In other words, they need to drop the harsh attitude they direct
    toward the people who are trying to make their product(s) better.

    For fuq'z sake, don't demote a potential customer while he's on the verge of buying a pair!
    Not gonna' lie, the way I was treated over at the Denon Forum played a significant role
    in me holding off on purchasing at this time. I hope someone from over there is reading
    this and will understand that this is NOT how you treat potential, nor current customers.

    Oh yeah, that link I provided in the post above....they never did address ToddOddity's issue that
    he raised. They just diverted the conversation and subsequently locked the thread. Poor guy.
    A&H Xone:96, (2) X Pioneer CDJ-2000nxs2, Bozure ISO-201, (2) X Technics MK5, "TEIL1" (Delay Pedal), Strymon "Blue Sky" (Reverb Pedal), Ableton Push 2, A&H Xone:K2, (2) X Shure M44-7 w' Ortofon SH-4 Headshells, V-Moda Crossfade LP2, Crates & Crates of Vinyl, 2011 & 2012 Macbook Pros - (2) X SSD/16GB RAM for both machines |
    https://soundcloud.com/risquedj

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