Am I the only one who thinks CDJs feel cheap?

DJ Gear & Hardware CDJ & Vinyl DJing
1

Am I the only one who thinks CDJs feel cheap?

Hey guys,

So i’m fairly new to DJing, but i’ve played around with many controllers, turntables, etc. I have never really played with any CDJs until a few days back. Wow do the CDJ 2000s feel cheap. I don’t know if it is just my subjective opinion on them but the jog wheels feel extremely “plastic-y” and they are WAY overpriced. The jog wheels on my S4 feel much better and the build quality overall seems superior to CDJs.

I played around with almost every model of the CDJ and they all have that cheap feel to them.

Does anyone else feel the same way as me, or am I crazy?

2

Yeh, i kinda feel the same way. i like spinning platters like the denon 3500/3700

3

Feel the same way about the too!

4

Yes

5

+1 particularly about the s4 jogs being nicer.

6

Yeah…the CDJ-2000s might be the only CDJs that don’t feel cheap (and the 1000s that came before them) but they definitely don’t feel cheap compared to the S4 or really any DJ controller.

7

I personally like the feel of the S4s jog wheels. Much closer to vinyl in my opinion. That’s just my opinion and it’s completely subjective.

But otherwise, the CDJs (including the 2000s) feel cheap to me.

8

Hey man, different strokes for different folks! You like the feel because it’s what you own. I’d venture a guess you’d feel differently if you owned a pair of 2000’s :stuck_out_tongue:

9

They do the trick, but they have a killer price tag

10

Yes but the reason I own an S4 is because I liked the feel of it before I bought it. I don’t like the feel of the CDJs and therefore I wouldn’t buy them. That means that I would never be able to own a pair of CDJs to feel differently about them :wink:

11

I agree with this.

12

Agree that the CDJ-2000s (and all the Pios before it) feel cheap.

But wonder if ALL CD decks would feel cheap to you?

Would be interested to hear your take on a Denon DN-S3700…

13

So a CDJ needs a motorized platter to not feel cheap? Tough crowd.

14

Don’t feel cheap to me. I have tried allsorts of CDJs, the 400s and under feel plasticky but that’s about it. Beyond that I never liked the motorized platters on the denons, nudging on them does not feel very precise. The only motorized platter I liked was on numarks CDXs but they are unreliable pieces of shite anyway. On top of building crappy sound artifacts as soon as you venture out of -/+ 2% pitch.

Exatly this. The 2000s definitely don’t feel cheap. Beyond that, what matters is your mixes, not your toys. At the end of the day, people don’t care how your platters feel. If you want a genuine turntable feel that does not feel cheap, buy a turntable.

15

I didn’t say that. In fact i’ve never used a controller/deck with a motorized platter other than a turntable.

I’m interested in trying some Denon’s as well. Never tried them but it would be interesting.

16

I completely agree with this. I chose the S4 because I liked how it feels and how it would help me reach my goal of creating awesome mixes.

I don’t like the CDJs, and therefore I won’t buy them. I’m just stating my feeling about them.

17

Everything feels cheap compared to a 1200.

18

With the exception of the Numark NS7/V7 I agree totally with this. Props to Numark for finally getting it right, except for that whole ITCH business.

19

only had hands on CDJ-900s besides my 800MK1s and they definetly don’t feel cheap to me (and yes i already played with a pair of 1200s).

20

I understand what you mean but at the same time you’re probably comparing cdjs to turntables or other more traditional instruments. CDJs are still arguably more reliable than the technics in your local club, which are usually battered beyond belief but “feel” better since they are heavier and have a metal casing.