Personally, I’ve been a heavy user of Pioneer DJ products from their early days to the Nexus, and having tested their latest Pioneer/AT products, the Denons are far superior in terms of audio quality and functionality. The built-in technology seems superior (or at least it’s being used to its full potential), it’s smooth, and the screen quality is excellent.
However, I’m really not a fan of the faders used in the Denon Prime P2, P4/P4+, and PGO players. They seem very fragile, like they’re going to break, but they haven’t! I used the P4 for five years, and they still work perfectly. (I’m not rough with it, and I don’t do more than 30 events a year.) But even if the faders wear out after two years, it’s still more cost-effective to replace them on Denon players.
As for the Pioneer/AT products, the quality is simply not there anymore. “That’s not normal, considering the price of their products!”
I tested the Opus and the AZ in the shop where I used to work, and I used the same library I use with my Prime products, and it was much less responsive and less smooth.
Once you’ve experienced the options of the Prime players, it’s very difficult to go back. There’s no standard; it’s just product placement and aggressive marketing.
If Denon had done the same thing, they would be the standard, but they didn’t take the same approach, that’s all. Standard for what? Because there are star DJs who use them, some even borrow or get the equipment for free, provided they can use the DJs’ image for their promotional campaigns.
Standard because the products appear in movies, TV series, or music videos for a few seconds; most of the time, this is called product placement. Pioneer/Atlanticist products are expensive to buy because you’re paying for what I mentioned earlier! Their products don’t innovate; they just repackage old features (except for the Opus and the Omni Duo).
You want an update for these products? Okay, but you’ll have to buy the latest model, which will cost you 200 euros more, if not more, not to mention that sometimes they add one feature but remove one or two others. lol
I’ve been using a P4 since 2019 (sold in 2025), I have a Prime Go dedicated to ceremonies, in 2023 I bought the P4+ (because the P4 is starting to show its age, although I’ve never had any problems and even the new owner is thrilled with it), then I bought a Rane Performer which I didn’t keep even though it was amazing, and then in February I bought the System One, but I still own the PGO and the P4+, it’s just that I love the vinyl feel, it reminds me of my early days with the SL.
For me, everything is stable and functional and, on top of that, the price/quality ratio is more than reasonable, knowing that with each update I feel like I have a new product without losing my investment.
Will having Pioneer/AT mixing consoles make you a better DJ? No. Will you get more gigs? No. Will your clients be grateful because you spent a fortune on gear? No. You’ll just end up spending a lot more money. Personally, with my setups… it’s a win-win situation.
I paid for functional, reliable, and high-performing products, and on top of that, they receive free feature updates and bug fixes.
My gigs go very well, and my clients haven’t thrown a fit because I don’t use Pioneer/Atlantic mixing consoles.
They don’t care, as long as the dance floor stays packed and all generations are having a good time.
My goal is to make a living from my work, not to spend more money than I earn, and I don’t care what other DJs think.
The most important thing for me is seeing the sparkle in my clients’ eyes.