From a user perspective, it is a bit surprising that issues like the current audio dropouts and connection problems in a fairly standard setup were not caught earlier in the testing phase.
I’m not trying to assign blame to any specific group, but it does raise the general question of how such scenarios are validated before release, especially for hardware that is expected to be reliable in live environments.
Like I said before; one thing is making a mistake, but then it comes down to how you handle the situation.
Appreciate that users inform us about acknowledgement via support channel, but a general announcement/official forum thread with frequent updates from employees would be better suitable in current situation.
I’m pretty convinced it’s directly linked to album art now, I had a 2 hour mix yesterday and it stuttered only with complex album art and not once with basic.
I do have the recording, but I am not uploading it publicly due to copyright concerns and uncertainty regarding the applicable rules.
The dropouts are sometimes quite severe, lasting up to roughly two seconds.
Vinyl Mode was enabled, as this reflects my normal workflow.
What frustrates me most at this point is not the existence of the bug itself, but the situation surrounding it.
Several weeks have now passed since the issue was first reported. The problem has been acknowledged and, according to support, identified internally. However, there is still no public timeline for a fix.
As a result, I am once again spending a weekend working on a borrowed XDJ-AZ instead of the Prime 4+ I purchased for exactly these kinds of events.
I appreciate that software issues can happen. What is much harder to understand as an end user is the lack of visibility regarding when affected users can realistically expect a solution.
And StageLinq, try turning off Engine Lighting if not being used.
Can you try using internal storage? Or does your computer not have it?
I synchronized my newly created database—which contained some FLAC files but no cover art—using the desktop Engine application and transferred it to both a USB drive and the internal SSD.
Unfortunately, this did not improve the situation at all. The same audio dropout behavior still occurs sooner or later during normal operation.
At this point I have completed all practical tests I can realistically perform before my gig tonight (starting at 22:00).
A colleague has already set up an XDJ-AZ as a backup system and sent me a photo with a somewhat ironic smile, knowing I will most likely rely on it for the event to ensure stable playback.
From my personal experience since purchasing the Prime 4+ in September 2025, stability has unfortunately been inconsistent. While some aspects of the system work well, the recurring issues—especially the current audio dropout problem—make it difficult to fully trust the device for critical live situations.
I am still hoping that upcoming updates will address these issues properly, as I would prefer to return to using the Prime platform reliably in professional live environments.
I understand your frustration, but there’s something we’ll do differently.
Some people report issues like you describe, while others, like me, can’t reproduce them or even observe the problems.
That’s why I think it’s something we do differently.
You say it also fails when you use files from the internal hard drive?
Do you have Wi-Fi connected? No
Streaming services connected? No
Ableton Link connected? No
Bluetooth connected? I have not(prime4)
Are the songs you use when it fails on the same playlist? Yes
Or do you usually change them? No
And do you change the source during the session? No
…Just hang in there… Your friend will eventually get an emoji from you, since he seems to have forgotten when the AZ would suddenly shut down in the middle of a session… I’m sure Denon will find the problem soon and fix it… you’ll see. Cheers.
I hope they fix it soon, summer’s almost over. Cheers.
As mentioned earlier in this thread, I have tried virtually every suggestion and test scenario that has been kindly proposed so far.
As I am admittedly still recovering from a very long night, I may be overlooking something obvious, but one observation stood out in particular:
Disabling Vinyl Mode may have reduced the frequency of the issue slightly, while removing artwork appeared to have a more noticeable effect.
Because of that, I am beginning to wonder whether the problem is more closely related to background processes involved in updating graphical elements—possibly including the jog wheel displays—rather than the artwork itself. That is purely speculation on my part, however, and I have no evidence to support it.
At this point, I am mainly waiting to see what the upcoming hotfix addresses and whether it restores enough confidence for me to continue using the Prime 4+ as either my primary or backup system.
In the meantime, this situation has certainly made me rethink my backup strategy. For now, I am using an XDJ-AZ. Longer term, I may move towards a setup that integrates more closely with VirtualDJ, potentially with an FLX10 as a backup option.
For the moment, though, I am simply hoping the hotfix resolves the issue and allows me to trust the Prime platform again in live situations.
It’s literally nuts that this hasn’t been worked on, it’s been weeks. I’ve played 6 gigs with music that just disappears when loading a new track. @Florian_Kunz saying that denon recommended not to downgrade has me scared to death. Is there a chance of bricking the device if I roll back the firmware? I have a huge gig on Saturday…this ■■■■■.
My understanding is that a proper rollback would ideally include not only the firmware itself, but also consideration of the database version being used.
From what has been reported so far, the 5.x database appears to remain largely usable on 4.3.4, although artwork may no longer display correctly on the device. Whether that should be considered true compatibility is open to interpretation.
Another practical concern is that many users have already upgraded and continued using Engine Desktop. Depending on their backup strategy, they may no longer have an easily recoverable copy of their older database available.
Most users are DJs first and foremost, not necessarily PC or Mac specialists.
For that reason, I can understand why a complete rollback may not be the first recommendation, as it potentially involves firmware, desktop software, and database considerations rather than just installing an older version on the device.
The additional complication is that 4.3.4 was not entirely free of issues either. Some users may consider those older bugs acceptable, while others may not.
Ultimately, each user has to decide which compromise best fits their own workflow.
Moin @U-w-B , a true and fair comment.
Brgds BeatMaster
Sorry hear, that you have to take this strong measures to keep things running for you
“Many”… is perhaps an exaggeration! Because if that were truly the case, the Denon forum and dedicated pages (Facebook and others…) would be flooded with negative comments! Within a 50km radius of my circle, there are 9 Prime Player users (whom I know very well), and they are all on version 5.0.1, as am I, and they haven’t encountered the audio problems mentioned in this discussion (Lucky… I doubt it!). Furthermore, I’m a contributor to a dedicated Facebook page with 2500 members, and none of them have complained about this type of problem.
Therefore, something different in usage is causing these issues for some users. I think that’s why the problem is taking so long to fix, because it’s a rather unusual issue to reproduce.
However, the good news is that this behavioral problem has been discovered and is being addressed.
I’ll add that you’re not the only professionals here! lol
So if you encounter a problem, downgrade the OS and Desktop to 4.2.0, for example, and wait for the 5.0.2 patch to be released.
In this post alone, there are 26 people having this problem! I counted them, and to say that no one is complaining seems a bit risky. I’ve seen others on Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit. I don’t understand why you say the problems don’t exist? I myself have the problem on two Prime 4 Pluses!
Ouch, I’m genuinely sorry to hear that, although I can certainly understand your decision.
I’m fortunate enough to have access to a loan unit, so at least I’m not under immediate pressure to replace my Prime 4+. Even then, I’ve already had a few colleagues jokingly remind me how much I usually praise the Prime platform whenever I show up with something else.
What concerns me most are the DJs who depend on their gear professionally and do not have a backup available. When reliability becomes a question mark, the stress level rises quickly, especially when paid gigs are involved.
As for the XDJ-AZ, I agree with some of your observations. For my personal workflow, it is larger and heavier than I would like, and there are certainly features from the Prime ecosystem that I miss. On the other hand, I need a four-channel standalone unit, which limits the available options considerably.
VirtualDJ works exceptionally well with both ecosystems, which is one reason why I am seriously considering different hardware strategies for the future. At the moment, however, I have not yet decided what role the Prime 4+ will play in my setup once this issue is finally resolved.
For now, I simply hope Denon manages to address the problem quickly and restore confidence for those of us who would prefer to keep using the platform.
In any case, I wish you many successful gigs with the RX3. It is certainly a very capable piece of gear, and if it offered four standalone channels, I would probably be looking at it much more closely myself.
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that every Prime user is affected.
The difficulty is that personal experience—whether positive or negative—does not necessarily reflect the experience of the wider user base.
You have a circle of users who are not seeing the issue, which is great news. On the other hand, there are multiple reports here, on Facebook, on Reddit, and support has already acknowledged the problem and confirmed that a fix is being worked on.
That doesn’t tell us how widespread the issue is, but it does tell us that it is real.
At this point, I am less interested in determining how many users are affected and more interested in seeing the issue resolved for those who are.
The good news is that support appears to have identified the problem and is actively working on it, which is ultimately what matters most.
I know exactly what you mean, and I’m struggling with some of the same thoughts myself.
I’ve gradually become more familiar with the Pioneer workflow, and with enough practice it actually becomes quite natural. I’ve still managed to hit the wrong button more than once during recent gigs, though. 
In the end, nobody seemed to care — or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.
Don’t let it get to you. You don’t owe anyone an explanation or a justification for your choices. Everyone here shares their own experiences, and readers are perfectly capable of forming their own conclusions from what they read.
Wishing you all the best, whatever direction you decide to take.
Who said the problem doesn’t exist??? I’m just stating the fact that in my circle on the FB page where I’m a contributor, there hasn’t been any feedback regarding this audio stuttering problem or audio dropout when loading music into a deck, and you know very well that people express their dissatisfaction more often than when they’re happy with a product.