Yes, design problem is not the most appropriate term, it is more of a production problem. InMusic may not even be aware that a batch of mosfets had defects.
Same thing happened with the MCX8000 screen ICs. It cost Them a fortune to have thousands of units returned for repair.
You’d think they’d have sharpened up after that.
The MCX8000 was a pretty cool unit for its time. The only thing I hated about it was the mirrored layout, which bothered me every time I had the chance to try one.
Thankfully, Denon DJ abandoned this mirrored layout for subsequent products.
I’d heard that screen issues on this unit only occurred if the screen brightness was set to maximum. I don’t know if this is true.
No was a bit of a misnomer. The IC fault causing persistent screen freeze happened anyway and the brightness thing was another issue entirely.
I’m still using my MCX8000 most weeks and it’s great but been taken apart a few times. Got it 8 years ago this week.
I’ve used my Live 4 in this scenarios for the last 2-3 years every single week.
Regarding the metal vs plastic exterior, I don’t think I ever seen a cracked dj console, I’m sure it happened, but never seen one online or in person. It’s not like you hammer nails with it. I would be more concerned for the screen on the Prime 4 if it were to be dropped.
Someone drop my Live 4 from a stand on the booth (chest height). The only thing that broke was the headphone jack inside (it fell on it). It was then repaired at a local service.