CDJ350 vs CDJ800. Opinions wanted!

[ae86touge]

Afternoon all. I'm looking at buying some CDJ'S at the end of next month and have already settled on a mixer (numark x6) however i'm in a pickle over CDJ's. 2 brand new CDJ350's will set me back just over £1000, however on ebay you can get 2 good clean CDJ800's for 650 - 700. From the reviews and specs i've read the 350 and 800 share similar features. There are a few on the newer 350's i would like (like the beat bar) but i don't know if that justifies the extra £400 :S

In a nutshell, does anyone have 800's who can tell me how they are to use? And if anyone has used 350's and 800's, is there a major difference between them and is it worth the extra money? I would like to gather opinion before spending my hard earned!

Thanks, Alex.

Edit: All CDJ800's mentioned are MK2.

[Synergy]

800s will have a bigger jog wheel so that could be a plus?

[ae86touge]

Just realised the 800 doesn't have USB input aswel, so now considering CDJ400's

[Synergy]

900s!

[MouseAT]

The 400s are nice players if you can get a deal on them, although I'm not sure how easy they'll be to find given that they're discontinued. They work as HID controllers for software as well. The built in USB support is pretty limited though - only MP3 (and maybe WAV) files in folders, slow to read USB drives when they're first connected etc.

The 350 might be a better bet if you're looking to play directly from USB drives rather than using CDs or a computer. The 350 is supported by the Rekordbox software, so it should handle all the file formats and playlists that its bigger brothers can.

[ae86touge]

Synergy - 900's are well expensive!
MouseAT - thanks for the advice on the 400's. I probably will be playing most of my stuff from USB as it doesn't skip like a cd can (and has). I was looking at Numark NDX400's. Look like good CDJ's for the money and do everything i want, but i was hoping to go the Pioneer route for build quality and reliability.

[Archon]

I was looking at Numark NDX400's. Look like good CDJ's for the money and do everything i want, but i was hoping to go the Pioneer route for build quality and reliability.

if you're going the numark route, pick up some used NDX800s. they do EVERYTHING and they're dirt cheap used. last time i checked where i lived, i remember then being about 500 for a pair.

also, when i first started out with my little numark CD DJ in a box 3 years ago, i used the decks all the time and they never once failed on me. i also dropped them going to a little residency i had at a youth group a few times onto a hard concrete floor and they still worked. I cant speak for others, but in my personal experience, numark makes some pretty good stuff for the price.

[MouseAT]

MouseAT - thanks for the advice on the 400's. I probably will be playing most of my stuff from USB as it doesn't skip like a cd can (and has).

Pioneer CDJs tend not to skip. There are videos of people holding them upside down, shaking them and bashing them against the table whilst they're playing and they just keep on going. Then again, I hate CDs so...

Don't get me wrong, I love my 400s (which I mostly use as software controllers) although I may look at upgrading down the line. It's just that they're essentially the MK1 version of the USB technology and were fairly limited in terms of how they work. They're a bit of a technological dead end in that regard, hence my warning. If they're being used for CDs, software or you can live with the limitations of being stuck with physical folders full of MP3s then they're really nice decks.

The 350s are essentially a MK2 version with better support going forward. You can navigate by tags, create playlists and generally manage stuff in Rekordbox. If you play out on higher end CDJs or upgrade down the line, you'll be able to use the same drive(s) and playlists.

I've not had chance to play with the Numark players - hopefully others will be able to elaborate further on what they're like to use.

[roguedna]

DNS1200

CDJ400

NDX800

[ksandvik]

350s, reason, Rekordbox support.