Reliability vs. Affordability? Which would you choose?
Throughout the DJ space, there are precious few companies that get or deserve the same level of respect as either Pioneer DJ or Denon DJ. This is because, for many DJs, there aren’t a lot of companies capable of producing DJ gear and equipment to the same quality or standard.
In this Denon SC6000 Vs Pioneer DJ CDJ 3000 review, we’ll be taking a look at the Pioneer DJ’s CDJ-3000 as well as the Denon’s SC6000 before determining which of the two is the better option. If there is one!
We’ll be taking a look at either device’s benefits as well as their respective drawbacks so that, by the end, you’ll know exactly which is best for you and what you’re trying to do as a DJ.
Denon DJ SC6000 Explained
The Denon DJ SC6000 acts as a competing answer to the CDJ-3000. Not only does it share many of the same overarching features as the Pioneer DJ device, but it also comes with a few things that are unique to it alone.
In terms of its dimensions, the device has a width of 12.6 inches a depth of 18.2 inches, and a full height of 6 inches respectively.
It comes with two RCA output ports as well as three USB-A ports, a USB-B port, an ethernet port, and an SD card port just to name a few.
Read this next: Denon DJ SC6000 Prime: A Revolution Like No Other
Things We Like:
- Motorized Platters
- Fairly Affordable
- Several Included Features
- Serato Compatible
- Good Overall Build
Motorized Platters
One of the big selling points for the Denon DJ SC6000 is its use of motorized platters for its jogwheels. Here, these 8.5-inch platters come with an adjustable level of tension along with a scratch, nudge pitch, and back-cue feature that makes music playing fun and enjoyable.
It’s not exactly on the level of being a scratch player, no, but of the two options, it certainly is more “fun” to play around with.
The jogwheels come with a customizable center display that similarly presents various important bits of information like the CDJ-3000.
In addition to this, however, the jogwheels have an LED color ring that will light up, adding to the “cool” factor.
Fairly Affordable
Another huge selling point is that the SC6000 is a much more affordable side of things compared to the CDJ-3000. It’s not free, no, but the price difference is kind of astonishing, especially since they are pretty comparable in terms of features and quality.
For many, this disparity alone would warrant the SC6000 as the better option. That’s how severe the price difference is.
Several Included Features
If the price difference alone wasn’t a deciding factor, the fact that the SC6000 has more features despite being considerably cheaper should be.
Not only can it do pretty much everything the CDJ-3000 can do, but it also comes with additional features like a more varied number of connectivity and streaming options, ranging from Beatport, Tidal, Dropbox, or standard WIFI.
The CDJ also comes with a built-in hard drive, an “instant match” feature, and an extensive number of options for a music library – effectively pulling from potentially multiple music libraries at once.
Serato Compatible
The CDJ comes compatible with the Serato DJ software. Not only that, but it is native to the Serato software, meaning that you’ll have full access to all of its various features.
This is important as, while it and Rekordbox do share many similarities, Serato is generally recognized for being a bit more complete due to being around for longer.
Good Overall Build
While Pioneer DJ’s CDJ-3000 does take the cake in terms of overall quality, that doesn’t take anything away from what Denon’s SC6000 has put forth.
Here, you can reasonably use the SC6000 pretty extensively without any issues provided you aren’t excessively careless with it.
Not only that, but even if you do have an issue that needs replacing, the fact that the SC6000’s parts are so much more affordable to repair or replace makes any build issues easily remedied.
Things We Do Not Like:
- Less Aftermarket Customization Options
- Not A Universally Used Product
- Motorized Platters Aren’t For Everyone
Less Aftermarket Customization Options
The Denon SC6000, while very impressive in terms of its build and price, lacks overall aftermarket options.
This means that, while finding ways to customize it is certainly possible, it’s more difficult than with the CDJ-3000 and will likely cost more.
Not A Universally Used Product
Another drawback to the SC6000 is the fact that it isn’t particularly used outside of commercial purchases.
Unlike Pioneer DJ’s CDJ-3000, which is either directly used in many clubs and events or a model that closely emulates it, the SC6000 is pretty much only used if you’re using it.
This means that you’ll need to take it with you everywhere you go if you plan to do anything with it. For some people, this can be a bit frustrating, since most clubs will likely already have a sitting CDJ or DJ controller available that you’ll essentially have to ignore just to keep with your preferred play style.
To be clear, it’s not a deal breaker, but it does make everything potentially more difficult compared to if you were just using a Pioneer DJ device.
Motorized Platters Aren’t For Everyone
When it comes to the SC6000’s motorized platters, they are great for offering enough resistance to make them ideal for scratching and other DJ practices.
If you aren’t interested in doing those things, however, a motorized platter may be a bit annoying. Yes, you can adjust the resistance level, but that requires knowing what works best for you and what won’t.
For those people, it may be better to just use the CDJ-3000’s mechanical platters.
- Serato Compatible
- High-End Build Quality
- Powered by ENGINE OS
- Large Touchscreen
- Not Universally Used
Verdict
Like the CDJ-3000, the SC6000 has a ton of things that make it a great option worth seriously considering. It is priced more competitively, offers more features and functions, and is an easier CDJ to get behind when compared to the CDJ-3000.
The only real downside is the fact that it essentially doesn’t have the name-brand recognition that comes from something like Pioneer DJ.
In many instances, it’s a lot like the Apple vs. Android debate.
Because Apple is “Apple”, they are recognized universally as the superior option even if, objectively speaking, they don’t offer anything particularly impressive in comparison.
Simply put, if you are someone that wanted Pioneer DJ to be the better option, plans to take your DJing professionally, or ultimately just think Pioneer DJ products stand for something outside of being a functioning DJ device, then you’ll likely have an issue with Denon’s SC6000.
For everyone else, this is a clear winner along nearly all metrics.
Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 Explained
The Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 was first unveiled back in early September 2020 after an extensive amount of time.
Coming out when it did, the CDJ-3000 was recognized as a flagship entry that sought to reimagine the CDJ range via its intuitive interface that focused primarily on helping DJ users have greater control when manipulating music throughout their performance.
The CDJ-3000 has a frequency range that would vary between 4 and 40,000 Hz, while the controller itself had an end-to-end width of 12.9 inches, a depth of 17.8 inches, and a height of 4.6 inches.
The CDJ was also an incredible 12 pounds, making it far from something small or dainty.
The CDJ itself was known for its impressive mechanical jogwheels, fully interactive LED screen display, and first-ever micro-processing unit (or MPU for short).
Read this next: Pioneer DJ CDJ 3000: The Media Player You Dreamed About
Things We Like:
- Quality & Reliable Build
- Club Standard
- Mechanical Jogwheels
- LED Interactive Screen
- Varied Music Software Use
- Impressive Performance Flexibility
Quality & Reliable Build
One of the things that the Pioneer DJ company has always focused on, is its quality products that are both dependable and reliable.
Simply put, they offer peace of mind in that you won’t need to worry about suffering any hardware issues or wondering if a part is going to “give out”. Unless you’re intentionally reckless, you shouldn’t have any issues.
Club Standard
Currently, one of the CDJ-3000’s biggest benefits is the fact that it is part of the Pioneer DJ lineup. In this case, that has made it a club standard for many higher-end locations that use CDJ devices.
This means that you won’t need to suffer an extensive re-familiarizing experience as you potentially might with Denon’s SC6000.
While this may not seem like a big issue, if you are interested in having a more professional career in DJing, using a CDJ that is more commonly used will have much more benefits compared to something fundamentally different in the way it is built such as with the SC6000. A great example would be driving an F1 in a NASCAR race.
Is it possible?
Yes, but you’re massively handicapping yourself for potentially no reason.
Mechanical Jogwheels
Made for an effortless scratch alongside a super smooth bend, the CDJ-3000’s jogwheels are an amazing experience in and of themselves.
They are incredibly slick and have a reduced touch latency that you’ll be able to immediately notice the second you start playing with them.
Where the SC6000 uses motorized platters for its jog wheel, the CDJ-3000 uses mechanical ones. This has led to an objectively smoother flow.
The jogwheels have a slightly grooved acrylic top plate alongside an LED display and redesigned controls that essentially let you play the CDJ like a musical instrument unto itself.
LED Interactive Screen
Speaking of the LED display screen, here, the CDJ has a fairly extensive number of factors that it notes and looks over.
This includes things like a track’s BPM and duration, its current position, as well as various cue and loop positions.
Varied Music Software Use
One of the things many users of Pioneer had noted was that, as good as many of their products were, they were never as good as they could have been due to the lack of DJ software variety.
In the majority of instances, a Pioneer DJ device used Rekordbox and Rekordbox alone. And, while Rekordbox is the native home for the CDJ-3000, that’s not its only home.
In addition to working well with Rekordbox, the CDJ-3000 also supports USB-HID control with the Serato DJ Pro software, the djay Pro software, and Native Instrument’s TRAKTOR PRO 3 software.
By having this level of variety and open use, DJs aren’t tied down and can use the software option of their choice, something very few other Pioneer DJ devices seem to offer.
Impressive Performance Flexibility
Lastly, the CDJ-3000 is highly flexible in terms of its various performance options.
Not only can it be played “as is”, but you can also use the USB-HID to connect the device to your laptop as well as utilize Expert Mode to play the music that has been pre-analyzed by Rekordbox through a USB drive.
The CDJ can also be connected directly to your iPhone through the use of a Lighting to USB3 cable and the Rekordbox app on the iOS store.
Things We Do Not Like:
- Excessive Price Point
- Lack Of Features
- Not Serato Native
Excessive Price Point
A big point of contention you’ll notice between the two devices is that the CDJ-3000 is excessively expensive, especially compared to the Denon SC6000.
We’ll get into the SC6000 in a bit, but the bigger issue is that the CDJ-3000 costs as much as it does.
This was already an issue for many when you considered the significance of the CDJ in the first place for Pioneer DJ as part of their flagship line.
If affordability is important for you, you may want to consider that before getting the CDJ-3000.
Lack Of Features
Despite the CDJ-3000 having so many great things going for it externally, that doesn’t mean it’s as littered with features as you’d think.
When you consider what was included compared to the price point, it’s just a bit lopsided against the buyer where you’d normally expect otherwise.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the CDJ doesn’t have anything going for it. It’s just that what they do include may not warrant the already high cost.
As an example, while the CDJ can tie into different software options, its streaming options as a whole are much more limited. Similarly, you’re only getting things like a single USB port and no available built-in hard drive.
Not Serato Native
While the CDJ-3000 does include use with Serato DJ Pro, it is not native to the platform.
Because of this, not everything is directly ported through, leaving many potential aspects of the software missing.
Rekordbox does have most of these features in its native state, yes, but it isn’t one-to-one.
Simply put, while you will have access to some of your Serato use, there will be some areas that don’t directly cross over.
- Top Standard Build
- Club Standard
- Great Jogwheels
- Connectivity Options
- Expensive
Verdict
The CDJ-3000, as expected, does a lot of things right. Considering the importance of its unveiling, as well as how much time was spent on its development, there is a lot of enjoyment and use to be had here. Its biggest selling points are the fact that it’s universally used by most club settings alongside its overall impressive build quality.
On the flip side, the outrageous price and only sparse feature inclusion do hurt it a bit a fair bit.
If you had to choose between the two, the key factors worth considering are its price tag as well as how serious you are with DJing.
If you want the best chance at being a professional DJ that performs in professional club events, you’ll want to think about getting the CDJ.
If, however, you aren’t 100% sold on that dream or feel the price is just too unreasonable, it may be better to just check out the Denon SC6000.
Which Is Best?
Honestly, while I wish I could say this was close, it isn’t. I’ve always been a fan of Pioneer DJ’s products, however, the price difference alone makes it difficult to recommend over Denon’s CDJ – and that would be if they were ultimately equal.
The truth is that the Denon SC6000 is arguably better than the Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000.
Ultimately, the only real reason I could see someone using Pioneer DJ’s CDJ is if they expected to work professionally in a DJ booth environment where that was the standard.
Either that or they personally just loved Pioneer DJ as a brand.
If you don’t fall into either category, you should seriously give Denon’s SC6000 a look over yourself to see if it’s worth trying out. I can reasonably say you won’t be disappointed.
Denon SC6000 Vs Pioneer DJ CDJ 3000: Summary
In many matchups where two devices are compared to one another, there is at least some understanding that personal subjectivity will play a factor. What you see as important may not be what I see as important.
This is often why it’s rare that one side is definitively characterized as the winner. In this case, while I love what Pioneer DJ has done, Denon DJ has simply done it better and done it cheaper.
Ultimately, it will be up to you to determine where your DJ career is currently and if the CDJ-3000 is worth its price tag.
For many serious professional DJs, it will be. Others, that aren’t at that level, will see the inherent value in what the SC6000 brings to the table.
I surely am.
