For the DJ market, there have been a host of different companies that have sought to make their name known for producing the best DJ equipment.
For the longest time, the gold standard manufacturer has been Pioneer DJ and all of their various DJ-related materials.
More recently, however, that title has started to shift.
So which DJs use Denon DJ nowadays?
Over the past few years, many DJs have started to transition over to the US-based company, Denon DJ thanks to their competitively priced units, impressive quality and rapidly improving technology!
Here, we will go over the Denon DJ and see what it is that seems to be so interesting for the DJs now checking them out.
Denon DJ
While not the youngest company ever, Denon DJ first made itself known in the 1990s, establishing itself as a leader in the manufacturing of quality DJ goods and equipment.
Since coming out, the company ships to professional DJs all across the globe and are used in a vast number of clubs and party venues.
In terms of what they provide, Denon is mostly known for producing high-functioning mixers, turntables, and DJ controllers.
Focusing largely on the entry-level market, much of their equipment deals with appealing to beginner DJs and those just starting.
And, while much of what they offer is of impressive quality, they have continued to make it their goal of putting together the best devices so that budding DJs can grow and properly hone their skills.
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Who Uses Denon DJ?
As Denon has progressively become a bigger and bigger deal, it’s only to be expected that many of the people that once used other products have jumped ship and are now staunch proponents of Denon.
And these aren’t just “no-name talent” that have jumped ship either.
The below artists have all been noted for recently using Denon DJ products in recent times.
- Paul Oakenfold
- Dixon
- Maceo Plex
- Bushwacka
- Laidback Luke
- Oliver Heldens
- Fatima Hajji
- Tiesto
- Neverdogs
- Sebastien Leger
- JFB
- John 00 Fleming
- Damian Lazarus
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Denon vs Pioneer DJ – Which Is Best?
The much-debated Pioneer vs Denon question.
With Denon increasingly pushing to take on the top spot as the leader in DJ devices and equipment, it was only inevitable that they’d start to be compared with one of the current fan favorites and heavyweights, Pioneer DJ.
Considered to be Denon’s biggest competition, Pioneer DJ has been the number one leading brand for DJs for a long time.
Known for putting together some truly impressive and professionally made products, Pioneer DJ has certainly earned its place at the top.
Still, with Denon’s heavy push to be the new king of the castle, and Pioneer DJ’s failure to truly innovate themselves, largely staying stagnant, it is worth seeing how the two compare and if Denon has a chance of overtaking their competitor.
Below, we’ve gone over both brands and how they stack up against one another comparing their respective price, music source variety, and design.
#1. Price
Starting with arguably the most important factor here, we’ll see which of the two offers the more affordable price to its customer.
Right off the bat, strictly on price, it’s clear that Denon’s goal of make an affordable and high-quality device, with their products, by and large, being cheaper and more affordable than Pioneer DJ’s.
In fact, not only are they cheaper than Pioneer DJ’s gear, but by over half. Effectively, for every Pioneer DJ controller you get, you could get two Denon controllers. That’s a pretty noticeable price difference, especially with both claiming to focus on maintaining high quality.
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#2. DJ Software
Next up is music source variety. This specifically refers to the number of different methods either device can use to access music from their respective devices.
As both are hardware devices, the more expansive their list, the more options a DJ has to play their respective music choices.
Here, it’s somewhat of a close-call, with Pioneer DJ slightly edging out over Denon. Whereas Denon does offer the ability to use an SD card as well as a USB stick to play music, in terms of DJ software, they only have access to Serato DJ and Denon DJ;s very own DJ software, Engine PRIME.
Engine PRIME is certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Denon DJ are injecting a huge amount of resources into this platform
And, while Serato is an extremely popular option, their lack of variety in software options may be a bit of an issue, especially for those that like Rekordbox or Virtual DJ.
On the other hand, Pioneer DJ hosts an impressive array of different options in terms of their software accessibility.
Here, they offer to use CDs, as well as the Traktor, Virtual DJ, and Rekordbox DJ software types.
With both options, you can see that, while Pioneer DJ does have more options, those options are focused primarily on DJ software types, with not much going in terms of physical items.
If you’re someone just starting and are interested in using an SD card or USB stick, it makes more sense to use Denon.
Conversely, if you find yourself a bigger fan of Virtual DJ’s software setup, you may want to use Pioneer DJ instead.
Read this next: 4 Reasons To Use Engine Prime DJ Software
#3.Design
Next is the look and design of both devices. Honestly, this is entirely up to personal preference. While numerous people are more interested in Denon’s device designs, there are just as many people who like what Pioneer DJ offers visually.
The Verdict
Currently, both sides have their strengths and their weaknesses.
As it is currently broken down, there are two ways to look at this situation. If your main focus is on price, the win is clearly in Denon’s favor.
Again, with prices at half of their competitor’s, there’s no getting around that.
Conversely, if you are more interested in overall music compatibility and a wider range of digital software options, it is equally apparent that you should focus on Pioneer DJ.
Not only does Denon only have access to Engine PRIME and Serato DJ, but they also don’t offer access for anything with CDs, instead only having use with SD cards and USB sticks, something that people don’t normally consider when looking to DJ.
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Which DJs Use Denon DJ? Takeaway
We finish on our ‘which DJs use Denon DJ’ takeaway. Ultimately, while Denon has aspirations of overcoming Pioneer DJ and becoming the best option out there, I don’t think they’ve quite made it yet.
But they are getting very close indeed and their equipment is EXCEPTIONAL.
There are more DJs talking positively about Denon DJ than ever before!
Denon DJ is certainly making every good go to be the foremost DJ equipment producer out there!
You know what, they might just do it!
We are big fans here at DJ Tech Reviews. Good luck to them.
