Your first mixer
Pioneer DJ DJM-250MK2
A metal two-channel mixer with a Magvel crossfader and rekordbox DVS soundcard, but a filter is its only effect.
Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation
of 10 reviews recommend itand 2 owner reviews
Choose it if you are starting with turntables or media players and want one mixer that also connects to a laptop. Connected to a laptop, its built-in soundcard runs rekordbox Performance mode and DVS without a paid plan, so you can record mixes or play digital files from control vinyl, which is sold separately. Look elsewhere if you want more than a filter or need a booth output: the DJM-450 adds Beat FX and the Xone:24 adds a booth output.
- Best for
- Home and beginner DJs who want rekordbox DVS and a scratch-ready crossfader.
- Skip it if
- You want built-in Beat FX, a booth output or MIDI control of software.
What people praise
- Built-in soundcard with rekordbox DJ and DVS included makes it a cheap way into DVS
- Solid metal build
What to know first
- The filter is the only effect: no Beat FX
- Control vinyl for DVS is not in the box
Video reviews
- DJcityTVAug 2017Recommends
- Ibiza-UniqueMar 2017Mixed
A tight budget, with Bluetooth
Reloop RMX-10 BT
A basic, solidly built two-channel mixer with Bluetooth on either channel, but no filters, effects or USB.
Photos: Reloop
2 of 3 reviews recommend it3 owner reviews read
Choose it over the DJM-250MK2 if the budget is tight or you want to play from a phone at home. It takes two turntables or CD players, and its Bluetooth input can feed either channel, though owners report the link dropping out through a door or a crowd. It has no USB soundcard, filters or effects, and its outputs are RCA only, so it is a mixer to learn on rather than one to grow into.
- Best for
- First vinyl or CD setups, and house parties mixing in a phone over Bluetooth.
- Skip it if
- You want filters, effects, a booth output or a USB soundcard for DJ software.
What people praise
- Solid metal build that feels sturdier than the price suggests
- Simple layout that suits a first mixer
What to know first
- Knobs and faders feel stiff or uneven when new
- No filters or effects
Vinyl and analogue sound
Allen & Heath Xone:24
A compact analogue Xone mixer with the classic filter and booth out, but no USB audio interface.
Photos: Allen & Heath
3 of 3 reviews recommend it2 owner reviews read
Choose it over the DJM-250MK2 if you play vinyl or media players without a laptop and care most about sound. It is fully analogue, with the Xone filter shared by both channels, a third channel for a mic or aux source, and separate booth and record outputs. It has no USB audio, so for DVS or recording to a laptop, look at the Xone:24C under Also considered. All three professional reviews recommend it, but it launched in October 2025 and only two owners have reviewed it so far.
- Best for
- Vinyl and CDJ DJs who want analogue sound and the Xone filter.
- Skip it if
- You DJ from a laptop or use DVS: the Xone:24C adds USB audio.
What people praise
- Warm, clean and detailed analogue sound
- The Xone filter, with high-pass, low-pass and resonance
What to know first
- No USB audio: laptop, DVS and streaming set-ups need the Xone:24C or an external interface
- No built-in effects; the master insert works on the whole mix only
Four channels on a budget
Numark M6 USB
A cheap, plain four-channel mixer with USB recording; loose-feeling faders and sparse meters are the trade-off.
Photos: Numark
Only 2 professional reviews so far, 2 recommending it12 owner reviews read
Choose it over the two-channel picks if you have more than two sources, such as two turntables plus a media player, or a mic for events. It has four channels, an XLR mic channel with talkover and a booth output. Its USB link carries one stereo pair, enough to record a mix but not to run DVS or multi-deck software, and reviewers find the channel faders loose. For four channels with club effects, the DJM-750MK2 is the step up.
- Best for
- Beginners and mobile DJs who need four channels and a mic for little money.
- Skip it if
- You want DVS or multi-deck software over USB, effects, or club-grade faders.
What people praise
- Four channels for very little money
- Simple layout that is easy to set up and use
What to know first
- Sound is adequate rather than clean: dull phono stages and some reports of hum
- Channel faders wobble and feel loose
Learning to scratch
Numark Scratch
A two-channel Serato DVS scratch mixer with an Innofader at a budget price; four red pads per channel.
Photos: Numark
of 7 reviews recommend itand 34 owner reviews
Choose it over the DJM-250MK2 if scratching is what you want to learn and you play Serato. Connecting it unlocks Serato DJ Pro and DVS, its Innofader crossfader has reverse and slope switches, and each channel switches between timecode and normal records. Its four red pads per channel, software effects and loops all need Serato on a laptop; without one, only the filter works. Owners praise the value and the metal build, though three report faders wearing out, and it has one USB port and no aux input.
- Best for
- Turntablists and vinyl DJs moving to Serato DVS on a tight budget.
- Skip it if
- You want effects without a laptop, laptop changeovers or an aux input.
What people praise
- Strong value: Serato DJ Pro, DVS and an Innofader for the price of a budget mixer
- Innofader crossfader is smooth and precise for scratching
What to know first
- Only four single-colour (red) pads per channel
- Software effects and pads need Serato; without a laptop only the filter works
Video reviews
- DeckademicsJul 2020Recommends
- DJBoothSep 2019Recommends
Learning the club mixer
Pioneer DJ DJM-450
A two-channel mixer with DJM-900NXS2 effects and a rekordbox DVS soundcard, but no booth output.
Photos: Pioneer DJ / AlphaTheta Corporation
of 7 reviews recommend itand 3 owner reviews
Choose it over the DJM-250MK2 if you want to learn the layout of Pioneer DJ's club mixers. It puts the DJM-900NXS2's layout, Beat FX and Sound Color FX into a two-channel mixer, runs rekordbox Performance mode and DVS without a paid plan, and sends audio to effects apps on a phone or tablet over USB. Like the DJM-250MK2, it has no booth output, the gap six of seven reviews raise; the Xone:24 and M6 USB have one.
- Best for
- Home DJs learning the club DJM layout on two decks, with rekordbox DVS.
- Skip it if
- You play venues that need a booth monitor, or want MIDI control of software.
What people praise
- Brings the DJM-900NXS2 layout and effects to a compact two-channel mixer
- Eight Beat FX and four Sound Colour FX with parameter control
What to know first
- No booth output for a monitor speaker
- Control vinyl for DVS is sold separately
Video reviews
- DJ Deep BhamraJul 2020Recommends
Also considered
- Numark M2. On sale since 2008 and still current. It is cheap and simple, but the evidence is one professional review, and owners repeatedly report the stock crossfader wearing out or bleeding, a part Numark makes user-replaceable. The RMX-10 BT has the stronger record for a first budget mixer.
- Allen & Heath Xone:24C. The Xone:24 with a USB-C audio interface, which Allen & Heath positions for DVS and laptop DJs.
- Reloop PTB-2. A pocket-sized two-channel mixer from January 2026 that runs on USB-C power, with Bluetooth and DVS in djay Pro. Its independent reviews are only starting to appear, and no record has been compiled for it yet.
- Pioneer DJ DJM-S5. The way into Pioneer DJ's scratch mixers if you play Serato DJ Pro: seven of eight reviews recommend it, for the Magvel Fader Pro and USB power from a laptop. It is dearer than the Numark Scratch, its owner evidence is one review against the Numark's 34, and reviewers find its shift and mode combinations fiddly. Like the Numark it has no hardware effects, and Pioneer DJ doesn't list rekordbox for it.
- Pioneer DJ DJM-750MK2. The four-channel step up from the DJM-450: all five reviews recommend it as the closest thing to a DJM-900NXS2, with phono or line inputs on every channel and rekordbox DVS built in.
How to choose a DJ mixer
How much to spend
The table above shows today's price for each pick in your country; at the end of October 2026 the picks ran from about $120 to about $830 in the US. Under $150 buys a simple two-channel mixer with no soundcard: the RMX-10 BT at about $120 (£107 in the UK), the Numark M2, which all five reviews call sturdy and good value, and the Numark Scratch at about $130 (£115), which is the exception, with an Innofader and Serato DJ Pro in the box. Between $200 and $400, a four-channel mixer or a soundcard: the M6 USB at about $225, the analogue Xone:24 at about $330 (£290) and the DJM-250MK2 at about $380, the cheapest Pioneer DJ mixer with rekordbox DVS and the Magvel crossfader. Above $400 is club territory: the DJM-450 at about $830 is the step from a beginner's mixer to the club layout, and the best DJ mixers guide goes on from there. Reviewers' reservations about the cheapest tier repeat: stiff or loose faders, a filter as the only effect, and no USB audio.
Mixer or controller
A mixer has no decks of its own: it blends sources you already have, such as turntables, CDJs or media players. If you are starting from nothing and want to DJ from a laptop, a DJ controller has the mixer and decks in one unit. The controller and mixer comparison explains the difference.
Count your sources
Each source needs its own channel. Two channels cover two turntables or two players, which is how most people learn. Turntables need phono inputs, and every pick here has them on two channels; CDJs and media players use line inputs. The guides to mixer channels and two and four channels go further, and CDJs or turntables helps if you haven't chosen yet.
USB soundcard and DVS
A mixer with a built-in soundcard connects to a laptop with one USB cable, to record your mixes or to run DVS, where control vinyl or CDs play the music files on the laptop. The DJM-250MK2 and DJM-450 do both, and the Numark Scratch runs Serato DVS; the M6 USB records but can't run DVS; the RMX-10 BT and Xone:24 have no USB audio. See how DVS works and what an audio interface does.
Crossfader and outputs
The crossfader takes the most wear, so check whether it can be replaced; on the M6 USB and RMX-10 BT it can. If you plan to scratch, reviewers single out the Innofader on the Numark Scratch and the Magvel crossfader on both Pioneer DJ picks. For gigs, look for a balanced XLR master output and a booth output so you can hear yourself.
What else you'll need
Every mixer here needs a pair of turntables or media players, plus headphones and speakers. For mixers beyond the beginner range, see the best DJ mixers.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the mixer with the strongest evidence for its situation. The evidence is what professional reviews conclude and what owners report on retailer sites, compiled for each product, with every source linked on its product page. No mixer here was tested in a lab. Prices come from daily tracking across the retailers we link to, and the status beside each one compares today's price with the lowest recorded. The methodology explains the whole process.
