CDJ 3000 vs SC6000, which one should you buy?
It’s taken Pioneer four long years to bring an update to their flagship CDJ player. In that time the industry has seen not one but two rival players from Denon DJ. Both units brimming with cutting edge technology. Now the wait is finally over, has Pioneer DJ done enough with the CDJ 3000 to match the technological prowess of Denon’s SC6000? Or is the CDJ 3000 not the player most DJ’s have been waiting for? Let’s find out by putting these two players to the test!
Connectivity
| Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 | Denon SC6000 | |
| CD Drive | N | N |
| SATA Hard Drive | N | Y |
| USB Ports | 1 | 3 |
| SD Card | 1 | 1 |
| Wi-Fi | N | Y |
| Dropbox Streaming | N | Y |
| Streaming Services | N | Beatport Link Beatsource Link Tidal Soundcloud GO |
| HID Support | Rekordbox | Serato Virtual DJ |
| Onboard Track Analysis | N | Y |
| High Resolution Audio | Y | Y |
Performance Features
| Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 | Denon SC6000 | |
| Hot Cue | 8 | 8 |
| Auto Loop | 4 & 8 Beat Buttons | Rotary Encoder |
| Dual Layer Playback | N | Y |
| Beat Jump | Y | Y |
| Roll | On Screen | Pads |
| Slicer | N | Pads |
| Key Shift/Sync | Y | Y |
| Track Preview | Y | Y |
| Onboard Playlist Creation | N | Y |
Build Quality
| Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 | Denon SC6000 | |
| Screen Size | 9 Inch | 10 Inch |
| Multi Touch Display | N | Y |
| Jog Wheel | Mechanical | Capacitive
Motorised (M Model) |
| In Jog Display | LCD | LCD |
| Gigabit LAN | Y | Y |
| Locking IEC Power Cable | Y | Y |
Price
| Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 | Denon SC6000 | |
| Price | £2199 | £1259 |
The problem with comparing the CDJ 3000 vs the SC6000…
DJ equipment isn’t played on paper and although the Denon SC6000 unit seem to have the CDJ beat on almost every feature, it’s not a real representation of the CDJ’s strengths. Pioneer DJ currently dominate the professional market with CDJ models being used in almost every professional DJ booth. This is a blessing and a curse for Pioneer DJ, who are limited by providing their existing customer base a consistent and familiar product.
Denon are rewriting the capabilities of the stand alone media player, free from a user base expecting their ten year old USB stick to work flawlessly instantly. Sure, the SC6000 is capable of reading and playing a Rekordbox collection but that’s after a conversion process, not ideal for professionals who need to start their sets immediately.
With this in mind, it’s easier to understand the logic behind the CDJ-3000 and it’s apparent short comings. Although it’s not matching the SC6000 stat for stat, it’s providing a wider user base with a worthwhile update. An update that no doubt will still sell strongly and be seen before the Denon’s in DJ booths around the world.
Are you embracing the next generation of technology or do you require your USB to work from venue to venue? That will be the difference between these two amazing players, not the amount of ports it possesses.
It really annoys me that Pioneer DJ hold back on features, and therefore consumer value, because they have the monopoly of the Pro market, so they can get away with it!
Just picked up my sc6000s this week and they absolutely are the best players on the market by a country mile.
Totally blown away.
What amazes me is that people keep making excuses for Pioneer, digging to find the most inane reasons why it’s a better player. Since the original 2000 model, has it really advanced enough to justify its performance and pricing? Plus the fact they removed the cd transport which is $6-800 in itself and charged even more for the 3000 model. Denon has quietly defeated the so called giant of the industry, and people are afraid to jump ship. Everyone doesn’t play in major clubs so stop with that argument! I have both brands and since playing on the 6000s, I haven’t touched the 3000s. Plus the fact Denon listens to their base and does updates to reflect. Denon is the better unit, period