Whilst a pair of Technics are still regarded as the best amongst DJs for playing vinyl in clubs, Pioneer have become one of – if not, the – leading names in CD turntables.

Their flagship models, the Pioneer CDJ-1000 and the Pioneer CDJ2000 CD Media Player, are both incredible pieces of kit, offering a huge range of features for the creative DJ – although they do come at a hefty price.

Because of the huge costs involved (CDJ-2000s retail for around £1600 and CDJ-1000s from £1300 – and don’t forget, you’ll need to buy two), purchasing a pair of these industry standards is just out of the question for most beginners or bedroom DJs. Now though, help is at hand.

Pioneer have today announced the launch of a brand new digital media player – the CDJ-850 – designed for those bedroom and entry-level DJs who want to experience at least some of the creative features of its more expensive relatives.

The CDJ-850- which is a redesign of the CDJ 800 – is capable of reading CD-R/RW discs or USB storage devices and offers support for MP3, AAC, WAV and AIFF digital audio formats.

You’ll be able to create loops, cue instantly and with the bundled in Rekordbox software, you’ll be able to tag your music files, edit playlists and analyze wave and BPM data on the fly.

We’re not sure when the UK will be seeing the 850s, but Pioneer’s latest efforts will be on sale in the States for $999 – still expensive, sure, but a little bit closer to the budgets of your average bedroom jock.

[Press Release]

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