Pioneer DJ CDJ-2000NXS2 Media Player

General

Please note: this model is no longer available as it has been replaced by an improved version: the CDJ-3000X.

When Pioneer introduces a flagship player like the Pioneer CDJ-2000NXS2, naturally expectations are high. Fortunately, this media player doesn't disappoint. Sporting a 24-bit/96kHz sound card, it delivers top-quality audio, and it supports both the FLAC and ALAC formats, allowing you to work with lossless audio files. Compared to its predecessor - the renowned CDJ-2000NXS - the CDJ-2000NXS2 doesn't boast many radical changes, although the presence of a full-colour touch screen is definitely a bonus. Additionally, the digital output has been enhanced, making the CDJ 2000 Nexus 2 a great asset for your studio. Instead of three hot cues, you now have two banks of four at your disposal, giving you direct access to eight hot cues. If you like, you can add an optional DDJ-SP1 to your setup, which will give you more hot cues, loops, a slip mode and various search options to work with.

Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus 2: colour touch screen

This successor of the CDJ 2000 Nexus is equipped with a 7" colour touch screen that gives you even more intuitive control. It provides you with all the information you need and has a Track Filter mode that allows you to find the right tracks using the Rekordbox search filters. That means you can look for tracks by means of details like BPM, key or My Tags. It's even possible to turn the display into a full QWERTY keyboard and search for tracks by name. Just like its predecessor, this display shows multi-coloured waveforms that represent your tracks. The option to zoom in on a track using the touch screen is a welcome new addition, however. Finally, if you point out a specific point in a track with your finger, the Needle Countdown function will tell you how many beats you've got left up until that point.

NSX2: versatile enhancements

At first glance, the CDJ-2000NXS2 doesn't seem to have changed much. Don't let that fool you, though, as most improvements have been made under the bonnet. The sound card, for instance, has been upgraded from 48 kHz to 96 kHz, and now supports the FLAC and ALAC formats so producers can benefit from lossless audio. The digital output has been improved as well, taking sound quality to the next level in the studio and on stage alike. One of the most noticeable changes on the outside is the omission of the needle search strip, which has been made redundant by the touch screen. This second version of the Nexus media player allows you to quantise at 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 beat for optimal precision.

Extensive Rekordbox track information and Pro DJ Link

Analysing your music in Rekordbox is nothing new, but a note-worthy feature nonetheless, as it provides your player with vital information such as BPM, Beat Countdown and Phase meter. Memory Cues, however, are a new feature for the CDJ-2000NXS2. They make it possible to add names to cues, to assign a colour, and to show this information on the player's display. Pro DJ Link, meanwhile, enables you to use a single library for up to four players. Previously, you were already able to use Beat Sync and Beat Countdown, but now there are more Pro DJ Link options available. The Phase Meter is more detailed, so you can follow your track's progression through the bar, beats and between the beats. The Beat Grid is now accurate to the microsecond and fully synchronised with Rekordbox's Beat Grid, making the mixing process incredibly reliable. Another new Pro DJ Link feature is the Quantized Beat Jump, which allows you to jump forwards or backwards one beat from your current playback position.

• Please note: This product includes one Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus 2 only. The second player and mixer seen in the images serve illustrative purposes only and are not included.