Allen and Heath vs. Pioneer

[Jesus F. Christ]

So two great brands, one question, which one do u perfer?

The Allen and Heath Xone:92
-or-
The Pioneer DJM-800

I know the DJM is industry standard, and I don't CARE!
I really like what I hear and see with the Xone:92, so has anyone dealt with a Xone:92?

Opinions?

Personally I would love to have a Xone:3D, but i'm not sure if I can hook up external decks, it has RIAA inputs in the back, but what is RIAA?

[Nemocystem]

it's funny you should bring this up. i actually just had my DJM 600 take a dump on me about 2 months ago and was looking into a few options ranging from repair to just scrapping it & buying a new one.

after doing some research i learned that on average it would take about $300 & 2 weeks to repair & i didn't have the time, nor did i want to spend that kind of money on something that was just as likely to break again a few months later.

so i began really looking hard into a new mixer. i had considered sticking with Pioneer & just getting a DJM - 800. now, i must say that i'll still stand by Pioneer DJM brand mixers. the quality is top notch & the effects processor is extremely tight & intuitave. however, the more i looked at the Allen & Heath XONE: 92 i just couldn't resist.

basically, here's your main differences (p.s. i used my DJM - 600 for almost 4 years so i have a lot of experience):

1) effects: this is probably the most discernable difference between the two mixers. the Pioneer offers effects that range from flange/filter/reverb/echo/delay/pan/trans/beat counter & a couple others i never used. these are all great effects but for Hardcore there's probably only 4 usable effects out of this set.

the XONE: 92 only has LFO filters. but boy can you do a lot with them. since the LFO messes with the wave structure & the XONE offers 3 different LFO parameters, you can essentially use it as a filter/flange/phase effect. from there all of the effects features are pretty basic except...there's a really neat feature. there's a manual tap control for the LFO function that allows you to "tap" the beat you wish the LFO to control & there's a X2 button that will double it up. essentially you can flange on beat, or tap every other bar or every other beat or double time your manual tap & then X2 it to get some really crazy effects.

overall...i'd say the Pioneer has a slight edge as i really liked using the Trans function in conjunction with the Phaser & there's just a bit more available. but it's close. the "tap" feature really makes what seems to be a basic effects processor into a virtual juggernaut. unfortunately it's slightly limited in its capabilities.

2) hardware: well, aside from the look there's a couple of key differences that really made the bulk of my decision all the easier & turned the tide from Pioneer over to the XONE:92.

first, the XONE features a 4-band EQ. this is a MASSIVE upgrade from the typical 3-band EQ on most mixers, including the Pioneer. the moment you hook it up the first thing that will jump out at you will be the amazing touch that can be had with 4-bands instead of 3...ESPECIALLY WITH HARDCORE. this really is a universal need in the Techno base, but with Hardcore you probably know that most bass carries in the Low-Mid frequency range. that means that 3-band EQ's only cut part of the bass while taking some of the mid with it, or vice versa. with 4-bands you can cut the Low-Mid & keep your highs & still get that "i feel like i'm outside of the rave trying to get in" effect with the kick while still being able to hear the rest of the track clear as day.

other noticeable differences are the slider/fader action is much more sleek/quick than the Pioneer & the knob-width on the levels are nice & wide so i don't feel like i'm pinching the knobs for better control. it just feels better. my only complaint on this end for the XONE is that the fader set is a little precarious in that you don't have a gauge on where it's actually set & the knob is a little, tiny, & therefore kind of unnecessarily difficult to adjust.

3) quality: this, for me, was the last-straw. the first thing is that the Pioneer always felt a little fragile to me & it really was it's undoing.

now, it seems like you either play or are looking to play Hardcore so you should know that the bass-knob or Low-band is probably the most consistently used feature on your mixer aside from the faders/sliders. so naturally you would want that to be a very durable piece of equipment, right?

well, that was the first thing to go...on ALL FOUR CHANNELS!!! AT THE SAME TIME!!!...well, all within a week of each other. then the channels started to bleed or, if they didn't bleed...one channel would play louder than the other & it would change from one session to the other. so one day CH-1 would be about 1/3 of the gain louder than say CH-4, then the next day it would be vice versa. now, i never dropped it or spilled anything even remotely close to it & dust was never really an issue so i know it was either just a lemon or the build but it was inconvenient nonetheless.

so far, it's been a little over 2 months & i dropped my XONE once when i opened it already (i almost cried) but it still plays beautifully. which brings me to my final point.

the XONE is uncomparably better in sound quality than the Pioneer in every way. don't get me wrong, when i first got my DJM-600 i raved about it's quality. having that mixer combined with my Mackie 12" monitors made it possible to hear parts of tracks i didn't even know existed before. now i can hear them more clearly & hear the same thing on old school tracks. in fact, i can have most of my old ruffnecks/babybooms/rotterdam...etc. come out so clearly on my set up that it all sounds like the day i bought it...only better.

i've been an avid fan of Mackie sound for years now & really, this is one thing the Brits have got going ahead of any other country right now...audiophile sound quality. it's really on display with Allen & Heath though.

i asked a friend of mine before i made my final decision who plays bass & does the soundboard set up for a local irish pub band in Long Beach & he went on for over an hour on how good Allen & Heath was in terms of sound quality.

here-in lies the problem though. with the DJM series from Pioneer, you're paying for above-average to studio quality but loaded with bells & whistles. however, as with anything Allen & Heath, you're paying for rock solid quality combined with audio excellence.

it comes down to what's more important to you. for me, it was more important to have a functioning mixer with superb sound quality...i kinda didn't give two shits about effects anymore...but for you, it might be more important to have all the extra bells & whistles. in the end, my only suggestions is to always keep in mind what you're going to be using it for. that should help make your decision all the more easy.

anyways...i know this was posted in like April of '07 & it's now December. but i wanted to add my 2 cents....juuuuuuust in case you didn't buy it yet.

either way...ENJOY

[iffi]

Allen & Heath all the way.
If you play Techno the filters are all the fx you need.
I've played with a few Pioneers and I find I get carried away with the fx and forget about the music. Plus i don't like where the master volume is (slider as well)-could easily be mistaken for a channel fader. They don't seem to be built as good either,I know of a few breaking down. Get an A&H. If you need fx as well,get a Kaoss Pad.

[topproducer]

Alllen & Heath > Pioneer

Any top EDM DJ in the world will tell you hands down the Xone.

More control......Better Sound.

[kidvibe]

what a crappy arguement -nit picker mo fo


ever heard that Geiko commercial "either way your having steak"



I personally use the DJM 3000 in the studio but have also used other pioneers and the A&h many many times - Both our top quality! should come down to what you can get the best deal on -and whats available