2009 September | DJ Equipment Reviews

Archive for September, 2009

Denon DN-HD2500 DJ Product Review

by Ria on Sep.30, 2009, under DJ Equipment Reviews

Denon DN-HD2500

Denon’s Mobile DJ must product

I assume all the DJ gear stores who haven’t been living under a rock for the past half century know that, today, it’s all about mobility for the working DJ. Knowing this, DJ supply stores like Numark, Pioneer, Denon and many more have introduced very cute, very compact DJ equipment. I’ve recently done a Denon post on the DN-S3700,and I still have Denon love coursing through my veins, so I thought: "what the hell? Why not do two Denon workingDJ posts?" After an extensive review, I’ve decided that Denon’s must have product for mobile DJs is the DN-HD2500. Not only is this ideal for mobile DJs, it sports a size that’s great for leprechauns and umpa lumpas, too.

Denon DN-HD2500

Denon DN-HD2500

The Denon DN-HD2500 may be small, but it is loaded with a ton of features, which I’ll get to in a minute. The basics of this product is that it’s a hard-drive based, professional media player and controller that offers an all-in-one "nerve center" for the changing needs of all working DJs. This powerful, nine pound media player features:

External USB Device Support (iPod, Thumb Drive, Hard Drive)
BU4500 CD Drive Support for CD / MP3 Playback
Midi Interface Controller (controls various DJ software; Serato Scratch LIVE, Traktor, Virtual DJ)
USB Audio, Internal Sound Card for Dual Player Support
4 Superb Built-in Effects
3 Platter Effects
2 Hot Starts/Seamless Loops
8-way File Searching System
Create Playlists
Hot List Feature
Next Track Function
Cross Fade Function
Formats External Hard Drives to FAT32
Internal 40GB Hard Drive, just power on and play!

Denon’s DN-HD2500 isn’t going above the call of duty, but it at least does everything it claims to do, and working DJs will know what they’re getting when they purchase it. What you won’t like about it is that the deck will only download MP3s and no other format. That’s a huge inconvenience, because now, it is up to you to convert the formats that don’t mach the requirements of the DN-HD2500 into MP3s. Also, the display screen is small, but surprisingly, most working DJs don’t have a problem with that.

What you will like about this product is the hard drive, the lightweight portability and the ease of use. Although this has nothing to do with the way it functions, working DJs will not appreciate Denon’s competitive price tag, as it isn’t all that competitive with an MSRP of $1099.99. If it’s really trying to compete with Numark, they’re missing one essential ingredient: an affordable price. With that been said, you get a lot from it, and you’ll definitely find most of its functions to your liking. Working DJs who have the right musical format will fall in love with the DN-HD2500, as it works beautifully in the end. I recommend teaming it with a mixer. This way, you get more options, thus getting more flexibility.