I've had 3 pioneer mixers in 6 years. I have friends all with Pioneer mixers-- mostly the DJM-500. The two mixers I went through all have EQ problems-- the EQs eventually break down. It has happened with all of our Pioneer Mixers. Some of them have lasted longer then others. Average time before the EQ's get twitchy is around 2 to 2.5 years.



The problem is the EQ's get serious static- and become more or less unuseable. Sometimes if you put any pressure on the mixer, the bass will cut off, and then come back on. It is one of the more frustrating things to happen when ur trying to mix!!



My question is this-- is there someone that can fix the Pioneer mixers. I have two of them sitting here that are unusable. Seems like such a waste as it is only a problem with a few of the knobs. I heard that someone in NYC can redo all of one channel's EQs for $200. It seems expensive as I need at least two channels fixed- $400- which is the price of a good condition used mixer.



My second question is this-- are the EQs on the new DJM800 and DJM-1000 any better? Pioneer must know that this has been a problem. My group from NYC- about 5 or 6 experienced DJs-- can't be the only one's with EQ problems on DJM mixers. Together we have about 10 DJM mixers that have EQ problems that are sitting on the floor.





I want to buy a DJM800, I just don't want to worry that in 2 or 3 years, the EQs will be shot. LMK- THANK YOU!!



steve

The EQs on the newer mixers last longer than those on the DJM500 - newer technology allowed for better sounding, longer lasting EQ pots. You can even tell they're better just from the feel.

As for the repairs, call tech support and ask them for an authorized rep in your area.

ok- so i'm not crazy about the DJM mixers-- they're are other people that have had problems with the EQs going out....

My question is this then-- do you know if Pioneer actually changed something to make the EQs on the DJM-800 and DJM-1000 more durable?

It's pretty obvious they borrowed a lot from the old design. Isn't it quite conceivable that the EQ pots are similar in quality to what they were using before? This isn't a small issue-- everyone that I know considering buying the newer model pioneer DJM says the same thing-- "how do we know the EQs are not going to break down like every other DJM has in the past?"

At a $1,600 - $2,500 price point- it's a pretty legitimate question, no?

Since these mixers just came out, one would only really know after 2 years if the EQs hold up like they do on almost every other expensive mixer.

To me it is not enough that the look and feel of the EQs on this new mixer is of higher quality. To be honest, I don't even know what that means- a knob is a knob, and if turns and performs it's function w/o breaking down in 2 years- then it's high quality. Meaning the only thing high quality means to me is that it lasts.

The question is, does anyone know if the pioneer designers noted the problems with the EQs of the past mixers and did something to fix them? If so, what, if anything was done to make the EQs more durable. What is the warranty on the DJM mixer? Thank you.

steve

what is the general costs for getting EQ's repaired on the DJM 500's? Does anyone have a ball park figure? I imagine there must be 1000's of people with DJM's with EQ's that are shot. If anyone has an idea-- or a place they've had them repaired for cheap- LMK.

steve

You're looking at a few things, first, the mixer is digital so the knob is going to offer less audible failure (crackling) because the audio doesn't actually travel across the knob. Second, the knobs are of a better quality than the 500's. Last but not least, not all mixers live in the same environment, not all mixers face the same abuse, therefore, not all mixers will last the same amount of time. I've got a DJM500 from 1996 and it still sounds good - only one fader is crackly (and I'm sure if I cleaned it, it would be fine). Not all EQ pots will fail.

We can't discuss repair locations or costs here, sorry - this isn't a tech support forum.