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REVIEWED
REVIEWED: Pioneer DJ VM-50
I’ve been lucky enough to review a few speakers over the last couple of years, and in general the quality is very good. Each has its own qualities, whether that’s low-end, mid or high-end sound, build quality or just the overall look. But usually, one of these qualities comes at the expense of others. Rarely have I witnessed a speaker that has them all as well as a great price point.
Introducing the all-new Pioneer DJ VM series. Three different sizes: the VM-50 (5.25-inch woofer), the VM-70 (6.5-inch) and finally the VM-80 (8-inch), all sharing the same 1” dome tweeter and available in either black or white.
For this review, I was supplied with a pair of VM-50s, arguably the perfect sized studio monitor speaker and one that appeals to a wide audience. During these crazy times – and with so many people working from home, resulting in more live streaming, podcasting, recording, mixing, and editing all manner of media – these little beauties really are the perfect choice.
With a pocket-friendly price, the Pioneer DJ VM-50 speaker is an extremely capable studio monitor for the cost. You don’t get Bluetooth connectivity but what you do get is a powerful studio monitor with no frills. The VM-50 is stylish and well-built, ideal for desk or wall mounting and, crucially, capable of providing brilliant sound.
No doubt there are some features in the sound reproduction that could raise eyebrows, with purists seeking an unadulterated signal free of DSP (digital signal processing). But if you're looking for a pair of studio monitors or computer speakers that provide an accurate audio representation, these are the ones for you.
Each VM-50 measures W x H x D - 7.80" x 11.81" x 10.43" and weighs 5.5kg / 12.2 pounds. The aluminium front face is free of protective cover – all the better for showing off the angular edges of the MDF enclosure for the 5.25-inch aramid fibre woofer and 1-inch soft dome tweeter. To the left of the cab, the Pioneer DJ logo sits emblazoned between the two drivers. Then, to the right, an LED strip featuring sharp-angled edges, which glows white when on and red in standby mode.
The drivers are bi-amplified, each receiving 30 watts of class-D amplification with DSP and delivering a frequency range of 40Hz to 36kHz. Below the ported bass-reflex duct, the back panel houses input connections for XLR, quarter-inch balanced TRS, and (unbalanced) RCA. You’ll also find a main volume knob, as well as auto standby and master power switches.
Directly next to the power switch is connection for the power cable, and gain control is included with the speakers. I really like the feel of the knobs, as they have indents and markers, making it easy to match a pair of speakers at exactly the same settings.
To the right of these inputs and switches are the DSP knobs. These have digital filters to achieve their sound, so technically a term like DSP isn’t incorrect. However, it often implies some degree of active processing, like dynamic compression or limiting reacting to peaks in audio signal, which wouldn't be something you’d typically need in a studio monitor.
Apparently, Pioneer DJ have confirmed that there is some dynamic limiting in the signal chain, but only as a protective measure with an overload limiter on the input stage, something you would only engage at extremely high volume levels. There is no dynamic compression or limiting, or multi-band compression, applied to the signal. For this reason, there is no squashing of peaks like those you hear with DSP, typically associated with Bluetooth speakers. So, while the knobs say DSP, they are effectively EQ filters with specific settings primarily designed to adjust the sound signature of the monitors to your room’s shape and size, with an added safety measure applied to the input at extreme volumes.
Now to get technical. The low DSP knob has four settings (L1, L2, L3 and L4), as does the high DSP knob (H1, H2, H3 and H4), and a diagram on the rear panel shows what these settings correspond to. For both low and high knobs, the first three settings all mean the same things: Room 1, Flat, and Room 2. The last settings on each knob – L4 and H4 – stand for Club Bass on the low knob and Bright Treble on the high knob. It’s a little odd that these two get such clear descriptors while the other settings don’t, but the graph on the back clearly shows that Room 1 cuts out deep lows and dials back bright highs, focusing on mids, while Room 2 boosts bass around 50Hz (a nice subwoofer-like range to add a couple of decibels of push) and gradually adds in high frequencies starting around 4kHz.
Pioneer DJ have also confirmed that switching to Flat mode isn't a bypass for the DSP, it’s simply a relatively flatter sound signature, and that Club Bass boosts the aforementioned 50Hz range by 5 decibels, while Bright Treble adds a bump at 4kHz and a much larger boost around 8kHz. Of course, the flexibility of the two knobs means that you can mix and match to get the right balance. Common sense dictates that a good starting point is Flat on both speakers, then add in lows or highs according to the back panel charts. Once you’ve achieved the best sound, you’ll want to then match both speakers.
Other than the power cable, there are no other included accessories. But then the price point is low enough that you probably wouldn’t expect anything additional anyway. I found that the speakers can get surprisingly loud, certainly louder than you will ever need as monitor or studio speakers.
Having tried these at almost every conceivable setting at different volume levels and across various genres of music, I can honestly say I love these little beauties so much, I’ve already placed my order. I really don’t want to give these back!
Bravo Pioneer DJ, Bravo.
Introducing the all-new Pioneer DJ VM series. Three different sizes: the VM-50 (5.25-inch woofer), the VM-70 (6.5-inch) and finally the VM-80 (8-inch), all sharing the same 1” dome tweeter and available in either black or white.
For this review, I was supplied with a pair of VM-50s, arguably the perfect sized studio monitor speaker and one that appeals to a wide audience. During these crazy times – and with so many people working from home, resulting in more live streaming, podcasting, recording, mixing, and editing all manner of media – these little beauties really are the perfect choice.
With a pocket-friendly price, the Pioneer DJ VM-50 speaker is an extremely capable studio monitor for the cost. You don’t get Bluetooth connectivity but what you do get is a powerful studio monitor with no frills. The VM-50 is stylish and well-built, ideal for desk or wall mounting and, crucially, capable of providing brilliant sound.
No doubt there are some features in the sound reproduction that could raise eyebrows, with purists seeking an unadulterated signal free of DSP (digital signal processing). But if you're looking for a pair of studio monitors or computer speakers that provide an accurate audio representation, these are the ones for you.
Each VM-50 measures W x H x D - 7.80" x 11.81" x 10.43" and weighs 5.5kg / 12.2 pounds. The aluminium front face is free of protective cover – all the better for showing off the angular edges of the MDF enclosure for the 5.25-inch aramid fibre woofer and 1-inch soft dome tweeter. To the left of the cab, the Pioneer DJ logo sits emblazoned between the two drivers. Then, to the right, an LED strip featuring sharp-angled edges, which glows white when on and red in standby mode.
The drivers are bi-amplified, each receiving 30 watts of class-D amplification with DSP and delivering a frequency range of 40Hz to 36kHz. Below the ported bass-reflex duct, the back panel houses input connections for XLR, quarter-inch balanced TRS, and (unbalanced) RCA. You’ll also find a main volume knob, as well as auto standby and master power switches.
Directly next to the power switch is connection for the power cable, and gain control is included with the speakers. I really like the feel of the knobs, as they have indents and markers, making it easy to match a pair of speakers at exactly the same settings.
To the right of these inputs and switches are the DSP knobs. These have digital filters to achieve their sound, so technically a term like DSP isn’t incorrect. However, it often implies some degree of active processing, like dynamic compression or limiting reacting to peaks in audio signal, which wouldn't be something you’d typically need in a studio monitor.
Apparently, Pioneer DJ have confirmed that there is some dynamic limiting in the signal chain, but only as a protective measure with an overload limiter on the input stage, something you would only engage at extremely high volume levels. There is no dynamic compression or limiting, or multi-band compression, applied to the signal. For this reason, there is no squashing of peaks like those you hear with DSP, typically associated with Bluetooth speakers. So, while the knobs say DSP, they are effectively EQ filters with specific settings primarily designed to adjust the sound signature of the monitors to your room’s shape and size, with an added safety measure applied to the input at extreme volumes.
Now to get technical. The low DSP knob has four settings (L1, L2, L3 and L4), as does the high DSP knob (H1, H2, H3 and H4), and a diagram on the rear panel shows what these settings correspond to. For both low and high knobs, the first three settings all mean the same things: Room 1, Flat, and Room 2. The last settings on each knob – L4 and H4 – stand for Club Bass on the low knob and Bright Treble on the high knob. It’s a little odd that these two get such clear descriptors while the other settings don’t, but the graph on the back clearly shows that Room 1 cuts out deep lows and dials back bright highs, focusing on mids, while Room 2 boosts bass around 50Hz (a nice subwoofer-like range to add a couple of decibels of push) and gradually adds in high frequencies starting around 4kHz.
Pioneer DJ have also confirmed that switching to Flat mode isn't a bypass for the DSP, it’s simply a relatively flatter sound signature, and that Club Bass boosts the aforementioned 50Hz range by 5 decibels, while Bright Treble adds a bump at 4kHz and a much larger boost around 8kHz. Of course, the flexibility of the two knobs means that you can mix and match to get the right balance. Common sense dictates that a good starting point is Flat on both speakers, then add in lows or highs according to the back panel charts. Once you’ve achieved the best sound, you’ll want to then match both speakers.
Other than the power cable, there are no other included accessories. But then the price point is low enough that you probably wouldn’t expect anything additional anyway. I found that the speakers can get surprisingly loud, certainly louder than you will ever need as monitor or studio speakers.
Having tried these at almost every conceivable setting at different volume levels and across various genres of music, I can honestly say I love these little beauties so much, I’ve already placed my order. I really don’t want to give these back!
Bravo Pioneer DJ, Bravo.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 108, Pages 80-82.
