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REVIEWED
REVIEWED: Pioneer DJ XPRS 122 & XPRS 1182S
It’s hard to believe that Pioneer DJ has been producing DJ products for just 30 years. Established in Japan in 1994, the business launched its first product (the CDJ-500) and has since built an enviable line-up of professional controllers, mixers and players that are used by DJs in bars and clubs, as well at events by mobile DJs, in every corner of the world.
Whilst the company has changed ownership seemingly on multiple occasions in recent years, the brand’s presence in our market feels unassailable. Of course, they have been susceptible to all the supply issues our entire industry has suffered from, but the brand has emerged from the pandemic renewed and refreshed.
I think this could be partly down to so many popular DJs (every one of whom is ultra-cool) creating videos during the periods that they could not play to clubs – have you ever noticed just how large that logo is on the back of their players? It stands out a mile away and is a brilliant example of putting your brand in people’s faces.
Whether or not this has contributed to their overall strategy, the PR is astonishing. A simple comparison of Pioneer DJ’s social media following with that of their rivals, shows that more people follow them than the rest of the world’s most popular mixer and controller manufacturers – combined.
So, Pioneer DJ has a vast range of controllers which are incredibly popular, endorsed by a long line of superstar DJs – loyalty any brand would kill for. Whilst it may be an exaggeration to say they have conquered the DJ world of DJ mixers and controllers, it has been interesting watching their development, particularly outside of that market.
If you think of Pioneer DJ, you think of controllers. You may then think about their headphones. But speakers? Not so much. Whilst the aforementioned brand loyalty makes producing a range of speakers a logical step, the overall scene of professional PA is a very different proposition. The market is dominated by huge brands who have been producing speakers for a very long time indeed. But still, with the fan-base the brand has, it makes sense to try.
The XPRS (taken from the word expression) range of professional active loudspeakers was launched in 2016, and like much of Pioneer DJ’s controller range, it’s been subjected to a refresh this year. With a choice of two tops (10-inch and 12-inch) and two subs (15-inch and 18-inch) the range may not be extensive but it includes the most popular sizes used by venues and DJs. For our test, we received a full set of the big boys, the 12-inch tops and 18-inch subs. And we duly put them to use in what can only be described as a fairly extreme environment – 350 college students at a summer ball, crammed into a space which was not quite big enough.
This summer ball also marked a first in my career. Whilst Steve [Pro Mobile’s Business Development Manager] and I have messed about on decks together at trade shows, retailer nights and of course Pro Mobile Conference, this was the first time we’d ever appeared on the same bill at a live event!
For our first ever appearance as a duo, the night proved to be a lot of fun. Steve is known for his love of bashment and dance (a curious combination) and he also has a knack for finding rare remixes of classic dance tracks.
Whilst I am pretty happy playing any genre, it’s only when we get into dirty house and main stage that I feel truly at home. Did I mention that we had 18inch subs?
I find it really hard to put a great big sub-heavy track on and not join in with the crowd, though I’m fully aware of how cheesy this looks – and in the case of a college party, stupidly out of place! Both cabs are well designed and sturdy, made from plywood coated in a rugged black paint and with well thought-out design features. With handles in all the right places, a reassuringly heavy feel and that classic logo on the front of the mesh grills, you are getting a lot of PA for a very reasonable price.
The XPRS122 12-inch top speaker is a two-way active speaker, with a handle on the top of the cab and one on the side, whilst there are also rigging points on the top. Designed to work both as a full-range speaker and a monitor, the rear is quite angular and features rubber feet so that it can be placed on the floor in two positions – upright or on its side. Housing a class-D amplifier rated with a peak of 2000W and a maximum SPL of 131db, the cabinet weighs 20.2kg and measures 637mm high, 362.7mm wide and 350mm deep. At the bottom of the cab is a hi-hat point for speaker poles.
The amplifier is protected with thermal limiting, a digital compressor with digital limiting. The drivers consist of a 12-inch ferrite LF cone driver and a 1.75-inch compression driver. Inputs are a MIC/line combo, a HI-Z/line combo and a 3.5mm stereo jack (unbalanced), all with their own level knobs. There is also an XLR out for extending the sound.
The DSP display with a full-functioning rotary knob controls the volume and lets you choose your input settings too. You can select from a list of four factory DSP pre-sets (live, music, speech, monitor), select the sub setting as well as adjust EQ settings via a 4-band equaliser, and also store up to 16 of your own programmed settings.
If you get lost in all of these whilst experimenting with the sound, don’t worry – you can just reset the entire system to restore factory settings.
The sub we used, the XPRS118S, is quite the beast. Offering a class-D amplifier with a peak of 4000W and an SPL of 130dB, this is serious sub for serious parties. With a weight of 32.3kg and measuring 661mm wide, 535mm high and 536.5mm deep, you’ll need a good trolley or some wheels to attach to the cabs. It’s a good-looking unit and I’d argue it’s the pick of the subs. For the small additional cost, why not give yourself the extra headroom? It’s so much better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Covering the frequency range of 40-120hz, the XPRS118S has left and right XLR jack combo inputs and XLR link outs. There is a volume control knob, a switch with three selectable EQ settings (normal, extended and boost), as well as one to select the output at 80, 100 or 120hz. Finally, Pioneer DJ has also included a polarity switch so you can reverse the subs when using them in multiples. With a top hat, rubber feet and cleverly designed recessed handles, the sub can be picked up – but do remember that 32.3kg of weight!
On both speakers, there are limiter lights which show when you hit the top of their abilities. This became a helpful feature as the night wore on. Of course, we were keen to explore how far we could go, and had the ideal setting to do this. For whatever reason, we seemed to reach the limit on the right side faster than the left. I suspect there was a difference in the leads, though swapping them would have proven this. And we did hit the limit of the tops frequently. If anything, the subs have more room than the tops could cope with. Perhaps this is a case for 15-inch versions?
When I arrived, Steve had already set up and was playing background music. Having increased the top cabs by 3dB, the top end and mids seemed too high and the sub wasn’t pronounced enough for me. We both had a play until we were happy that we were getting the sound we wanted – it’s really very intuitive and, on testing in an empty room, it seemed more sound than we could need. The top end in particular was very clear, clean and loud. We also found we needed to reduce the sub output of the tops, to leave the heavy lifting to those 18-inch ferrite LF cone drivers.
The XPRS2 range is a lot of sound at really good value. You could start out by buying the tops, then supplement them with a single sub, and when funds allow, purchase an additional sub for the full package. The full system we had is ideal for anywhere you need big sound, all the way up to what I’d consider the limits of mobile DJ work. You’re getting a lot of bang for buck and, with a seven-year warranty, peace of mind that your speakers will last a long time and be repaired if anything goes wrong.
I think Pioneer DJ has huge potential for further development when it comes to speakers. The hard-won brand loyalty is an asset all by itself. Developing new products in the PA market is a no-brainer, it’s going to be interesting to see how far they go.
Whilst the company has changed ownership seemingly on multiple occasions in recent years, the brand’s presence in our market feels unassailable. Of course, they have been susceptible to all the supply issues our entire industry has suffered from, but the brand has emerged from the pandemic renewed and refreshed.
I think this could be partly down to so many popular DJs (every one of whom is ultra-cool) creating videos during the periods that they could not play to clubs – have you ever noticed just how large that logo is on the back of their players? It stands out a mile away and is a brilliant example of putting your brand in people’s faces.
Whether or not this has contributed to their overall strategy, the PR is astonishing. A simple comparison of Pioneer DJ’s social media following with that of their rivals, shows that more people follow them than the rest of the world’s most popular mixer and controller manufacturers – combined.
So, Pioneer DJ has a vast range of controllers which are incredibly popular, endorsed by a long line of superstar DJs – loyalty any brand would kill for. Whilst it may be an exaggeration to say they have conquered the DJ world of DJ mixers and controllers, it has been interesting watching their development, particularly outside of that market.
If you think of Pioneer DJ, you think of controllers. You may then think about their headphones. But speakers? Not so much. Whilst the aforementioned brand loyalty makes producing a range of speakers a logical step, the overall scene of professional PA is a very different proposition. The market is dominated by huge brands who have been producing speakers for a very long time indeed. But still, with the fan-base the brand has, it makes sense to try.
The XPRS (taken from the word expression) range of professional active loudspeakers was launched in 2016, and like much of Pioneer DJ’s controller range, it’s been subjected to a refresh this year. With a choice of two tops (10-inch and 12-inch) and two subs (15-inch and 18-inch) the range may not be extensive but it includes the most popular sizes used by venues and DJs. For our test, we received a full set of the big boys, the 12-inch tops and 18-inch subs. And we duly put them to use in what can only be described as a fairly extreme environment – 350 college students at a summer ball, crammed into a space which was not quite big enough.
This summer ball also marked a first in my career. Whilst Steve [Pro Mobile’s Business Development Manager] and I have messed about on decks together at trade shows, retailer nights and of course Pro Mobile Conference, this was the first time we’d ever appeared on the same bill at a live event!
For our first ever appearance as a duo, the night proved to be a lot of fun. Steve is known for his love of bashment and dance (a curious combination) and he also has a knack for finding rare remixes of classic dance tracks.
Whilst I am pretty happy playing any genre, it’s only when we get into dirty house and main stage that I feel truly at home. Did I mention that we had 18inch subs?
I find it really hard to put a great big sub-heavy track on and not join in with the crowd, though I’m fully aware of how cheesy this looks – and in the case of a college party, stupidly out of place! Both cabs are well designed and sturdy, made from plywood coated in a rugged black paint and with well thought-out design features. With handles in all the right places, a reassuringly heavy feel and that classic logo on the front of the mesh grills, you are getting a lot of PA for a very reasonable price.
The XPRS122 12-inch top speaker is a two-way active speaker, with a handle on the top of the cab and one on the side, whilst there are also rigging points on the top. Designed to work both as a full-range speaker and a monitor, the rear is quite angular and features rubber feet so that it can be placed on the floor in two positions – upright or on its side. Housing a class-D amplifier rated with a peak of 2000W and a maximum SPL of 131db, the cabinet weighs 20.2kg and measures 637mm high, 362.7mm wide and 350mm deep. At the bottom of the cab is a hi-hat point for speaker poles.
The amplifier is protected with thermal limiting, a digital compressor with digital limiting. The drivers consist of a 12-inch ferrite LF cone driver and a 1.75-inch compression driver. Inputs are a MIC/line combo, a HI-Z/line combo and a 3.5mm stereo jack (unbalanced), all with their own level knobs. There is also an XLR out for extending the sound.
The DSP display with a full-functioning rotary knob controls the volume and lets you choose your input settings too. You can select from a list of four factory DSP pre-sets (live, music, speech, monitor), select the sub setting as well as adjust EQ settings via a 4-band equaliser, and also store up to 16 of your own programmed settings.
If you get lost in all of these whilst experimenting with the sound, don’t worry – you can just reset the entire system to restore factory settings.
The sub we used, the XPRS118S, is quite the beast. Offering a class-D amplifier with a peak of 4000W and an SPL of 130dB, this is serious sub for serious parties. With a weight of 32.3kg and measuring 661mm wide, 535mm high and 536.5mm deep, you’ll need a good trolley or some wheels to attach to the cabs. It’s a good-looking unit and I’d argue it’s the pick of the subs. For the small additional cost, why not give yourself the extra headroom? It’s so much better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Covering the frequency range of 40-120hz, the XPRS118S has left and right XLR jack combo inputs and XLR link outs. There is a volume control knob, a switch with three selectable EQ settings (normal, extended and boost), as well as one to select the output at 80, 100 or 120hz. Finally, Pioneer DJ has also included a polarity switch so you can reverse the subs when using them in multiples. With a top hat, rubber feet and cleverly designed recessed handles, the sub can be picked up – but do remember that 32.3kg of weight!
On both speakers, there are limiter lights which show when you hit the top of their abilities. This became a helpful feature as the night wore on. Of course, we were keen to explore how far we could go, and had the ideal setting to do this. For whatever reason, we seemed to reach the limit on the right side faster than the left. I suspect there was a difference in the leads, though swapping them would have proven this. And we did hit the limit of the tops frequently. If anything, the subs have more room than the tops could cope with. Perhaps this is a case for 15-inch versions?
When I arrived, Steve had already set up and was playing background music. Having increased the top cabs by 3dB, the top end and mids seemed too high and the sub wasn’t pronounced enough for me. We both had a play until we were happy that we were getting the sound we wanted – it’s really very intuitive and, on testing in an empty room, it seemed more sound than we could need. The top end in particular was very clear, clean and loud. We also found we needed to reduce the sub output of the tops, to leave the heavy lifting to those 18-inch ferrite LF cone drivers.
The XPRS2 range is a lot of sound at really good value. You could start out by buying the tops, then supplement them with a single sub, and when funds allow, purchase an additional sub for the full package. The full system we had is ideal for anywhere you need big sound, all the way up to what I’d consider the limits of mobile DJ work. You’re getting a lot of bang for buck and, with a seven-year warranty, peace of mind that your speakers will last a long time and be repaired if anything goes wrong.
I think Pioneer DJ has huge potential for further development when it comes to speakers. The hard-won brand loyalty is an asset all by itself. Developing new products in the PA market is a no-brainer, it’s going to be interesting to see how far they go.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 120, Pages 80-83.
