However, the specification of the XDJ-700 doesn’t quite compare to any CDJ model it’s not quite as simple as saying that the XDJ-700 is a particular CDJ with the CD mechanism taken out. The solution is obvious: create a version which omits the CD transport, allowing you to make – all other things being equal – a smaller, lighter and (most importantly) cheaper device which retains the rest of the functionality. The very format that made the CDJ so revolutionary when it started to make headway in the DJ market back in the mid 1990s has become peripheral to the overall experience. Thanks to the proliferation of affordable solid-state media (in the case of the CDJ range, USB sticks and SD cards), DJs have been abandoning CDs in their droves. This is part of a nascent product range clearly driven by a shift in the demands of DJs who use pioneers industry-standard CDJs. Pioneer’s XDJ-700 ‘multi player’ falls distinctly into the latter category. At the other end of the spectrum, there are products built to last, updated to suit the end user’s changing needs, as and when that may be necessary. In this era or built-in obsolescence and relentless 12-month marketing cycles, it’s all too common to find manufacturers ‘updating’ their products for reasons that could be considered at best spurious and at worst deeply cynical. The latest addition to Pioneer’s XDJ range promises a more affordable entry point to industry-standard DJ tech.