Top 10 Best DJ Controllers With Built-In Screens (Full List!)

If you’re searching for the full list of DJ controllers featuring built in displays, you’ve come to the right place! In this list, we’ll cover all readily available DJ gear with built-in screens to help you decide which one of these is best for you! Some of these have touch displays on board, some feature high resolution screens with extended library browsing capabilities and more! Let’s take a closer look.

  1. Pioneer XDJ-RX3
  2. Pioneer XDJ-RX2
  3. Pioneer XDJ-XZ
  4. Denon DJ Prime 4
  5. Denon DJ Prime 2
  6. Denon Prime Go
  7. Numark Mixstream Pro
  8. Traktor Kontrol S4 MK3
  9. Numark NS7III
  10. Pioneer DDJ-RZX
  11. The conclusion

[this article features Ebay & Amazon affiliate links]

1. Pioneer XDJ-RX3

Pioneer XDJ-RX3 top view.
Pioneer XDJ-RX3.

First on the list, there is the new Pioneer XDJ-RX3, featuring 2 mixer channels and an upgraded 10.1-inch touch display, that gives you an ability to:

  • Display the track waveforms in the 3-color scheme alongside with track info.
  • Browse your track library and select tracks to play.
  • Preview tracks (or their parts) in your headphones.
  • Access the “X-pad” FX control feature.
  • Activate audio FX Bank and manage audio FX presets.
  • Utilize the classic “needle search” feature.

The touch screen on the Pioneer XDJ-RX3 is almost identical to the one present on the Pioneer CDJ-3000 players.

New Pioneer XDJ-RX3 vs. XDJ-RX2 (Direct comparison)

The Pioneer XDJ-RX3 is a standalone DJ controller, just like its previous version – the XDJ-RX2. This means, that you can easily use it without a laptop plugged in. You can use your USB drives as music sources.

Overall, the Pioneer XDJ-RX3 is a great standalone device for both beginners and professional DJs, if you’re searching for a bit older, yet still relevant alternative to the XDJ-RX3, take a look at the Pioneer XDJ-XZ.

Pioneer XDJ-RX3 vs. XDJ-XZ (Which One Is Better?)

The screen on the Pioneer XDJ-RX3 is a massive upgrade from its predecessor - the Pioneer XDJ-RX2.
The screen on the Pioneer XDJ-RX3 is a massive upgrade from its predecessor – the Pioneer XDJ-RX2.

The screens on both the XDJ-RX2 and the XDJ-RX3 are resistive – unfortunately no multi-touch or on-screen gestures will work here.

2. Pioneer XDJ-RX2

Pioneer XDJ-RX2 top view.
Pioneer XDJ-RX2.

The Pioneer XDJ-RX2 is the younger brother of the previously mentioned XDJ-RX3. While the Pioneer XDJ-RX3 is a substantial upgrade from the RX2 with its more limited controls and feature set, it’s still an overall good standalone DJ controller.

XDJ-RX2 features a 7 inch touch screen akin to the ones present on the Pioneer CDJ-2000 line of players. It is a resistive touch screen, and while its visibly smaller than the screen on the XDJ-RX3 and it has lower resolution, you can also use it for track library management and live control of track info and waveforms.

You won’t find neither colored waveform view, nor additional FX controls on the screen of the older Pioneer XDJ-RX2. For this, you would have to upgrade to the XDJ-RX3, but is the upgrade worth it?

Check out our detailed comparison between these two DJ controllers to find out: New Pioneer XDJ-RX3 vs. XDJ-RX2 (Direct comparison)

3. Pioneer XDJ-XZ

Pioneer XDJ-XZ top view.
Pioneer XDJ-XZ.

Pioneer XDJ-XZ is one of the Pioneer DJ flagship devices. It features 4 mixer channels and a 7-inch touch screen similar to the one found on the Pioneer XDJ-RX2.

While the touch screen on the XDJ-XZ is a great feature for a standalone DJ controller, this device has much more interesting features (more on that here). Sadly, you can only utilize up to 2 mixer channels for track playback in standalone mode on the XDJ-XZ)

Pioneer XDJ-RX3 vs. XDJ-XZ (Which One Is Better?)

The Pioneer XDJ-XZ is still a great choice when it comes to high-end DJ devices, however it would be nice to see an upgraded version with the new touch screens which are now present on the XDJ-RX3 / CDJ-3000. Maybe in the future!

4. Denon DJ Prime 4

Denon DJ Prime 4 top view.
Denon DJ Prime 4.

Denon DJ Prime 4, often compared directly with the Pioneer XDJ-XZ, is one of the best standalone DJ controllers on the market as of now.

It features a large 10-inch capacitive touch display with multi-touch gesture support. It is definitely a device with the biggest screen from all those present in this list.

This controller makes use of the Engine DJ OS – a custom made embedded system solution by Denon DJ. Using it is a breeze and it offers lots and lots of quality-of-life features that can make your live performances much easier.

Pioneer XDJ-XZ vs. Denon DJ Prime 4 (Ultimate Comparison)

Denon DJ Prime 4 is for sure worth looking at, especially if you’re interested in full standalone mixing experience with an abundance of features giving you a lot of creative freedom.

It’s also worth mentioning, that the Prime 4, apart from its main touch display, features two additional color displays – one on top of each of its jog wheels.

5. Denon DJ Prime 2

Denon DJ Prime 2 top view.
Denon DJ Prime 2.

The Denon DJ Prime 2 is essentially a scaled down version of the Denon DJ Prime 4, missing some features and the two additional mixer channels. It features a 7-inch touch display similar to the one present on the Prime 4.

If you’re either short on money, or you don’t really need 4 channels for your mixing purposes, you should definitely go ahead and check out the Denon DJ Prime 2.

The screen on the Prime 2 is only 3 inches smaller than on its upgraded version – the Prime 4.

6. Denon Prime Go

Denon Prime Go top view.
Denon DJ Prime Go.

The next controller from the Denon Prime series that has a high quality touch screen on board is the Denon Prime Go.

This device is designed to be a semi-portable standalone DJ controller with music streaming services support. Just as the next controller on this list, it has a built-in Wi-Fi module to help you use tracks from various online sources.

It features a 7-inch capacitive touch screen that is in fact nearly identical to the one present on the previously mentioned Denon DJ Prime 2.

If you’re all about the hybrid of standalone and ultra portable DJ controller and you often use music streaming services as track sources, you should feel right at home with the Denon Prime Go.

7. Numark Mixstream Pro

Numark Mixstream Pro top view.
Numark Mixstream Pro.

The Numark Mixstream Pro is a 2-channel standalone DJ controller with music streaming software integration and a 7-inch capacitive touch screen supporting multi touch gestures.

An additional quirk of this device, is that it features built-in speakers that are supposed to add to the overall standalone experience with the Mixstream Pro.

The streaming services natively supported by the Mixstream Pro are: Tidal, Beatport Link, Beatsource Link and Soundcloud. You can access these easily, as the device has built-in Wi-Fi capabilities to help you with just that.

The screen on the Numark Mixstream Pro is really high quality and among other things it allows you to quickly navigate through your music library.
The screen on the Numark Mixstream Pro is really high quality and among other things it allows you to quickly navigate through your music library.

The software ecosystem of the Numark Mixtream Pro is the Engine DJ OS – the embedded system known for one from the Denon DJ Prime player series.

Numark Mixstream Pro – Full Gear Features Overview

There is much more to this one! If you want to know even more about the Numark Mixstream Pro, check out our review here.

8. Traktor Kontrol S4 MK3

Traktor Kontrol S4 MK3 top view.
Traktor Kontrol S4 MK3.

Although the color displays on the 4-channel Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk3 aren’t really big, their high resolution lets you easily see and read all the most vital track information and make use of the track waveform view on each of the device’s decks.

Serato DJ Pro vs. Traktor Pro 3 – DJ Software Ultimate Comparison

These two little screens can also aid you with using Stems and Remix Decks inside the Traktor Pro 3 software.

Other than that, the Traktor Kontrol S4 MK3 is a great device with an extensive feature set and a perfect support for the NI Traktor software ecosystem.

9. Numark NS7III

Numark NS7III top view.
Numark NS7III.

Attention! The Numark NS7 III has been discontinued!

Aside from the fact that the Numark NS7 III is no longer being produced, you can still find some units used on the market if you’d like to try it.

The Numark NS7 III features 3x 4.3-inch color displays that are not touch sensitive. They are alright in terms of their quality and they are able to display quite a lot of useful info during the mix. Their age shows both when it comes to the lack of touch capabilities and their glossy finish that unfortunately gives off quite a lot of screen glare in certain light conditions.

As we’ve said, although the device is discontinued, it might still be available used (for example over on Ebay) for a reasonably low price. Feel free to check it out!

10. Pioneer DDJ-RZX

Pioneer DDJ-RZX top view.
Pioneer DDJ-RZX.

When it comes to more niche DJ controllers with screens that are slowly becoming forgotten, it’s not possible not to mention the Pioneer DDJ-RZX.

This massive DJ controller features three 7-inch touch screens with a lot of space to display all the vital track info, your music library and the track waveform view of all the 4 decks at the same time.

It also allows you to control your video stems and certain FX parameters (for example using the on-screen x/y pad).

It’s important to mention that although the Pioneer DDJ-RZX might look like a standalone DJ controller akin to the Pioneer XDJ-XZ, it is not a standalone DJ device.

The summary – DJ controllers with built-in displays

DJ controllers with built-in displays - full list - which one should you choose?
DJ controllers with built-in displays full list – which one should you choose?

So, if you’re searching for a DJ controller with built in screens, which one should you choose? The situation is as follows.

The best models on the market when it comes to their features and quality of their displays would be:

If we’re talking about the second tier of devices armed with quality displays, there they are:

Then come the discontinued devices that while still going strong, might not be available in official stores anymore. Luckily we have some Ebay links that can help you find on of these used if you’d wish to try them out:

This ranking has been purely based on 1 – the overall feature sets of the devices in question, 2 – the online sentiment of DJs that have used these devices in the past, 3 – the release order and relevancy of the controllers, 4 – our personal experience with the rated hardware. If you have any other questions, ask away in the comments below. Rock on!

DJ controllers on Ebay:

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