After having the opportunity to decide between different CD turntables, I chose the Denon DN-S5000. This unit is incredible when it comes to mixing CD’s. The DN-S5000 contains a host of features and functions that make it a wonderful tool for DJ’s, remixers, or anyone who is interested in manipulating CD’s live or in the studio.

One of my favorite features is the Alpha track. The Alpha track gives you the ability to play two instances of the same track or even different tracks on the same disc simultaneously. And you can easily switch the platter to either the Main or Alpha track and apply scratching effects while the other track continues playing. You can also mix between the two tracks during playback. And the Mirror Mix feature really thickens up your sound by playing the same track slightly delayed from the source.

Another favorite feature of mine is the Hot Disc. Just by simply holding the CD eject button for a few seconds, you can eject the disc and have playback continue for 35 seconds, which gives you plenty of time to load another disc. So, the music never stops during a performance.

The DN-S5000 has two samplers, two loop playbacks, easy to use pitch control, flexible BPM control, and fully adjustable effects like drag (which simulates belt-drive turntables), brake, echo, and reverse. This unit has an easy-to-use layout that looks cool and has everything you need within quick access. And if you read through the manual as I did, you will find a whole list of other quick access features, such as stutter, hot start, and setting changes, that make this unit the ultimate CD turntable.

The thing that really surprised me is that you only need one DN-S5000 to be up and running for a live show and to put on a great performance. But feel free to hook two of these up to a DN-X800 mixer for the maximum experience in CD turntables. I recommend this product for anyone interested in mixing CD’s.