Pioneer DJ has released their new DJ VM monitor series in a sleek looking pro design, which features high-quality components, aramid fibre woofer cones, constant directivity horn and houses a Pioneer DJ exclusive Vortex Bass Accelerator. We thought this would be an excellent opportunity to take a deeper look into the differences between the new VM monitor series and the old range of Pioneer S-DJX speakers. The VM monitor series includes VM-50, VM-70 and VM-80, whilst the S-DJX range consists of the S-DJ50X, S-DJ60X and S-DJ80X.
Pioneer DJ VM Monitor Speaker Series
The new VM series is a great speaker for all-around use and will suit both DJs and music producers. They are compact, feature MDF vinyl laminate sturdy casing, have a professional feel to the design and excellent sound quality. They feature a Class D amplifier with 96 kHz sampling DSP, 4mm thick hexagonal aluminium front baffle and Vortex Bass Accelerator. The speakers also feature a newly developed waveguide in the form of a constant directivity horn in connection with a silk dome tweeter. There is an advanced DSP setting that allows the speaker to be tuned to fit the room it is housed within.
Comparison of the Pioneer DJ VM and S-DJX Monitor Speaker Series
Just like the S-DJX series, the woofer cone is made from Aramid Fibre. This is a popular choice of material across manufacturers. It is highly durable and features tonal characteristics, meaning it responds well to sounds and vibration and reproduces a vast majority of frequencies precisely. These newly designed Aramid cones are not lined with paper, meaning they are 30% lighter and have a speedier transient response delivering a tighter and forceful low end.
There are a few other similar features when comparing the speaker ranges. All of the speakers in both ranges are a bi-amp 2-way bass reflex active speaker. They each feature a Class D amplifier complete with DSP along with a 1-inch soft-dome tweeter. All the speakers in the range also have a shared impedance of 10 kΩ.
Notable Differences of the VM and S-DJX Speaker Ranges
As far as similarities go, that is about it. There are some notable differences with regards to amplifier LF/HF, frequency response and input connections. Firstly, one substantial difference is the sizing of the VM-70 as its comparison is the S-DJ60X (see woofer sizing’s below). As you would expect, the overall size of the speaker is larger. The same is apparent for the VM-80, where it is more prominent in size than the S-DJ80X. When looking at the VM-50 and the S-DJ50X, they are very similar in dimension.
Naturally, woofer sizing should be discussed. The VM-50 and VM-80 feature a 5-inch and 8-inch woofer, the same as their comparison units. However, the woofer size in the VM-70 is 6.5-inches which accounts for the ‘70’ labelling. In the S-DJX range, there was only the 60X, which featured a 6-inch woofer, so for this blog, we are comparing the two.
The powerful bass is produced through the Vortex Bass Accelerator (VBA). Pioneer DJ have decided to relocate the VBA to the rear of the speaker unit on the new VM range, as opposed to the bottom front location on the SDJ speaker range.
LF and HF Amplifier wattage differ for all of the VM monitors. The VM-50 has a 30w LF and 30w HF, whilst the S-DJ50X has a 54w LF and 26w HF. There is a similar notable difference in LF/HF for the VM-70 with the LF at 70w and HF at 30w compared to the S-DJ60X with an LF of 90w and HF of 35w. Finally, is the VM-80 with an LF of 90w and HF of 30w, which is remarkably different from the S-DJ80X, where LF was 125w, and HF was 35w. The lows there are pretty impressive and are one reason why the VM speakers are highly versatile and can be used for both DJing and producing.
The frequency response for the VM range is extended across all of the three sizes. The VM-50 has a frequency response of 40Hz-36kHz (S-DJ50X was 50Hz-20kHz), VM-70 has a response of 37Hz-36kHz (S-DJ60X was 45Hz-20kHz), and the VM-80 has a frequency reproduction of 34Hz-36kHz (S-DJ80X was 40Hz-20kHz). There’s a vast difference in the frequency ranges significantly exceeding the 20kHz limiters.
Finally, there are a couple of changes at the rear of the speakers. On the original S-DJX range, there was one XLR input, one TRS input and one RCA input. On the back of the VM range, there is one XLR/TRS combo input and one RCA input. Also featured on the new range of speaker monitors is a DSP control which consists of a Low and High EQ knob. Pioneer has done away with the old HF Level Adjust. Each low and high knob has four options which allow for sixteen potential EQ settings. This allows the user to select the best option for DJing or producing at home or in a studio, so you can effectively adjust the speakers to suit the room environment.
Summary
Overall, we believe this new Pioneer VM range of speakers offers a comprehensive, flexible solution for all DJs and music producers. Thanks to the amp and speaker response, they have a tremendous optimum sound output, look visually pleasing, feature multiple connections, and, as a bonus, have a convenient adjustable DSP control feature that can be set to suit the environment. We believe they are also great value for money and a worthwhile investment.
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