DJ & sound system
XDJ-RX3 or XDJ-AZ: which one to rent?
You were looking for a standalone console for your evening, you came across the XDJ-AZ, and the question arose: should you pay more for the big sister of the XDJ-RX3? The answer depends on one thing, and it's neither the screen nor the number of buttons.
Know before you plan: DJ equipment cannot be shipped. He withdraws and goes in person to Lyon 3 (2 Impasse du Lutin, 69003 Lyon), by appointment. The excess of €200 is paid on site at the drop-off and returned to you on return.
Here is what the XDJ-AZ adds concretely, what it costs in terms of space, and the precise case where it becomes essential.
What XDJ-AZ really adds
The XDJ-AZ is an all-in-one four-channel system, capable of controlling four decks from a USB key. It features the layout and feel of club equipment: full-size 206mm jogs, three-band master EQ, six Sound Color FX and fourteen Beat FX.
Its 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen displays up to 13 titles at a time in the library, while AlphaTheta announces 8 on the XDJ-XZ. It includes Wi-Fi and rekordbox CloudDirectPlay, which allows you to retrieve your library without a key. On the connection side, there are two USB-A ports and one USB-C, two LINE/PHONO RCA inputs, two XLR or 6.35 TRS jack microphone inputs, one MASTER XLR and one RCA output, one BOOTH 6.35 jack output, and two headphone outputs.
Two lanes or four: the real question
It's all there. A fourth channel is only useful in three situations: playing three or four songs simultaneously, connecting additional CDJ players in addition to the integrated turntables, or bringing together several analog sources during the same set.
For a wedding, a birthday or a company party, we string together pieces two by two, we keep a channel for the speech microphone and the matter is settled. The XDJ-RX3 offers exactly the same useful connections: two LINE/PHONO inputs, two XLR or TRS jack microphone inputs with dedicated gain, a balanced MASTER XLR output and an RCA output, a BOOTH output for return. You don't lose any features your party needs.
An honest nuance, noted by the Digital DJ Tips testers: the XDJ-RX3 does not offer tone synchronization or tone transposition, while the XDJ-AZ does. If you mix in harmonics and rely on this help, it’s a real argument. If you tune in by ear and BPM, it won't change anything for your evening.
The weight, space, and trunk of the car
This is the setting that no one anticipates and which reminds you when loading.
| XDJ-RX3 | XDJ-AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Lanes | 2 | 4 |
| Width | 728.1mm | 895mm |
| Depth | 469.5mm | 504.1mm |
| Weight | 9.3 kg | 13.5kg |
Almost 17 cm more width and 4.2 kg more, this means a deeper table to be found in the room, and transport for two people rather than just one person. On an evening where you are seated alone before the guests arrive, this detail weighs more heavily than the fourth way.
And the XDJ-AN, below the RX3?
AlphaTheta announced in July 2026 a XDJ-AN at $1,200, two-track, 5.2 kg, which takes over from the XDJ-RR. It is lighter and less expensive, but it only accepts keys on a single USB-C port on the back: no USB-A, and no second port for a spare key or a handover between two DJs. On an evening not to be missed, it’s a real constraint.
In terms of price, the difference is clear: the XDJ-AZ was launched at €3,299, while the XDJ-RX3 is around €2,000 new from a French retailer at the time of writing. For use for a few evenings per year, neither of these two amounts makes sense compared to rental.
What we praise, and why
Our Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3 covers exactly the specifications of a private event: stand-alone playback from a USB key, without a computer, two microphone inputs for speeches, a balanced XLR output for remotely attacking a sound system, and a 10.1-inch 1280 × 800 screen which remains readable in bright light.
The XDJ-AZ is not in our catalog, and we prefer to say it clearly rather than leave you hoping. If your set really requires three or four decks simultaneously, the RX3 will not be enough and you will have to look elsewhere. In all other cases, it does the same job for a much more reasonable footprint and budget.
If you are interested in vinyl as an addition, be aware that the two PHONO inputs of the RX3 directly accept a pair of turntables Technics SL-1210 MK2 : the console then serves as a mixing table, and you alternate between digital and vinyl on the same master.
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