I am making this thread to kind of offer up a place to give some love to the DN-HS5500, which was pretty amazingly revolutionary for it’s time, and still has uses to this day. Does anyone still use this unit, or is it just me? I know it was not supported 3-4 years after it’s release, but I still love it. It was recommended to me by one of my DJ friends just as I was getting started, and it is durable, reliable, and had it’s issues, but I still love it. I currently use it as a backup audio source on gigs where I am bringing equipment, and it has never failed me. Built like a tank, I doubt you could really get me to give it up. In fact, I have two, I may even be looking for one more. Please use this space to tell your stories, your concerns or anything else about this piece of legendary (at least in my mind) gear.
That is one piece of Denon gear I never had the pleasure of using. It’s a good example of a tech-savvy company exploring new avenues to bring in digital music. I seem to remember it was way ahead of the others at the time. But like so many of such products, it never became the defacto standard. A bit like MD players (Denon again being on the forefront with the DN-M2300R). MD never got anywhere big, so exit the 2300R.
This time though, with the Prime Series, one could easily be convinced that they hit the jackpot this time in the pursuit of what many have been talking about for a long time, totally laptop-less DJ-ing with all the functionalities of Controller/Laptop combo’s. And all that not in the all-in-one format but in club gear modular setups.
DJ Dance, here
I have one of the SC5500 and I still use it from time to time, its great i wish I could find another one to use it and have 4 deck contol, but now they have the DN-HS5500 prime and from what i have seen in the reviews its a beast. but Its too expensive when you think ts about the same as a pioneer setup. if you could get a pioneer or a Denon Setup Free of charge which one would you have them send you
It is still funny to see people referring to the SC5000s as “about the same as a pioneer setup”. Apart from being somewhat the same form factor, it having a screen (far better than the Nexus 2 btw), jogwheels (personal preference but I like them better) and there being the regular transport control buttons (Play/Cue/etx.) and a pitch fader, they are in a league of their own. Offering so much processing power, a truly useful touchscreen interface, lots of functionality only found on controller until now. And I can go on for a while. Having seen these baby’s live and playing around with them, I can safely say they ARE the next generation. They are not a “me too” product, they are a “me first” product leaving the competition scrambling to catch up.
No doubt we will be seeing comparable stuff coming out from the other brands, but not all that soon I think. And even then, it’s gonna be hard to come up with an implementation of the technology the SC5000s bring to the table that will make them gain the upper hand.
In my, as usual very humble opinion, Denon has hit the jackpot here, catering to a lot of wishes of DJs in all walks of DJ life. More importantly by bringing controller/laptop functionality us digital DJs were already accustomed too to the “club setup”-format. Without the need for a laptop, you get all the good stuff we know from DJ software in gear that feels so well-known to all CDJ users. I really believe this is the platform that will bring the much need competition in the high end sector in the booths back. Leading to the next wave of DJ gear which will benefit all DJs.
Hi mate. Yeah I have 2 in storage back home. Still mint condition and I think I still even have the boxs.
They were very cool at the time…
When I first got them I had problems with both of them pitching up and down on their own (speeding up and slowing down) It sounded terrible and impossible to mix with. However after they came back from being repaired or having the firmware reflashed they have been rock solid ever since.
I wish they had imported the hot cue/sampler section from the S5000, giving us 4 hot cues/2 sample banks + 2 hot cues or 4 sample banks. I was a big fan of the S5k! But I think they wanted to dumb down the HS5500 a bit as a lot of peeps said the S5k was to complicated vs the CDJ line.
Denon can we get a download link of ‘Music manager’ for the HS5500. I think I have a copy on a old hard drive somewhere… but bugger knows where?
It under “downloads” tab on the denon website for each legacy device that uses it, if I remember correctly 
Sweet… Cheers bud! (Extra words and stuff)
Mine have now gone into retirement, due to the internal hard drives being full.
It was unfortunate that Denon chose to use IDE rather than SATA, and that the size was restricted to 250Gb, otherwise I’d still be using them.
Yes I know that externals could be used, but I bought them for the convenience of internal storage, and I have keyboards plugged into the single USB sockets. I also know that hubs can be used, but again that’s external paraphernalia/cables/PSUs.
Maybe one day Denon will release something like the SC5000 but with the option for internal HDD.
Mine are still in daily use. At home they sit in their coffin right beside the MCX8000
I jsut replaced my 3900’s with 2 Rane Twelves, this is what prime should have been with regard to the platter. Sold on the twelve and 72, left Denon after they botched the x1600 and x1700 inthe sale to InMusic.
I still use my 2 hs5500 to teach djing
You don’t have to use internal hard drives. Mine are empty. I can connect four fat32 USB drives to each player.
It’s too bad about the scratch/cue drift and the need to pause the 5500 just to set a hot cue when your hand is already on the platter.
I also personally find 7" to be way too touchy. 12" record, high torque, and a conventional (as opposed to super slippery like Butter Rugs) mat seem to be the optimal combination for me. You make a 12" player, though, you might as well put on a tonearm and a pair of separate phono outs.
I guess InMusic wil be pleased to know you’re staying in the family with the Rane Twelves.
I’ve had mines since 2010 I love them never had any problems.but I wish they had color screens with waveforms i’d never stop using them.
I don’t own any; but have been considering them from time to time after trying them out. They seem like the “CDJ” version of my DN-HD2500 rack mount player. I would still buy them.
Hi - I purchased two of them in 2010 and they are still here with me, together with a X-1500. They were intended as an upgrade for my pair of DN-S5000, so I bought them together with the CD-drive. Once I’ve imported all my music (vinyl and CD) on a harddrive (must have been summer 2011), I never used the CD-slot again from that time. It’s been a long way and a great time together with them and now I will continue with the Prime 4.
I purchased my DN-HS5500’s in 2009. I am so comfortable with them, that I don’t ever believe I will part with them, even though the Prime series is very impressive. I have never had a problem with them, as I brought them to many gigs. Built to last and durable. One thing I would love to find is the CD adapter to play CD’s. Way of ahead of it’s time…
I have three of them. Lovely, though the lack of being able to scratch before the track zero time is annoying (only major drift remaining on it) and dragging or nudging the platter itself with the motor on is unreliable. They put a goofy deadzone on the motor-off jog bend. And of course like most soft buttons on DJ gear, their tact switches seem to wear faster than those with hard buttons. Oh, and the MIDI motor-on HID mapping was never entirely ironed out for VDJ 7 onward, so it’s basically broken for those. Supposedly a particular version of VDJ 6 is what you have to use with it.
If the Prime series audio processing is ever sufficiently improved, I believe you will really like the Prime M models.
Well it took a while (the above was posted in 2017), but it’s finally happened. 
buen dia alguien tiene un dn 5550 que me venda