Quick Take
Shopping for used dj equipment that's listed as "for parts" or "not working" means you're buying a repair project, not a plug-and-play setup. The listings here range from a $24.99 CD player without a cord to a $232.84 4-channel mixer with channel issues. Your job is to figure out which fault you can actually tackle - and what you're willing to spend to get there.
The four units are all sold as-is: a Denon single CD/MP3 player that won't read discs, a Stanton tabletop CD player with no cord, a Vestax dual CD player whose trays won't open, and a Pioneer DJ mixer with dead channels. None of them are ready for a gig, but each one offers a different starting point for someone comfortable with repairs.
Listed Price Comparison
| Product | Listed Price | Price Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Stanton S-250 Tabletop Pitch Control CD Player (Parts Only, No Cord) | USD 24.99 | |
| Denon DN-S700 CD/MP3 Player (Not Working) | USD 100.00 | |
| Vestax CDX-16 Dual CD Player (Power On Only) | USD 228.00 | |
| Pioneer DJM-600 4-Channel Mixer (For Parts) | USD 232.84 |
Decision Matrix
| Shopping Need | Consider This Unit |
|---|---|
| Lowest cash outlay to start a repair project | Stanton S-250 |
| Single deck that plays CD and MP3 formats once fixed | Denon DN-S700 |
| Dual CD deck with the belt already replaced | Vestax CDX-16 |
| 4-channel analog mixer for channel/knob restoration | Pioneer DJM-600 |
Stanton S-250 Tabletop Pitch Control CD Player
The Stanton S-250 is the least expensive door into this group. The listing is clear: it's for parts only, the power cord is missing, and it does not play discs. In the description, the seller says it was tested with another cord and does turn on, so there's a chance the initial problem is a missing cable rather than a dead unit. That said, the disc playback issue still needs a real diagnosis.
If you're looking for a low-cost piece to learn on, this tabletop CD player includes pitch control, which is useful if you're practicing on a repair setup. The obvious limitation is the missing cord plus the no-play fault. You're getting a shell with a control surface and some internal components, not a working transport.
Denon DN-S700 CD/MP3 Player
The Denon DN-S700 is listed at USD 100.00 and is described as showing a disc error. The unit ejects discs but doesn't read them, so the optical mechanism or the board around it is the likely trouble spot. It's a single CD player, and the attributes note MP3 playback, which makes it a reasonable candidate if you want a CD deck that can also handle MP3 discs after repair.
There's no cord issue here and no missing tray, but the disc error means you're buying a non-working reader. If you already have some experience with optical drives, this might be a more direct repair than a mixer with multiple dead channels. The downside is that the seller hasn't tested anything beyond the ejection function, so other parts of the deck could also need attention.
Vestax CDX-16 Dual CD Player
The Vestax CDX-16 asks for the second-highest listed price in the group, and it's also the only dual CD deck here. It's a silver, made-in-Japan unit with RCA phono/line inputs and analog stereo RCA outputs. The listing says the belt has already been replaced, yet both trays still won't open and some buttons feel stuck - so the previous repair only takes you part of the way.
If you need a dual-deck form factor and want to avoid replacing a drive belt yourself, this is a place to start. The mechanical tray issue is likely your next hurdle, plus any other functions that were never tested because the trays are stuck. At this price, you're paying for the feature list - dual CD control in a rack-sized chassis - not for a working unit.
Pioneer DJM-600 Professional DJ Mixer
The Pioneer DJM-600 is the most expensive listing at USD 232.84. It's a silver, tabletop 4-channel analog mixer with delay, filter, and flanger effects. The seller says it powers on, but channels 2 and 3 don't work, the channel 4 phono input doesn't work, and two knobs are missing. That's a fair amount of restoration work, but the mixer is a genuine Pioneer DJ component with a professional 4-channel layout.
If you're specifically looking for a mixer project, this is the only mixer in the comparison. The effects section and the analog routing give you a lot to test and repair, and the missing knobs are easy to source. The main limitation is the combination of dead channels and phono input faults, which means you'll be tracing signal paths across multiple circuits.
Final Recommendation by Use Case
If you want the smallest cash commitment just to get your hands on a repair unit, the Stanton S-250 is the entry point. If you're set on a dual CD deck and the idea of starting with a replaced belt appeals to you, the Vestax CDX-16 is the only dual unit in this set. For a 4-channel analog mixer with onboard effects, the Pioneer DJM-600 is your match. And if you specifically want a CD/MP3 deck as your repair project, the Denon DN-S700 keeps the focus on a single optical drive problem.
