Five DJ mixers that won't break the bank

Setting yourself up for DJing isn't always cheap. You've got to buy CDJs or turntables, a mixer, speakers, decent headphones and all the other accessories needed to make sure everything runs smoothly. Most people start out young and their part-time job income probably doesn't allow a quick-time purchase of DJ gear. Don't worry, though, not all equipment is a bank breaker. We've sorted out a list of the best affordable mixers, all under £300. Mixmag's got your back.

Allen & Heath is a dead cert for top quality mixers. Visit clubs around the world and it's highly likely you'll spot one of its Xone products sitting in between the decks in the DJ booth. The Xone:23 is a 2+2 channel mixer featuring an analogue Voltage Control Filter (VCF), a three-band total kill EQ, an external FX loop and "super smooth" VCA faders. Taking style inspiration from the flagship Xone:DB4, it's got a sophisticated black finish and illuminated switches. Trust, this is the one for the ultimate crispy setup. £249 is a sweet price, too.

Pioneer DJ's looked upon by many as the daddy of DJ gear. The Japanese company did invent the CDJ, after all. It's got plenty of mixers in its vault, too, with 13 currently listed on its website. One of those is the two-channel DJM-250, retailing at £229. It was a landmark product when first released due to it being the first mixer with two sound colour filters and pro features for under £500. Coated with a striped monochrome finish, other specs include a three-band isolator and a cross fader curve adjust function. If you can stretch your spending a tad further, the DJM-250MK2 is going for £299.

If maximum flexibility is what you're after, Numark's M4 is for you. The three-channel tabletop piece's speciality is its input section. There's a pair of switchable phono/line inputs, assisted by four separate inputs, plus Master and Record outputs and three-band EQ/rotary kills. You're able to check signal strength through a six-segment LED display and it's fully compatible with DJ racks. You'll barely notice the impact on your bank account, either, at the slight cost of £100.

Citronic's CDM8:4 USB offers you four channels for £179, each one armed with three-band EQ and individual volume control. Loaded with 12 inputs, its Signature Pro crossfader has a defeat option, there's internal digital delay or FX loop for vocal mics and high/low EQ for each channel. You'll need a fair bit of space to fit it in as it measures a width of 19".

Fancy five channels to satisfy your mixing needs? Behringer's USB-compatible DJX900 will sort you out. It's almost military-like in aesthetic and comes with a 45-mm infinium contact-free optical crossfader. 24 State-of-the-art effects include delay, reverb, flanger, filter, panner, Ultrabass, exciter, Vinylizer and voice changer. If you're a digital head, USB compatibility allows you to record any file and it can be instantly hooked up to a PC or Mac. The German brand sells it for just over £200. A swipe for what you get.