Head to head
DDJ-200 vs. DJControl Inpulse 300 MK2
Both are DJ controllers in the same price bracket (€100 to €200) — which is why you genuinely hesitate between them. Here is what our register says about both, side by side, including what speaks against them.
Pioneer DJ
DDJ-200
€100 to €200
The former beginner standard — no longer sold new, still common second-hand.
For
- Cheap second-hand
- Runs with rekordbox, WeDJ and djay
- Plenty of guides online
Against
- No built-in sound card — the sound comes from the laptop or phone
- No longer sold new; the FLX2 is the successor
Hercules
DJControl Inpulse 300 MK2
€100 to €200
The Inpulse 200's big brother: more pads, more buttons, beatmatch help with light guides — for DJUCED and Serato DJ Lite.
For
- Beatmatch Guide: light arrows show tempo and phase
- 3-band EQ per channel
- DJUCED and Serato DJ Lite included
Against
- Plastic, no club layout
- Outgrown quickly beyond beginner level
Where it says “Ad” we earn a commission if you buy through the link — on the other routes we earn nothing. Either way you pay the same price, and it changes nothing about our recommendation. How we handle this
The key facts side by side
| Feature | DDJ-200 | DJControl Inpulse 300 MK2 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Pioneer DJ | Hercules |
| Price bracket | €100 to €200 | €100 to €200 |
| Our classification | Entry level | Entry level |
| Meant for | Nothing yet, Laptop only | Nothing yet, Laptop only, Controller setup |
Technical specifications from the manuals
Every value taken word for word from that device’s manufacturer manual, with the PDF page. A dash means there is no clear value in the manual — not that the device lacks it.
| Feature | DDJ-200 | DJControl Inpulse 300 MK2 |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | 2 decksp. 151 | 2 decksp. 27 |
| Pads | no clear value in the manual | Pads 1–8 (in DJUCED)p. 36 |
| Jog wheel | jog wheel, scratching in VINYL modep. 151 | to move within the track, affect playback and scratchp. 14 |
| Pitch range | ±6%, ±10%, ±16%, WIDE (rekordbox dj)p. 152 | no clear value in the manual |
| Outputs | no clear value in the manual | Master: 2 × RCA (Cinch)p. 28 |
| Headphone output | via included split cable on the computer/Macp. 154 | 3.5 mm stereo mini-jackp. 28 |
| USB | 1 USB port (to computer/Mac)p. 157 | USB-B 2.0 portp. 28 |
| Total harmonic distortion | no clear value in the manual | < 0.01% (THD+N @ 1 kHz, master)p. 6 |
| Audio resolution | no clear value in the manual | 24-bit, 44 kHzp. 6 |
| Power supply | USB bus powerp. 158 | no clear value in the manual |
Sources: DDJ-200: DDJ-200 — Bedienungsanleitung (AlphaTheta Corporation) · DJControl Inpulse 300 MK2: DJControl Inpulse 300 MK2 — Benutzerhandbuch (Hercules (Guillemot Corporation))
Where they differ
- They suit different paths — someone starting with vinyl needs a different device than someone on a controller.
- Different manufacturers, so different software ecosystems, spare parts and control logic. If you already own gear from one brand, that is a reason in itself.
We deliberately crown no winner here. What we can back up is above; anything else would be a claim, and there are plenty of those on this question already.
More comparisons: DJ controllers
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