It was one of the hottest new products at IFA in Berlin last year and now it is finally being released in Australia. Fresh from Gibson taking control of Philips’ WOOX Innovations audio division, the company is launching the M1X-DJ sound system, which was developed with input by legendary Dutch spinner Armin van Buuren.
Combining an 80-watt speaker for totally loud and immersive music playback with two job wheels, cross faders and a lot of knobs and controls for home DJs to experiment with, the M1X-DJ essentially allows anyone with an iPad or iPhone 5 (or later) to remix and reimagine their music collection, either by Lightning connection or wirelessly over Bluetooth.
Armin van Buuren has described this neo-post-modern iPrometheus as “the ghetto blaster reinvented for today” and it does come to market on the back of several new larger, louder, more elaborate speakers. It’s a trend that seems to reject the personal audio craze of the early 2010s, which was characterised by high-end headphones and small-but-powerful Bluetooth speakers, in favour of more decadent and flamboyant equipment.
“With an output of 80 watts, the M1X-DJ’s revolutionary loudspeaker allows you to hear and feel deep dynamic bass without distortion. Special speaker drivers work in harmony with the bass radiator, and precise tuning between the main driver and the tweeter ensures smooth transitions from low-mid to high frequencies.
“The sound system is simple to use and provides an authentic DJ experience for beginners to professionals, depending on how you choose to use the features. With multiple inputs and outputs, aspiring artists can link up multiple M1X-DJs or bigger stereo systems for a more club-like sound.”
While the M1X-DJ is something of a niche product, compatibility with noted DJ app djay 2 by Algoriddim means it is a little bit easier for new users to get started with mixing and scratching, even if they have had no experience or training.
Tracey Duff is the business leader for WOOX Innovations’ Australia and New Zealand operation. To prove her credentials, we asked her to name the Top 10 tracks that she would like to mix using this new toy (spoiler alert: Armin is at #1!):
1. Intense – Armin van Buuren & Mir-Van-Ari
2. Nobody to Love – Sigma feat Jess Glynne
3. Spaceman – Hardwell
4. Summer – Calvin Harris
5. High – Peking Duk
6. This is What it Feels Like – Armin van Buuren & Trevor Guthrie
7. Faded – Zhu
8. For An Angel (Original) – Paul van Dyk
9. Traffic (Original) – DJ Tiësto
10. Satellite (Above & Beyond remix) – Oceanlab
Patrick’s Top 10:
1. Floor To The Floor (Thin White Duke Remix) – Starsailor
2. Your Woman – White Town
3. Music Sounds Better With You – Stardust
4. U Don’t Know Me – Armand van Helden
5. 1998 – Chet Faker
6. True Faith – New Order
7. Da Funk – Daft Punk
8. Meet Her At The Love Parade – Da Hool
9. Helena Beat – Foster The People
10. Twisted – Wayne G
Philips M1X-DJ out of WOOX Innovations is RRP $549. Launch retailers included selected Apple, Harvey Norman and Myer stores.