Disclaimer: I wrote the review myself, but used AI to fix my grammar and organise my thoughts a bit. Everything here is based on my own testing and personal opinions.

I bought both on Amazon, intending to return one, since they have a 30-day return policy. I spent a few hours using them side by side and thought I'd share my thoughts, since I spent far too much time researching them before buying.

For context, I've been DJing for over 10 years. I started on a Traktor S4 MK2, DJed on an online radio station for 2 years, own a set of CDJ 2000s, and have played in clubs, pubs, parties and private events. I mostly play house and tech house, but also disco, techno, DnB and commercial music when the situation calls for it.

The Mixstream cost €799.00.
The Prime Go+ cost €1,029.00.

To test them, I used:

• The built-in speakers on the Mixstream
• Headphones
• A JBL Boombox 2
• JBL 305P MKII monitors via XLR

TL;DR

I kept the Prime Go+.

The Mixstream is honestly much better than I expected. The speakers are useful, the layout is intuitive, and it feels more premium than some reviews made it seem.

The Prime Go+ won for me because of the portability and effects. I also felt the sound quality was slightly better, and the more I used it, the more it grew on me.

If you're on a budget or want something beginner-friendly, the Mixstream is a very strong contender.

If portability and FX matter to you, I'd go with the Prime Go+.

Mixstream Pro Go

Speakers

The speakers were probably the biggest reason I was considering the Mixstream in the first place. My thinking was that instead of bringing a dedicated speaker, I could grab the Mixstream and head off to the park with everything I needed.

After actually using them, I don't really think that's realistic for me.

Don't get me wrong, they're useful. In fact, I have to say they're better than I expected. They're great for checking a mix, practising, monitoring, or just messing around without having to plug anything else in.

But if you're expecting them to be anywhere near a proper portable speaker, I think you'll be disappointed. Personally, I'd get much more out of a pair of JBL Flips.

That said, they definitely make the controller more fun to use. You can literally turn it on and start playing immediately.

Layout

The layout is very intuitive. I pretty much knew where everything was without having to think about it. This was probably the biggest advantage the Mixstream had over the Prime Go for me. It had an immediate fun and familiar factor the moment I started playing. Obviously, the bigger jog wheels are a benefit too. They are much nicer to use, but for me, they weren't a deciding factor.

Build Quality

I'd read a few reviews saying it felt cheap or toy-like, but I honestly didn't get that impression at all. I thought the build quality was quite good; it has a nice metal finish and feels professional. The knobs are also a bit more rigid than the Prime Go's. Maybe it was the older model that the reviews were referring to, as this one certainly didn't feel like a toy to me.

USB Ports

The two USB ports are definitely useful, especially if you're doing B2B sets.

Prime Go+

Build Quality

Also excellent. I'd probably give the edge to the Prime Go, but honestly, both feel premium.

Inputs and Outputs

Both have RCA and XLR outputs, which are the main ones I'd use anyway, but the Prime Go also has:

• 2 mic inputs
• AUX input
• Mono switch

The mono switch is actually super useful, given how portable the unit is. If you're turning up somewhere with a single speaker, it's nice to have. The AUX input is handy too. I've used inputs like that in the past for Spotify off a phone, and you could even route a CDJ through it if you really wanted to.

USB Port

At first, I thought the single USB port was a big drawback, but I discovered you can use a splitter and then use multiple USBs, so now it's just mildly inconvenient. I also noticed that it loads the entire song into memory, so you can actually swap drives mid-song. I'm sure the Mixstream is the same, and they both have SD card slots.

Jog Wheels

Yes, they are small, but it doesn't bother me that much. I don't scratch. I mainly use jogs for nudging tracks into place, adjusting timing, the odd spinback effect, or moving through a track.

I can absolutely see them being a dealbreaker for some people, but for me, not an issue.

Things Both Do Well

Touchscreen

The touchscreen is great on both. They're both running Engine DJ underneath, so the experience is very similar. Most of what I wanted to do on one, I could basically do on the other.

Bluetooth

Both have Bluetooth, but honestly, I don't really see the point. I guess it's okay for quickly checking a mix, but the latency makes it pretty useless in a live situation.

I can see people streaming Spotify into the controller, but at that point, I'd probably just connect directly to the speaker.

Lighting Control

Looks cool. Didn't really test it as I have no lighting to hook up.

Browse Knob

One thing I preferred on the Prime Go was the browse knob. It's bigger, has better feedback, and just feels nicer to use when scrolling through music. Not a big thing, just something I noticed.

Knobs

The knobs on the Mixstream feel a little more rigid and tactile. The Prime Go knobs are still good, but I slightly preferred the feel of the Mixstream's. That said, the knobs on the Prime Go are more rounded at the top, while the Mixstream's have a more defined edge. If you have sensitive fingers, this might start to bother you after a few hours of use.

Sound Quality

This is very minor, and most people probably wouldn't notice. But using the same tracks, through the same speaker, at the same volume, I felt the Prime Go sounded slightly clearer and richer. It's not night and day, and I don't think most people would notice, but in my opinion, it sounded slightly better on the Prime Go.

Effects

This was one of the biggest differences for me. I like the effects on both units, but there is simply a lot more you can do on the Prime Go.

I came from Traktor, and I mostly use:

• Reverb
• Delay
• The occasional Beatmasher
• The occasional Gate

Realistically, 90% of the time I'm using reverb and delay.

The Mixstream effects are more limited. One thing I will say is that switching between effects is actually quicker on the Mixstream, but there isn't really a proper dry/wet workflow. You can adjust the wet amount and parameters on the touchscreen, but using a touchscreen for that isn't very intuitive.

I feel like Numark missed a trick here. I don't know why they didn't just let users assign effects to numbered slots and choose what they wanted on each one.

I still haven't fully explored everything the Prime Go+ can do, but I could already see that there were far more options available. You can apply effects to Deck A and Deck B individually; there are dedicated wet/dry controls, and it also has the Sweep FX knobs, which seem quite fun.

The Air Horn

The deciding factor for me was when I discovered the Prime Go came with an air horn effect. Yes, you can go into the sound bank and trigger samples.

The moment I found the air horn, I knew it was professional gear.

**Edit** The airhorn is also on the mixstream.

What Actually Sold Me

Honestly, it came down to portability and effects.

The Prime Go fits in my backpack.

The Mixstream doesn't.

Now, to be fair, I didn't actually try putting the Mixstream in a backpack, but I didn't need to. The Prime Go fit comfortably into the one I already own, which was a huge plus for me.

I ride a motorbike, so that's a much bigger deal for me than it might be for other people.

Originally, I thought the Mixstream speakers would be a big advantage, but honestly, if I want better speakers than the Mixstream has built in, I can throw a couple of JBL Flips in my backpack and still have a ridiculously portable setup.

The Prime Go was €230 more expensive, and if I need to buy speakers too, that's more money. However, for me, it was worth it.

If you're on a budget, the Mixstream Pro Go will absolutely do the job, and it's honestly a really fun piece of kit. The Mixstream felt fun immediately, whereas the Prime Go took a little more work but grew on me over time. I think that's mostly down to the unusual layout.

Once I got used to it, I preferred it.

For me, the Mixstream is the better value.

The Prime Go is the better fit.