I bought a pair of these, second hand, in 2005 or thereabouts. They were my first "decks". I had done my research on budget decks and they appeared to be the best option available.

Bear in mind I was totally new to mixing, with no tuition or anyone to learn off. It took me a few months to be able to beatmatch with them and then I had the opportunity to play on Technics so I could kind of appreciate the difference between budget and industry standard. I also played on a few pairs of other budget decks such as Soundlabs.

What I noticed was that the torque of the Citronic was quite a bit stronger than the Soundlab, and it would hold the speed of the record for much longer with very little variation. The torque was of course nowhere near that of the Technics.

The design was fairly good but I couldn't help but feel that they would break easily if dropped. I never did this though so I have no idea.

I would recommend these to someone thinking of starting mixing. You can pick up a pair for £100 off eBay on a fairly regular basis. You should be able to sell them for the same as you bought them for, if you want to shift them. If you are considering buying first hand then stop, you can most likely get a pair of 2nd Technics for the price of a pair of brand new PD-1's. You really won't have a problem with the Technic's being second hand. They will rarely be damaged or faulty.

I recommend getting a pair of 2nd hand PD'1s and seeing how you get on, whether you can afford all the records you want (you'll end up selling your kidneys after a short while!). Stick a pair of Stanton needles on them and then if you don't want them or you are sure you like mixing and want to upgrade, then flog them on ebay to the next newcomer! The circle is complete!