I was excited to unbox the LyxJam DJ Controller—its sturdy build and chunky jog wheels screamed 'party starter.' The weight alone made it feel like a serious piece of kit, not some flimsy toy. But let’s get real: the setup was a headache. Virtual DJ LE software? More like Virtual 'Where’s My Activation Code?' I had to dig through emails and forums just to get it running.

Once I finally got it working, though, those 16 performance pads became my playground. Manual looping? So much fun for layering beats on the fly during my friend’s backyard BBQ. The LCD display kept me from fumbling in the dark, and the mic input saved my karaoke disasters. But here’s the rub: that crossfader? Useless with Virtual DJ. And don’t get me started on drivers—LyxJam’s website might as well be a ghost town.

For $200-ish, it’s decent if you’re cool with tinkering (and ignoring half the buttons). But if you need plug-and-play reliability? Maybe keep scrolling.