the first setup you mention is great if you are planning on being a mobile DJ. I'm not sure if it's good value or not though. There are a few other guys on here that would have a better idea of it's value than me, and hopefully they will chime in. The 800s are much like the 1000's but you get auto loops instead of hot cues, and the pitch resolution isn't as accurate (it's still fine though... 0.04% vs 0.02%). others may suggest cdj400s as well I'm going to suggest DNS3700's (i'm biased though) from store DJ. they are awesome decks and can be had brand new for $699 ea nothing wrong with a djm400, they are solid little mixers. you really don't need more than two channels at this point, or even in the future for that matter. BTW, you have a pretty large budget for a beginner, it's not neccessary to spend that much when you're learning the ropes