{"id":569,"date":"2026-10-22T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mixingconsoleexpert.com\/en\/?p=569"},"modified":"2026-10-22T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T07:00:00","slug":"yamaha-cl5-discontinued-used-or-dm7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mixingconsoleexpert.com\/en\/yamaha-cl5-discontinued-used-or-dm7\/","title":{"rendered":"Yamaha CL5 Discontinued: Buy Used or Move to the DM7?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For more than a decade the Yamaha CL5 was one of the most common digital consoles in theatres, houses of worship, corporate venues and rental inventories. In March 2025 Yamaha ended production of the CL and QL series, and the DM7, launched in 2023, now fills that role in the catalogue. That leaves many engineers and venues with one question: keep buying CL5s on the used market, or move to the DM7? This guide compares the two on documented specifications and current retail pricing.<\/p>\n

CL5 vs DM7 at a glance<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\nYamaha CL5<\/th>\nYamaha DM7<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Status<\/td>\nDiscontinued (March 2025)<\/td>\nCurrent (since 2023)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Input channels<\/td>\n72 mono + 8 stereo<\/td>\nUp to 120<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Busses<\/td>\n24 mix + 8 matrix<\/td>\n48 mix + 12 matrix<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Faders<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Screens<\/td>\n1 touchscreen<\/td>\n2 \u00d7 12″ touchscreens<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sample rate<\/td>\n44.1 \/ 48 kHz<\/td>\nUp to 96 kHz<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Local I\/O<\/td>\n8 in \/ 8 out<\/td>\n32 in \/ 16 out<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Network<\/td>\nDante built in<\/td>\nDante built in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/td>\napprox. 36 kg<\/td>\napprox. 23.5 kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price<\/td>\nUsed market only<\/td>\napprox. \u20ac27,990 (DM7 Compact approx. \u20ac14,490) at Thomann EU<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

What the DM7 changes<\/h2>\n

Capacity.<\/strong> Up to 120 inputs and 48 mix busses give far more room for large musicals, conferences with many wireless channels, or bands running many in-ear mixes. The CL5’s 24 mix busses are its main limit on complex shows.<\/p>\n

Two screens and 96 kHz.<\/strong> Two touchscreens let you keep an overview and a channel or monitor view open at the same time, and the DM7 can run at 96 kHz, which the CL series never offered.<\/p>\n

Local I\/O.<\/strong> With 32 inputs and 16 outputs on the desk, a DM7 can run small shows without a stagebox. The CL5, with 8 local inputs and outputs, was designed around Rio stageboxes on the Dante network.<\/p>\n

Size and weight.<\/strong> At roughly 23.5 kg against 36 kg, the DM7 is easier to move, ship and fit into tight control positions.<\/p>\n

Why a used CL5 can still make sense<\/h2>\n

More faders:<\/strong> 34 against 28. Rider familiarity:<\/strong> the CL5 appears on countless riders and most engineers know it. Ecosystem:<\/strong> existing Rio3224-D2 and Rio1608-D2 stageboxes and CL\/QL show files keep their value. Price:<\/strong> a used CL5 costs a fraction of a new DM7, although prices vary widely with condition, option cards and accessories \u2014 check current listings rather than trusting old price guides. For the whole CL and QL family, see our Yamaha CL\/QL review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What to check on a used CL5<\/h2>\n