Spectra Cyc vs Colorsource Cyc

Anyone compared these and if money is no object which would you want? Much difference in spacing? I get 12 for a 48' x 24' drop. Its a bid substitution request.

Thanks!

Bill

I have a set of spectra cycs in our space purchased six years ago. We also have a set of colorsource pars ( with extra blue) that I occasionally use on the cyc. These were purchased about three years ago.

So I can't do an exact comparison to what you are looking for - but my observations may help.

I find the spectra cyc's have a number of minor issues. They bump on ( IE you can't get a smooth fade up from black) even in 16 bit mode. The blue is not as intense as the colorsource blue. I feel like ( but have no proof) that they are a bit dimmer after six years of use. The cyc just does not seem quite as punchy as it was in the beginning.

I find the coloursource to be brighter and to fade better on the low end. They seem to have some smoothing in their fade curve so , while they don't bump on, you can't do a bump on and off when you want. IE the bump to full is not instantaneous - nor is the bump to black.

I know this does not really answer your question, but hope it helps.

Very helpful but I dont know if the age isvsignificant.

Which SpectraCyc are you interested in?

SPECTRA CYC 100
100 Watt LED CYC
SSCYC100

I suspect I would select the RGBA over RGBW.

But I'm going to reject the substitution. Just the NEO instead of ION and Altman "real soon now" LED followspot in place of Juliat OZ was enough.

Beware the menu on the Spectra-Cyc. Probably the worst fixture menu ever. If it will have to be re-addressed by untrained staff, forget it!

Yes the Spectra menu is really, really bad. With manual in hand, my sales rep and I couldn't figure it out during a demo. If enough output, I think ColorSource is better in every way, especially in color - no contest there.

BillConnerFASTC said:

Anyone compared these and if money is no object which would you want? Much difference in spacing? I get 12 for a 48' x 24' drop. Its a bid substitution request.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Bill,
We did a side by side comparison about a year ago. The spacing is about the same to get ideal coverage. About 4’ on center and 4’ from the cyc. More space between fixtures results in less intensity. I felt like the spectra cycs did a little better in height. We were lighting from the floor up, and after 18’ or so both lost intensity, but the Altman appeared to be better up to about 20’.
For a cyc 48’ wide I would want 10 Spectra cyc 100 fixtures. With the color source I would probably add 1 or 2 fixtures to keep the spacing tight. With a 24’ height I may consider another fixture, put on ground row as well, or deal with less intensity at the floor

My main thought is that I view the Altman as lower in overall quality and reliability, not to mention support. How many will be operational in 10-15 years?

I concur with Roy's comments based on the last demos I did, though it's been a while. FYI, I just did an event on a 48' x 24' cyc, 8 CScyc 4' back 6' apart. There was quite a drop in brightness at the top but the smoothness both ways was great. If I had 12 I might have done top & bottom rows.

RickR said:

My main thought is that I view the Altman as lower in overall quality and reliability, not to mention support. How many will be operational in 10-15 years?

I concur with Roy's comments based on the last demos I did, though it's been a while. FYI, I just did an event on a 48' x 24' cyc, 8 CScyc 4' back 6' apart. There was quite a drop in brightness at the top but the smoothness both ways was great. If I had 12 I might have done top & bottom rows.

Click to expand...

The real question is how many LED fixtures of any model or brand will be operational in 10-15 years?? And if they happen to be, can you get parts for them?

"operational" with repairs is still operational, part supplies is key to getting there.