I've had great luck with both the
Altman Spectra-Pars and CK ColorBlast 12s. Sure, they aren't as powerful as a standard
PAR, but you get enough of them, and they will do whatever you please.
Its all about the right tool for the job.
I'm not going to take 120 Spectra Pars and try to replicate a standard
120k rig, that would NOT work. But, if I need to do some overall
wash light on a
stage and can deal with having my key lights (lekos primarily, or spotlight) be on the dimish side of things, then a full
wash of colorblasts or spectra pars will work great.
No a Spectra-Par or similiar is never going to replace a standard S4
PAR, at least not yet, but the versitility and output are great for certain situations. I've seen Colorblasts12s astound many a client with their smooth dimming and brightness--those things really pack a punch for an
LED unit. Take a few ColorBlasts and uplight a tent? Wow, what a look. Spectra-Pars are great for
truss toners as many of you know and can be great as sidelight or toplight on smaller stages.
Once again, all about the right tool for the job.