disaster999
New member
So Maxspect had a pretty low key pre-release sale in Hong Kong which I was lucky enough to be informed by some of my local reefing buddies. In the sale they had the Ethereal on display so I asked if its for sale, next thing I know I walked out with 2 of the Ethereal lights and headed straight home. With Maxspect teasing us for 2 years about this new light they are working on, Im excited to tear into it and see what this light is all about.
Anyone who've owned Maxspect product should be familar with their packaging. Its not the fanciest or the nicest, but it gets the job done.
Theres a single blower fan unit on the light that pushes air out on all 4 sides of the fixture keeping it cool. Air the drawn from the top and bottom of the fixture
Here are the 8 LED pucks. They are closely packed together with a whitish/silverish reflector cup which SHOULD cut down on the disco effect. Note the different mounting holes on the fixture for maximum adjustability on different tank sizes.
The mounting hardware and massive power brick is tucked neatly under the fixture.
Check out these beefy arms. I measured them to be 4mm thick. With the fixture as light as it already is, the arms should have absolutely no problem holding the light up. The clamp on the arms can easily accommodate glass thickness of up to 30mm. They are nicely padded with silicone rubber and can be mounted on both rimless or braced tanks with no problem.
Initial thoughts, I didnt have time to mount it on my tank. Only played with it briefly before I had to go
The lights are unique looking and have a very low profile. The mounting bracket its well though out and strong enough to support the light when fully expended. The blower style center fan SHOULD be thermally controlled since they didnt turn on when the lights came on. Ill be keeping an eye on them and see if they do turn on when the light heats up.
The blower fan has a built in RGB light inside that changes color as you turn and press the knobs on the light. Im guessing to let you know which channel you are adjusting. The manual calls it "mood light" so Im guessing it can be programmed as well. There are 8 individual LED pucks with a matted silver reflector on the fixture with 5 LED on each puck bringing it to a total of 130W per fixture.
Color wise, compared to the Lumia 5.2 pucks and mixtures of OCW, RB, neutral whites and violets, the Ethereal made the corals pop more. The florescent are more pronounced and vibrant.
Spread and penetration wise, the LED have their own little cup at which it acts like a lens/reflector, focusing the light down onto the tank. I have no doubts with the fixture penetrating 24-30" tanks, but I was kind of worried about the spread. Lighting one fixture over my tank temporarily put my worry to rest as I was surprised how wide of an area the fixture was able to cover. Im sure the lack of focusing lenses and the use of the reflector cup help spread the light instead of beaming down into the tank.
Overall Im impressed at the the fixture and the overall package. I need to tear down my old lights and install the new ones. Ill be sure to post before and after pictures of my corals to show the difference.
Anyone who've owned Maxspect product should be familar with their packaging. Its not the fanciest or the nicest, but it gets the job done.
Theres a single blower fan unit on the light that pushes air out on all 4 sides of the fixture keeping it cool. Air the drawn from the top and bottom of the fixture
Here are the 8 LED pucks. They are closely packed together with a whitish/silverish reflector cup which SHOULD cut down on the disco effect. Note the different mounting holes on the fixture for maximum adjustability on different tank sizes.
The mounting hardware and massive power brick is tucked neatly under the fixture.
Check out these beefy arms. I measured them to be 4mm thick. With the fixture as light as it already is, the arms should have absolutely no problem holding the light up. The clamp on the arms can easily accommodate glass thickness of up to 30mm. They are nicely padded with silicone rubber and can be mounted on both rimless or braced tanks with no problem.
Initial thoughts, I didnt have time to mount it on my tank. Only played with it briefly before I had to go
The lights are unique looking and have a very low profile. The mounting bracket its well though out and strong enough to support the light when fully expended. The blower style center fan SHOULD be thermally controlled since they didnt turn on when the lights came on. Ill be keeping an eye on them and see if they do turn on when the light heats up.
The blower fan has a built in RGB light inside that changes color as you turn and press the knobs on the light. Im guessing to let you know which channel you are adjusting. The manual calls it "mood light" so Im guessing it can be programmed as well. There are 8 individual LED pucks with a matted silver reflector on the fixture with 5 LED on each puck bringing it to a total of 130W per fixture.
Color wise, compared to the Lumia 5.2 pucks and mixtures of OCW, RB, neutral whites and violets, the Ethereal made the corals pop more. The florescent are more pronounced and vibrant.
Spread and penetration wise, the LED have their own little cup at which it acts like a lens/reflector, focusing the light down onto the tank. I have no doubts with the fixture penetrating 24-30" tanks, but I was kind of worried about the spread. Lighting one fixture over my tank temporarily put my worry to rest as I was surprised how wide of an area the fixture was able to cover. Im sure the lack of focusing lenses and the use of the reflector cup help spread the light instead of beaming down into the tank.
Overall Im impressed at the the fixture and the overall package. I need to tear down my old lights and install the new ones. Ill be sure to post before and after pictures of my corals to show the difference.
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