ADJ Inno Pocket Spot or Cheap Chinese 15 watt LED Moving Head Light?

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DJ Ricky B

DJ Extraordinaire
Mar 9, 2015
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So I want to pick up a couple of compact moving head lights to add to my light show mainly for Mitzvahs and Sweet 16s, but yeah, I'd probably use them for weddings when I see fit as well.

ADJ Inno Pocket Spot costs about $299 per light...Right now IDJNOW has Cyber Monday deal for 20% off. I would order 2 lights and a Accucase F4 Par Bag to carry them in. It would be about $509 plus tax. ...Not bad for name brand newer moving head light.

I was doing some research, and I COULD go cheap, and just pick up some Chinese 15 watt mini LED moving head lights. They are the same exact lights that Chauvet was selling back in 2009/2010 the "Chauvet MIN SPOT". I think Chauvet dis continued them because the factories they dealt with also sold the same exact lights un branded for cheaper.

I can pick up a pair of these mini LED Moving head lights for $165.99 on ebay from a USA Seller. The costs of these lights have really come down over the years. They use to go for over $225 for a single light 5 years back.

Here is the promo video to the Inno Pocket Spots - They weigh 7 lbs and have a true 12 Watt LED Light source
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLkPO3C_jVQ


Here is a video made at the Chinese factory of these Mini LED 15 watt lights
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFzlr2nVn7I


...They definitely seem to have a slower motor than what the ADJ Inno Pocket Spot has. Outside of that, the specs seem pretty comparable. Different gobos, but this light does have 9 gobos. They are a bit more bulky and weigh about 8.5 lbs vs. 7 lbs. They also appear to be a bit dimmer than the ADJ lights. I think they claim 15 watt LED, but it's a 5 watt R, G, B to make 15 watts so it isn't really a true 15 watt fixture. I found an old Eternal Lighting video, and apparently even Eternal Lighting was selling these same fixtures except they had different gobos put in it (One gobo was a pumpkin face lol)

Overall, I'm looking at spending $509+ tax for ADJ lights/bag vs $165.99+tax and buyng the bag separately for $49.99 making the total purchase like $230 or so.

Which fixtures would you go with? Outside of ADJ being a name brand, is there any real benefit or added value of going with them over the Chinese unbranded fixtures in terms of light effect quality in your opinion?
 
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The ADJ Spots are a much better product then this particular Chinese lighting product. For Small moving heads we use the Chauvet Intimidator 150's and have been EXTREMELY happy with them. Granted I think I paid around $400/light for those. While they don't have the ability to put in a custom gobo I'm happy with every single other aspect of them. I'm constantly amazed at how bright and sharp the images are for the size. I recommend these to everyone.
 
I've got a pair of the original minspots that I'll sell cheap. They're only good for small, dark rooms IMO. I believe I bought them in 2008. The good part is your Mitzvahs will end early!
 
If it's your intention to compete for Bar Mitzvahs you should know that most of the guys doing Mitzvahs are using at least Martin Mini Macs or another equivalent product. Moving heads are not the kind of light product you should go cheap with. If you are looking to save money then buy scanners, perhaps with barrel mirrors to multiply the output instead of a useless class of moving head. You'll get far more bang for your buck with a scanner over a moving head in the DJ price class.

I have a pair of older Chauvet fixtures that use an MSD lamp and 13 DMX channels, (MSRP about $1,300.00 each.) They're not as good as some other products in that price class but, even just two of these fixtures is a hell of a light show, and they can perform a lot of different functions including stage, dance floor, or display. Someone else in my area also has a pair of the same, so I have a source for those occasions when I need 4 heads, as well.

These also weigh 65# each. :) which is something I think you can eliminate if you go with a quality LED product and pay the piper up front for the current state of the art.

Rather than throw money at a fixture you've never used I would recommend you rent some better quality fixtures and after trying out a few decide what gives you the best wow factor. You might even find that renting high quality lights on the occasions that pay for them produces better results and returns than short cutting with your own cheap fixtures.
 
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Just an observation but when I use a pair of scanners, they seem pretty underwhelming. If you're going to use single-beam fixtures, 4 units do a much better job.

Perhaps, but I am adding these moving heads to my current light show for mitzvahs. I have no desire to go and purchase, and set up larger truss, or totems. My plan is to put two moving heads on the table, 1 on each corner, OR horizontal mounting to my speaker stands.

I could top mount to my lighting stand, but seeing that I'm usually set up near a wall, half the light show would point down, and behind the stand at the show...I think that is almost useless.


As to what Pro said about DJs using Martin moving heads: I know in New York, New Jersey, and states north many Mitzvah DJ companies bring out Martin, or other expensive fixtures. ...I have no desire to waste money on those lights, and I also have no desire to lug 30 lb+ moving heads around. After seeing many, many moving heads in action, it is my belief that the Wow Factor of those much more expensive moving heads only add fluff to the results of the overall DJ's performance when it comes to mitzvahs, sweet 16s etc.

I can see where they would help in a giant ball room with 600+ guests attending, but for a 200 or less person mitzvah...they are fluff to me.

I want something light weight, and compact that will add to the light show. Most DJs around here don't even use moving heads. I am willing to bet that less than 2 other DJs at the agency I am affiliated with own any moving heads. I have never seen pics of moving heads or a moving head in any of their promo vids. I also don't see much value in the much more expensive, bigger moving heads in terms of effect. Yes, they have wider beam angles, and end up being a bit brighter than the ADJ Inno Pocket or maybe a Chauvet 150, but I'm not doing giant ball rooms in most cases either. The Inno Pocket Spots have plenty of throw to spread light on a ceiling 30 feet high, and a wall 60 feet away.


The only other fixture I was considering was the Chauvet Spot 100 IRC.

This guy did a comparison video between the two. It looks like the Chauvet's motor can actually spin faster, but I'm not sure if I need THAT much speed. The Inno Pocket spot appears to be slightly brighter.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivOSHTjWGEs
 
I can see where they would help in a giant ball room with 600+ guests attending, but for a 200 or less person mitzvah...they are fluff to me.

But then understand why it will be difficult to get good mitzvah money ... the things you mention (truss, totems, etc.) ARE part of the process to move UP in that game .. regardless of the actual need for them, it's what starts to separate the boys from the men in the outdoing that is common in the genre.

I have a pair of Inno Pocket scans .. they are fine for the 30-40 person small karaoke gigs I do at times .. they would be lost at a 200 person affair.
 
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But then understand why it will be difficult to get good mitzvah money ... the things you mention (truss, totems, etc.) ARE part of the process to move UP in that game .. regardless of the actual need for them, it's what starts to separate the boys from the men in the outdoing that is common in the genre.

I have a pair of Inno Pocket scans .. they are fine for the 30-40 person small karaoke gigs I do at times .. they would be lost at a 200 person affair.

Steve, I guess that depends on how you visualize the spots, and what you believe they are capable of. Have you tried them in a medium venue setting with 150 - 200 guests before? Most of the rooms I am in are rarely more than 80 feet long, and the ceiling is almost never more than 20 feet high.

Here is a comparison video Brian did, and after seeing the comparison between the Inno Pocket Spot and a 50 watt LED Inno Spot, and hearing his opinion on the difference between the two, I think I'm really leaning towards the spots.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUn8nKU6UK4
 
Go big or go home when it comes to stepping up to this kind of light show. The wow factor has to be over the top to make a difference IMHO. The reason the brightness is about the same is because of the larger beam angle in the 50 watt model. The bells and whistles like spinning gobos also makes a big difference. I would look into what other big time DJs are using. And I wouldn't rely on using them without DMX programming.
 
The Chauvet intimidator 150 moving heads i mentioned will appear to those at your event to be as good as the Martins at a much lower cost. I bought these planning on doing only VERY small events with them and i was pleasantly surprised at the power and performance they truly have and i use them for almost every event where i use Moving heads now. My larger Moving heads rarely even see use any more because the small 150's are truly all that's needed in majority of normal DJ situations
 
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The Chauvet intimidator 150 moving heads i mentioned will appear to those at your event to be as good as the Martins at a much lower cost. I bought these planning on doing only VERY small events with them and i was pleasantly surprised at the power and performance they truly have and i use them for almost every event where i use Moving heads now. My larger Moving heads rarely even see use any more because the small 150's are truly all that's needed in majority of normal DJ situations


Yeah, I remember seeing the 150 in action a few years ago and was fairly impressed with it. Just checked the specs...25 watt White LED, and it weighs 9.3 lbs. Not bad. It looks heavier than that in person, but if it weighs under 10 lbs then I gotta look into it more. You are right...The larger moving heads just are not needed for a Mobile DJ Application. A DJ can achieve the same effect, and wow factor with these more compact moving heads for 90% of Events that Mobile DJs typically do.

The bigger, expensive Martin Moving heads, ADJ Visi Beam 5Rs, Martin Mac 350 Louminaires etc. are more for concert, and BIG, BIG Clubs. Saying a DJ needs to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to bring a light show to be able to charge more is truly nonsense. A Mobile DJ can easily wow the crowd with affordable moving heads.

With that said, I'm certainly not going with the cheap Mini LED Chinese Fixtures Thanks to Randy and Jas.
 
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I've been looking into upgrading my lights as well, and was seriously considering a pair of Chauvet Intimidator Spot Duo 150's. The weight is about 14 pounds each and the cost is typically around $699 each (without discounts). I think I can get the for less $$$. I was thinking about mounting one on each of my speaker stands.
I understand what others are saying about these smaller moving heads being only useful for small crowds, but it does depend on your objective. I don't expect to do large events in a gymnasium where you have 300+ kids all dancing at the same time. My events are typically held in smaller rooms with small dance floors (maybe big enough for 20 couples max). I light the dance floor (not the entire room) with my dance lights. I think the Intimidator 150's will be more than adequate, and a significant upgrade from what I currently use. There are no other DJ's with whom I compete in this area using moving heads; only the high-end multi-ops are using them, and they charge a premium for them.


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I have decisions to make. I can spend about $510+ tax on 2 inno pocket spots with a carry bag. Or if I went Chauvet Intimidator 150s the price is $800 before a Cyber Monday 20% discount...so $640 + the carry bag for two of those runs $79.99...So $705 or so plus tax. About $200 - $215 price difference between the two options.

The Chauvet Intimidator bag would take up a good bit more room in my Traverse. Having to fit it along with 2 sound systems, and a 16 up light package and all my other lighting effects, and 2 speaker stand bags, and lighting stand bag would be a real challenge. The bag appears a good bit bulkier than the F4 par bag the inno pocket spots fit into.
 
The Chauvet intimidator 150 moving heads i mentioned will appear to those at your event to be as good as the Martins at a much lower cost. I bought these planning on doing only VERY small events with them and i was pleasantly surprised at the power and performance they truly have and i use them for almost every event where i use Moving heads now. My larger Moving heads rarely even see use any more because the small 150's are truly all that's needed in majority of normal DJ situations

+1 - I also run the 150's and LOVE them!
 
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While I love what Brian does, he is an employee of ADJ so keep that in mind. I have used both and believe me, the Pocket Spot CANNOT do what the Inno Spot LED can, sitting on a table top like in my video... The Pocket Spot has a VERY narrow beam angle to make it appear brighter. I would not recommend looking at anything less powerful than an Intimidator 150.

View: https://www.facebook.com/musicmaestrodjservice/videos/591908684189155/

Those are doing the job Steven. If I ever get MH fixtures that's pretty much the effect I would be going after.
 
I have decisions to make. I can spend about $510+ tax on 2 inno pocket spots with a carry bag. Or if I went Chauvet Intimidator 150s the price is $800 before a Cyber Monday 20% discount...so $640 + the carry bag for two of those runs $79.99...So $705 or so plus tax. About $200 - $215 price difference between the two options.

The Chauvet Intimidator bag would take up a good bit more room in my Traverse. Having to fit it along with 2 sound systems, and a 16 up light package and all my other lighting effects, and 2 speaker stand bags, and lighting stand bag would be a real challenge. The bag appears a good bit bulkier than the F4 par bag the inno pocket spots fit into.


You'll never regret your purchase on the Intimidator 150's, that much i can tell you. I do not however have any experience with the Pocket Spots
 
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