AI Sol vs Maxspect Mazarra

Let's compare these two great lights. How do they compare? Whch would you get.
The AI will now come in black or white.
Away we go.

 

and the winner is...

I am getting ready to green light the mazarra p series light for my 72 x 32 x 20 rimless custom reef tank. Why? Looks primarily. No sense going for the modern tank look only to have a clunky looking fixture above the tank. Both have amazing quality lights with great features... for me it comes down to aesthetics. The mazarra's black modular look is quite awesome and will work great for any non canopy users out there. Just my 2 cents...

 

The AI has been independently tested the Maxspect is new and has not. So, not sure how to compare.... The Mazarra looks very good though, but I'd probably go with the AI until I see some PAR contour plots for the Mazarra, although I suspect it will be a good light. Just depends if you want to be a guinea pig I guess..

 

Just ordered the AIs myself for a 180 I am building. I checked on the Maxspec in depth but settled on the AI. Price was better on the AI and the features seemed better. upgradeable, high PAR, good controller, etc. My only concern was shadows or dark spots due to the coverage.

180 tank, AI blues, vertex skimmer, 75 gallon refuge

 

Oh wow, it's funny how people's opinion differs. IMO, the Mazarra is THEE ugliest fixture I have ever seen. I actually want that light, but I don't know how to hide that frame on a canopy-less tank.

 

Being an owner of one of the second generation Maxspects, if was doing it over I would get the AI. Again, that's a comparison of the older maxpsects (older meaning less than one year). I have had some problems with Maxspect that remain unresolved. It seems quality is an issue that is not evident in the AI yet I don't know if the Mazarra remedies that.

That being said I'm extremely interested by the new Mazarra fixture. I find it's looks a bit odd but it seems rather flexible. We'll have to see what some independent views and testing reveal, but it's interesting nonetheless. The AI is well proven and now has a cost advantage over the Mazarra and as I stated before if I was doing it again, I'd go AI.

 

How do you know the AI has better PAR than the Mazarra? They both have their advantages; the Cree LEDS in the AI are better than the Bridgelux used in the Mazarra, but the Mazzara has Cree XM-L's and Philips Rebel ES diodes which from what I've heard will outperform the AI diodes. The Maxspect also has four channel colour control vs 3 channels on the AI and easily swappable optics for each diode. The standard configuration on the AI probably does have better PAR, but with less coverage, and the Maxspect probably has better PAR with all 40 degree optics. I'm not saying the AI is any better or worse; its proven to be an excellent performer, but the Maxspect boasts a couple key features that the AI lacks.