I've been using 4 of the original ADJ 5P Hex units for a number of years and they've been phenomenal. When I saw they'd released this refresh '5PX Hex' model a while ago, I had to order 2 to give them a go and compare.
Physically, this unit is much improved as it now supports both 3-pin / 5-pin DMX connectors as well as Powercon. We use both 3-pin and 5-pin at different locations around our venue rig, so having both directly on the unit without the need to faff with adapters is very welcome. Powercon is also a must these days. IEC was a PAIN. I remember on more than one occasion when using my original 4 linked, the IEC 'fell out' of the first fixture for whatever reason and of course that brings the whole daisychain down. Now with locking Powercon, that worry is gone. It's also just a much nicer connector to work with in every way. The 5PX is also brighter thanks to the increase from 10W to 12W per HEX LED which is indeed noticeable in the real world.
For those who have never experienced a fixture in the 'ADJ P HEX' range, the first thing I tell people is don't let the ADJ brand name put you off. These are truly professional grade fixtures that are up to the job. The units themselves feel solid, heavy and sturdy. The light output is punchy and rich with tremendous colour mixing from the HEX LEDs. I've spoiled myself as I was fine with RGBW but since I've gone HEX, I could never go backwards. They're capable of very crispy / cool / chilly cold colours but also thrive at the glowy, warm end of the spectrum, and everything in-between. UV is great fun as a bonus too and has come in handy for a couple shows. These fixtures have fixture profiles for all channel modes on both of the professional control consoles I use (Obsidian Onyx / Martin M-PC & Zero 88 ZerOS). The channel mapping is identical to the previous model. I find that 8 channel mode is the sweet spot. 12 channel is nice if you need to access those additional features from the desk such as colour macros, but I find that dimmer curve is best set and left on the unit. In 8 channel mode, you get control over the 6 colour channels, dimmer and strobe - everything you need.
The dimmer is smooth. At our venue we have 4 different types of LED PARs and these units have the smoothest dimmers. There's also different dimmer curves to choose from to best match your rig. If you’re thinking of upgrading from some older LED PARs, the newer kit is much less offensive in terms of ‘snap on’ and ‘snap off’ when a slow fade is set. Comparing these to one of the first LED PARs from Showtec (13 ish years old, we have 12 in our venue), they’re worlds apart so it really does show how far this technology has come. It’s also a massive bonus that these are ‘flicker free’, so the video guys will probably be much friendlier to you if you turn up to a gig with these!!
These lights are totally fanless which makes them ideal for applications where silence is critical and a few years down the line when they’re hopefully still going strong, you won’t need to worry about replacing a shot fan. There's a little high pitched whine emitted when the dimmer is in use, but this isn't noticeable unless your right next to the unit, even with all colours dimming simultaneously.
My only negative, and it really is nitpicking….. I really wish the menu buttons were less easily pressed. The menu locks itself after 30 seconds, requiring you to hold the mode button for 3 seconds to unlock. This is a very welcome feature, but a couple of times I’ve set the address on the fixture, plopped it down on the stage as an uplight, only to find that when I return to the desk, the fixture is going crazy. The rubber feet aren’t very tall so if you happen to place the fixture on-top of a cable or something similar before the menu has had a chance to lock, it will press the buttons and change settings as the weight of the unit is enough to press a button. That really is minor though, and only applies if you’re rushing around like a headless chicken trying to set up quickly. As long as the unit is placed flat on the ground with nothing running underneath it, it’s not a problem at all. The display also turns off after a certain amount of time which is excellent. It’s a major gripe of mine, seeing glowing red or blue displays on the back of fixtures when they’re in a nice dark room.
Something often overlooked but definitely a bonus. There are no connectors on the bottom of the unit, they’re all on one side neatly arranged. This means that you have a choice when floor mounting. You can either set an angle using the double yoke, or lay the unit completely flat on it’s rubber feet giving it a very low profile. I notice quite a few flat PARs on the market seem to have connectors on the bottom / back of the unit, making things a pain when using them on the ground.
I use these lights in a venue to uplight architectural auditorium features, as well as uplighting set pieces and the proscenium arch. I also use them on small festivals as backlight / effect lighting and they’re great for this use. Another note for anyone interested, I’ve run these units as part of an automation system, leaving them powered 24/7 for months and didn’t run into any problems at all with that configuration. Power draw is minuscule when all LEDs are off, and again, no fan is a bonus for this situation.
My plan is to gradually replace my own personal stock and our venue stock of other model LED PARs with the 5PX HEX and 12P HEX units as funds become available.
Talking price, these punch well above their price bracket. They’ll obviously trample all over any of that eBay Chinese junk that seems to be flooding clubs these days, but they’ll also give the bigger boys a run for their money, too.
In conclusion, if you’re looking to spend around £100 on an LED PAR, there simply isn’t any other choice. Based on all of the reasons above, I'm always shocked that I don't see more of these fixtures out and about. I frequently see people spending more money on units with less features. I try and recommend them whenever I can when I know someone is fixture shopping. I’ve seen and used many different models and I can say with confidence that these are the best.
