I hear ya Dent. I don't minimize the benefits of my Solaris at all, and I enjoy being a part of the evolution of the hobby.
But here is what I am beginning to think... the benefits of this light are more to the hobbyist and not the corals. Power savings and energy savings make me happy, but I don't think my corals care about that, lol. I have begun to believe that you must recognize this trade-off when you buy this light. Problem is, I don't think you can ever convince yourself until you plop a few of your demanding Solaris-acclimated corals under a MH system and notice the differance. Believe me, the results pain me, but they were significant enough - and immediate enough - that I am already considering another system. Were it not for the energy savings, I probably would have by now. By saying this I am eating a lot of my words both here and on other forums. I am NOT saying this is a bad light for non-sps corals, and I think my tank proves it. I am saying I don't think its better for them than MH and maybe t5.
I am fortunate to have two systems, Solaris and MH (and three if you consider my PC fuge). I am finding that while the Solaris is plenty bright for me, and I love the blues it gives, there is a "warmth" that is missing. I say this because I've had about 7 months now to compare the two systems side by side. There is a vibrancy to the MH, while the Solaris is a little too sterile and cold. I find I can add a little more yellow and warmth to the Solaris, but it is at the expense of overall visual brightness. For this reason I have supplemented my Solaris with 2 72" VHO aquasuns and 2 VHO actinics, which make a huge improvement to the spread and visual appeal. Is the visual appeal worth the increase in heat generated by MH --- I dunno.
Unlike your claims, I didn't realize the problems of the Solaris going in, and NOBODY told me. I ignored the few complainers thinking that you were always going to hear from the complainers and rarely those who are satisfied. That's just the way it goes on the boards. However in reality the failure rate and problems of the Solaris are monumental. I know of no one who has not had problems at one point or another. I can't say that about any other piece of gear I own in this hobby. This company is subject to suit under the Uniform Commercial Code, and its only a matter of time before it happens if it hasn't already. I have tried to outline my problems on my chronicle, but to be honest I don't think you heard as many complaints as you should have out of respect for the Solaris dealers who participate as members here and are greatly valued. I don't blame them, but I must admit I believe it would have been impossible for a dealer not to have realized the mounting complaints. To their credit, PFO was very honest about it with me. I also believe huge improvements were made in the American-assembled units, but from what I am reading on other thread the I5 series problems are starting to evidence themsleves too with blown transformers and continued LED failures. My "new" unit's display backlight doesnt work right, and this was the unit that was supposed to replace my faulty one! Thank God I have not had any LED failures since getting the American ones. But if I do, just one more, this unit is gone.
In any event, I'm just trying to share my thoughts, concerns and honesty with others about my experience with this light. If someone came up to me right now and said I'll give up a brand new 72" MH-T5 system for your Solaris, I'd have an awful tough decision to make. However, if the company's support for this product should fail or shows signs of failing, my decision would be made in a heartbeat. Its not fun not being able to trust such an important element of our ecosystem.
