Onyx or A51?

Been looking at these two lights for a LED grow....

Both of them look interesting and I would be using them as a main top light with supplemental side lighting.

really unsure about both to be honest


What do you guys reckon...

A51 if you can afford it.

Onyx will probably have better penetration...more light coming out of each reflector.

Area 51 will probably make denser flowers with all the added reds.

Both will probably yield high. Hard to say as they are both new.

Positivity said:

Onyx will probably have better penetration...more light coming out of each reflector.

Area 51 will probably make denser flowers with all the added reds.

Both will probably yield high. Hard to say as they are both new.

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yeah i was going to use two hans panels on the side so like the idea of having one of the other lights up top.

I like hte look if the bloom but dont want to be the guinea pig on if its good or not.

Whats your opinions on the lenses... on the onyx

The onyx looks pretty tight. Finally sellers using good parts. The optics seem to be what most are using, look good enough.

I feel you on the Guinea pig thing. That's why i went diy, was starting to feel like the sellers test bitch.

Positivity said:

The onyx looks pretty tight. Finally sellers using good parts. The optics seem to be what most are using, look good enough.

I feel you on the Guinea pig thing. That's why i went diy, was starting to feel like the sellers test bitch.

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yeah im not completely up to scratch on the DIY... will give ita go but would like something I know is going to work and then ease into the DIY...

Im put off a bit by outrageous claims that many light companies make and while the onyx looks to have some very good things about it the "replaces a 600W HPS is something that I am unsure about...

Perhaps it does but more often than not LEDS have fallen short of where they "claim" to be...

I would recommend Area 51 from personal experience.
The Onyx looks interesting, but like you said, you don't want to end up a guinea pig.
My concern with Onyx is the cheap lenses and the actual size of the unit (13"x6").
I'm not sure it can fully cover the areas it claims to.
Good luck, whatever you get.

Bad Karma said:

I would recommend Area 51 from personal experience.
The Onyx looks interesting, but like you said, you don't want to end up a guinea pig.
My concern with Onyx is the cheap lenses and the actual size of the unit (13"x6").
I'm not sure it can fully cover the areas it claims to.
Good luck, whatever you get.

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thanks man.... yeah the lenses looked a bit iffy..

I know A51 has a rack record... Im just a little cautious about the new spectrum..

Perhaps they will be a nice blend but will wait and see before pulling the plug...

if the onyx were a touch cheaper I would buy it and test it but its not cheap enough compared to the a51 to blow some cash... and if i needed two of them then its starting to get expensive

Yah...I'd go 51. Onyx looks good but 51 looks a better total package

I estimated the onyx grow (3000K) to be 29% efficient and it is $2.40/W (I havent seen actual kill-a-watt reading to verify power draw). The XM-L2 T4 7A3 is an awesome growing LED so those numbers are pretty good for a commercial lamp.

A51 SGS-190 is about 30% efficient and cost $3.46/W but it is 3700K. So Onyx is much cheaper/W and better spectrum.

Good call on the price per watt. Didn't realize they were priced so far apart. I'd guess that's the actual draw of the onyx since 28 xmls could be called a 280w grow light by some.

decisions decisions...sure you don't want to build a cob? Lol..

the makers kit at ledgroupbuy.com could make a pretty much plug and play cob light with minimal work

Positivity said:

Onyx will probably have better penetration...more light coming out of each reflector.

Area 51 will probably make denser flowers with all the added reds.

Both will probably yield high. Hard to say as they are both new.

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Its just not too hard to add some reds, I've ordered 5 Onyx after receiving my first one. I was thinking I'd order an a51 but I think I'll be making mine all Onyx.

SupraSPL said:

I estimated the onyx grow (3000K) to be 29% efficient and it is $2.40/W (I havent seen actual kill-a-watt reading to verify power draw). The XM-L2 T4 7A3 is an awesome growing LED so those numbers are pretty good for a commercial lamp.

A51 SGS-190 is about 30% efficient and cost $4.30/W but it is 3700K. So Onyx is much cheaper/W and better spectrum.

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gonna bust out my killawatt meter just for you and hook it up to the one onyx I've received so far, bloom model. got 4 more (3 more bloom and 1 veg) tomorrow or the next day.

Nice to hear a positive report on the onyx. Personally I love my xmls...best I've used yet.

SupraSPL said:

I estimated the onyx grow (3000K) to be 29% efficient and it is $2.40/W (I havent seen actual kill-a-watt reading to verify power draw). The XM-L2 T4 7A3 is an awesome growing LED so those numbers are pretty good for a commercial lamp.

A51 SGS-190 is about 30% efficient and cost $4.30/W but it is 3700K. So Onyx is much cheaper/W and better spectrum.

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Thanks for the info... the only thing Im hesitant about is that lense....

spazatak said:

Thanks for the info... the only thing Im hesitant about is that lense....

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I'm trying to understand just what it is that's so special about the a51 lenses.
And what it is that is wrong with the onyx lens? Rapid has been in the reef business for a long long time and I'm sure lenses come in to play there too.
Having said that a51 uses 80 and 95 degree lenses, The Onyx an 80 degree lens that I'm sure maybe you consider not optimal.
What makes the a51 lens optimal. I'm sure Rapid would make you a Onyx grow or bloom with standard cree xml lenses.
As a matter of fact the diy onyx kit doesn't come with onyx lenses because the drilled and tapped heatsink requires cnc precision . Read all about it or not but I say Rapid will be up and coming more so than present.

The onyx uses diffused lenses that are hurting it's intensity. While a51 uses clear higher transparency ones. Based on the PAR charts that both a51 and onyx show, the XGS has a better spread and intensity all while using the 90*clear lenses vs either the onyx's 60*'s or 80*'s.

While the onyx has a smaller coverage and even with the 60* lens, is not as intense as the XGS. Now if you want to make it apples to apple with the onyx and their 80's...it even lower and shows no sign of coverage gain. It is hard to tell 100% the onyx's coverage because their chart is 3D, but it's close sought to see that a51 is ahead.

Greengenes707 said:

The onyx uses diffused lenses that are hurting it's intensity. While a51 uses clear higher transparency ones. Based on the PAR charts that both a51 and onyx show, the XGS has a better spread and intensity all while using the 90*clear lenses vs either the onyx's 60*'s or 80*'s.

While the onyx has a smaller coverage and even with the 60* lens, is not as intense as the XGS. Now if you want to make it apples to apple with the onyx and their 80's...it even lower and shows no sign of coverage gain. It is hard to tell 100% the onyx's coverage because their chart is 3D, but it's close sought to see that a51 is ahead.

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Yeah perhaps i shouldve been clearer with my statement... the lenses are not clear.. its not so much the angle...

I have no horse in this race, but as Supra has said above^^^^ efficiency is pretty equal=== the cloudy difuser bothers me on the onyx though, with it off the panel should do well over a 2-2.5 x 3 area.

Both xgs and onyx bloom all warm "white" are unproven ATM(cmon multi!!!), the sgs has some stellar grows with the added 630nm xp-e red https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/656712-djs-led-medical-grow-20.html DJ rocked it with just over 150watts total. Dedicated monochromatic reds are important in the mix until the lm/per watt gets higher on these "white" diodes/cobs IMO.