Moving Heads On Any Budget
American DJ Hits All The Bases With Powerful Moving Head Fixtures

If you’re not already using moving head effects in your light show, it’s probably because you think they’re priced beyond your budget. Moving heads create spectacular 3-dimensional layered effects by rotating their entire yoke or “head” 360° so that light beams project out from every angle (unlike traditional scanners in which only an internal mirror moves). In short, moving heads are to lighting effects what surround sound is to audio. And, yes, when they first appeared, they cost a bundle. But the price of moving heads is “moving” -- downward. American DJ, for one, offers moving heads at three very different price points. You can shell out big bucks for American DJ’s premier Elation Professional brand Power Spot 575, a powerful 575 watt light loaded with features, but you can also spend less than one-fifth the amount for the smaller, basic DJ Spot 250. Between the extremes, there’s the Accu Spot 250. So what do you get – or give up – with these difference budgetary constraints? That’s what we set out to determine by test-driving the three fixtures.

High-End Power Spot-575

Starting at the top, we were totally bedazzled by the Power Spot 575. With its incredibly brilliant 575 watt discharge lamp, this 16-channel DMX fixture’s got enough juice to fire up some pretty big clubs and concert halls. You’ll love getting your hands on the unit’s two gobo wheels (16 gobos total), which allow you to use your creativity overlaying gobo effects. Gobos can be interchanged quickly using a “Slot-Lock gobo replacement system.” For added excitement, there are built-in 4.9mW red laser and rotating prism effects. What’s impressive is that American DJ has packed this mega-bright fixture into a compact case the size of most 250 watt moving heads. It’s up there in price, but the Power Spot 575 definitely gives a lot of lighting bang for the buck.

8-Channel Accu Spot 250

Small to medium-sized clubs with tighter purse strings should check out the 8 DMX channel Accu Spot 250 at less than half the price. It’s got a smaller, but still very bright 250 watt discharge lamp (575 watts would be overkill anyway!). You’re down to one gobo wheel, but its 7 gobos are replaceable and there’s a separate color wheel, so you can still mix things up pretty good visually. Add in a gobo shake effect and strobing in every color, and you get a quality moving head with some unexpected extras for under $800.

Economy DJ Spot 250

Still a little rich for your mobile DJ blood? The DJ Spot 250 economizes by using a less expensive 250 watt halogen lamp, but we found it to have more than enough muscle for your typical dance floor. You still get DMX control (6 channels), strobing in every color, 10 (non-replaceable) gobos and gobo shake effect. There’s a digital display for easy DMX channel set-up and a
high-velocity cooling fan for continuous operation with no on/off duty cycles. A pretty remarkable package at a DJ-friendly price!

With the Power Spot 575, Accu Spot 250 and DJ Spot 250, American DJ has developed moving heads that deliver value to three different end-user markets. In making this lighting technology more universally accessible, the company has proven three heads are better than one!