At The DJs Guru, we believe that moving heads are some of the most high-impact, versatile lights available for event professionals and venues. However, with their array of electronics, buttons, screens, sockets, and fans, they aren’t the most resilient when bad weather strikes. That is unless you reach for a light with the robust IP65 rating. In this lighting category, the newly-expanded Hydro series from ADJ stands out with its rock-solid construction and proven track record. In this ADJ Hydro series overview, we’ll talk about why an IP65 rating is important, who needs to worry about it, and go over each light within the exciting ADJ Hydro lineup.
Why IP65?
When it comes to an IP rating, IP stands for “ingress protection.” In a nutshell, it’s an international standard that designates how many of the elements an electronic can withstand. The two digits represent solid and liquid protection respectively. A rating of IP65 means that the device (a moving head, in our case), is completely sealed against all dirt and dust. Additionally, it can withstand low-pressure jets of water from any direction. In practical terms, this means that an IP65-rated moving head can withstand almost any weather a DJ or band would find themselves in.
Why does this matter? Well, for the mobile entertainer, it means that you don’t have to scramble to cover or take down your gear at the first sign of a passing storm. For the venue or semi-permanent installation, it offers peace of mind that, come rain or shine, the gear will withstand mother nature’s abuse. Whether you’re a beachside bar or a rooftop lounge, IP65-rated fixtures can handle thunderstorms, dusty winds, and the occasional spilled drink.
ADJ Hydro Series Overview
ADJ’s Hydro series debuted in 2018 and became popular immediately. Their IP65 rating, combined with typical ADJ build quality and performance, meant that users could focus more on their business and less on protecting their lighting. The lights have an all-metal design and are meant to stand up to the rigors of the road. The initial Hydro series release featured both beam and wash fixtures. Now, with their newest expansion, a handful of new moving head spots and profile lights are available as options. Let’s dive into each of these moving heads, one at a time.
ADJ Hydro Profile
The flagship model of the hydro series, the Hydro Profile, is an absolute monster. The onboard 660-watt LED provides an astonishing 25,000 lumens of output. It comes loaded with all the bells and whistles, including a rotatable framing system, motorized zoom, focus, iris, and frost filters. Additionally, there are not one but TWO gobo wheels, two prisms, and an animation wheel. You’d probably be hard-pressed to find a feature this light doesn’t have. It isn’t cheap, but for the professional demanding the best of the best, the Hydro Profile is a great option.
Best applications: large outdoor venues and touring acts
ADJ Hydro Spot 2
When you don’t need to shoot light beams across continents with the Hydro Profile, the Hydro Spot 2 offers a potent 320-watt LED and a slightly reduced feature set. Despite a smaller LED, the Hydro Spot 2 still has many of the pro-level features of the flagship model. Most importantly, this includes CMY color mixing with a variable CTO flag and independent color wheel. You also get motorized zoom and focus, frost filters, multiple gobo wheels, and prisms.
Best applications: mid-sized clubs, bars, lounges, and production companies
ADJ Hydro Spot 1
With a scaled-down LED diode inside, the ADJ Hydro Spot 1 retains a lot of the great features of the Hydro Spot 2. Instead of the 320-watt LED in the 2, it contains a more modest (but still very powerful) 200-watt LED. Like the Hydro Spot 2, it has a motorized zoom and focus, two frost filters, and two prisms. It also has six rotating gobos and a dual color wheel setup.
Best applications: small to mid-sized production companies, mobile entertainers, school dance DJs, architectural lighting
ADJ Hydro Beam X2
The beam fixtures within the hydro series were the initial offers available when the lineup was announced. The X2 is the biggest model and features a powerful 370W Osram discharge lamp (no LEDs here). Despite being a beam, the feature set on the X2 is not limited in the slightest. Important features like motorized focus, prisms, and a frost filter allow the Beam X2 to work in multiple scenarios while still serving its primary purpose – firing powerful rays of light across large distances.
Best applications: touring companies, large outdoor arenas, and stadiums
ADJ Hydro Beam X1
Like its bigger brother the X2, the ADJ Hydro Beam X1 utilizes an Osram discharge lamp (100W in this case). Despite not using an LED, the lamp boasts an impressive 6000 hour typical lifespan. It’s also super efficient, with a power draw of just 199W for the entire fixture. The beam focuses down to an extremely narrow 3 degrees – perfect for midair effects. It also is loaded with great features like a 12-color wheel, gobo wheel with 11 patterns, and even 4 gobo reducers for tightening the beam further.
Best applications: production companies, colleges, mobile entertainment companies, bars
ADJ Hydro Beam X12
The last moving beam light in the Hydro series is the X12. Instead of the Osram lamp seen in the X1 and X2, it utilizes a 260W Philips Platinum discharge lamp. If you thought the 3-degree beam angle of the X1 was impressive, try narrowing it even further. The X12 can bring its output to a pinpoint 2 degrees! All of the features of the X1 are here, with the addition of GOBO shake, gobo scrolling, 16 gobo patterns, and more.
Best applications: similar to Hydro Beam X2
ADJ Hydro Wash X19
Lastly, we come to the moving head washes, and boy are they impressive. The X19 is the bigger of the two and features eye-watering 19x 40-watt RGBW LEDs. Features include motorized focus, wireless DMX, multiple dimmer modes, and LED refresh rate control. Power and 5-pin DMX can be daisy-chained and all connections are IP65 rated. Oh, and did we mention all of the LEDs are pixel mappable? The customization is seemingly endless with the X19.
Best applications: mid-large production and touring companies, large clubs
ADJ Hydro Wash X7
The Hydro Wash X7 is basically a shrunken version of its bigger brother. It’s fitted for 7 of those 40-watt RGBW LEDs we saw in the X19. It also retains all of the other important features like motorized focus, wireless DMX, dimmer curves, and IP65 connections.
Best applications: small to mid-sized bars and clubs, mobile entertainers and bands
ADJ Hydro Series Overview – Final Thoughts
People reach for ADJ products and expect quality, and the Hydro Series has lived up to this reputation. Between their all-metal build and sealed internals, they can withstand whatever is thrown at them. With the recent expansion of the series to include profile and spot fixtures, there is now a tool available for each kind of event or installation imaginable. Entertainers and production companies don’t have to choose between durability and features – with the ADJ Hydro series, they can have it all.
CHECK OUT THE HYDRO SERIES AND MORE AT DJSUPPLYSTORE.COM
