Re: I think we will see very high quality LED fixtures in the $150-$200 range next ye
I think that the LED technology will be developing very fast and will overflow into the reef community. LED's are being used more and more in all kinds of industry. From TVs to Automobiles.
The R&D that will be successful in making reef fixtures will actually be done by another industry. The more they are used, the less they will cost. At some point however, they may well develop themselves right out of existence. Well, it would be better to say that LEDs will be developed to the point that they will last longer and cost so much less that many manufactures will not be able to compete in such a low margin business.
If you want to compare quality lets take two cars. Ferrari and say Hyundai. Now on the surface Ferrari would seem to be the builder of quality cars. MANY years of R&D, history and beauty. Hyundai, a relatively new company doesn't have that history and relies heavily on others R&D. In reality, if you want good, reliable transportation, the Hyundai is a better buy. You can't beat the warranty either. Having owned a Ferrari (88.5 328 GTB) I can tell you Quality is NOT something I would equate to that high priced product. Sure, it looks good and performs well......when it works. Lots of the time however, it fails to perform. (I don't own a Hyundai either.)
Maybe not in a year, but soon, you will see low priced, good quality, LED fixtures for our use. Having just purchased two of the cheap units myself, I'd say they were of pretty good quality. Well built with good materials. Quality? Maybe.