I have no idea about the companies other than CLW's impeccable customer service but there was a guy here growing with the larger advanced lights. Unfortunately he bailed without completing his journal, possibly because he had unrealistic expectations and he knew he wouldn't yield near what he thought he would. There are some common LED myths that you see in lot of LED manufacturers' marketing propaganda.
Hope that helps...
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
Be happy to chat about my Hydrogrow with someone with another brand. Want to buy another and am wondering about other brands. Hydrogrow: 3W with 60degree lenses. penetrator126Xpro
I have the advanced 360s for bloom and I'm about to order the clh 400, from the limited experience dealing with clh I would definitely give them the edge. Advanced is simply a drop ship company which they are not upfront about, I do not believe they (Kyle is actually the only one there I believe) know much more than any of us about led other then who to order from for a good price and resell for profit.
The lights work although no where near the claim and the 1000s went back up promptly.
the hydrowgrow was expensive, but I am pleased with lack of heat issues and low electric consumption. They are, however, made and assembled in Hong Kong to the California company's specs, I guess. But they have a solid warranty and I have had good customer chats with them. But they make no exaggerated claims. Their manual just says 2ftx3ft coverage for the 126pro at 2ft above the canopy. . I have found that to be too close, so I am getting a little more coverage than that. But I have an open mind on this stuff. I plan on getting a meter so I can get a better handle on the science, too. But I am sold on what LEDs are capable of. There is no doubt that they are the future, and not just for grow lights. I don't see any better technology coming soon.
I currently grow with both 357 Magnum (not Magnum +) and a CLW SS400w, and I must say that I absolutely love the Solar Storm. California Light Works makes no claims as to getting better yields compared to HID lights, they really just say to let the light talk for itself, and it does a lot of talking. They are a real down to earth company and their products are actually made in the US where they say they are made. My Magnum, as well as it does work, came to me shipped from China which I was not expecting, the guys over at Grow Perfect Technologies were boasting that the light was designed and made by them in CANADA, and I actually called and talked to someone over there for like a half hour, but that was not actually the case. Although I cannot say anything bad about the light, I definitely was not pleased when I found out that I got lied to about where the light was made.
I can't give any opinion on the advanced led, but I can say that CLW lights are pretty awesome, and the company does what they say they do.
Actually, the CLW FAQ does claim that their smaller lights are equivalent to a larger HID, like most every LED company. While they don't use the word "yield," that is what those claims imply. Results so far do not back up that myth. LED is certainly making progress but there are some persistent myths that LED advertising continues to promote as fact.
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.