Why I won't buy a Neopixel
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- Опубліковано 13 жов 2024
- This video is a discussion of Neopixel, what it offers, and why I will not buy one. I seldom release videos like this and I know this will raise some eyebrows, but it is a prerequisite for some other videos I want to make and it does answer a question I get asked a lot.
I think neopixle looks more authentic to the movies. That’s why I like the look of them. Duelling is secondary to me.
i’m exactly the same
Weather I agree or not, it's nice to hear from a UA-camr who is NOT infatuated with NP blades. Thank you for this honest discussion of the drawbacks. May it inform the buying decisions of your viewers.
I like this video because at the end of the day we're all spending money. And this video helps those who aren't super knowledgeable weigh the pros and cons of a neo pixel. Many love neo pixel and do many things with them.
But from this video it seems like the cost is a huge factor in terms of what he does with his sabers.
At this point since neo pixel is still expensive and will probably remain that way, for many people it might not be worth it. A simple tri-cree in hilt with decent electronics and capabilities may be better for the average person so they don't have to worry about a blade malfunction. However the durability is there and many may feel it's not a worry.
I think this is a good discussion to be had because when we talk about neo pixel we are trying to justify cost. And that justification is very subjective compared to other areas of the hobby where one configuration vs another is factually better.
But it seems like neo pixel is for a particular enthusiast and we have sort of hit the peak with tri-cree in hilt and neo pixel.
I have truly been on the fence as I consider my first last saber purchase. I believe, to myself, that I have found a good vendor to buy from. I am stuck on deciding which one (that is definitely personal choice), and also the blade type. I started with favoring in-hilt. Then started seriously considering neopixel. And yet I waffle. Along comes this video-its what I needed to hear! Very balanced. And very useful for someone like myself, who needs to consider how much I really want to spend (or not spend) on this new-found hobby.
has he bought a neo yet? Did this video age well?
@@cephalonrolli5678 Yeah, I think he did buy one according to some of his newer videos.
@@jakesoft everyone succumbs to neo eventually hehe
This video hasn't aged well.
I’m new to the saber scene and am currently researching companies, styles, etc. I greatly enjoy your unbiased and informative videos. Thanks so much!
Have you checked out Electrum Sabers yet?
Not yet. I hope to at some point. The release videos looked great. I am just not a fan of the new hilt and already have to older ones I like. I am keeping my eye on future hilt releases. If they come out with a hilt I like, it will give me an opportunity to look at the new board at the same time.
@@DarthCephalus I plan on getting one soon I'm also looking at getting into custom work. I've been a Jeweler for the last 20 years and I'm planning on bringing those skills to the table.
Follow me here for updates!
Look into Electrum sabers like Infinite Anomaly said. My favorite company I've dealt with by far. Amazing sabers!
I have. I reviewed their first 3 sabers. They are a great company. Wonderful features and great customer service. I have just not tried their new board yet. I am waiting to see what the next release holds in store as the Aurora is not my style.
I love my neopixel. It's amazing I'm constantly banging it on stuff hard. Yeah it's expensive as hell. But still awesome I think
Good to hear. Electrum Sabers has a one year warranty on their neopixel even if your dueling and in April they are coming out with one that's specifically for dueling.
The Infinite Anomaly I got mine through evolution arms. It's really well made
@@sk8ter4fun
Yes the EA/VV are very well made as are the new Civilizedsabers.com
This guy is super honest. Great reviewer and explainer.
Neopixel is a bit of an acquired taste. When I first got my VV Havoc in Neopixel, I didn't like it much. I think at the time I was just too ingrained with the traditional in-hilt tri-cree. However it did grow on me as time passed. I think for ppl who like to spin, the Neopixel setup is great and a lot of fun, especially with its various blade effects. However all cons mentioned in this video are very much valid. The first time I dueled with a Neopixel, the bladed lasted about 3hours b4 one section of the LEDs was damaged (it was a thin walled blade). I have yet to duel with a Neopixel thick wall blade.
Only a medium or heavy blade should be duled with and then heavy on heavy blade not heavy on medium or thin.
Now days VV standard blades are medium and you can ask for thick or heavy.
Thick or heavy is not as bright as the default medium.
I have several of the VV medium neopixel and have had zero issues dueling with it, though I do not go mad man berserker lol
Bendu Armory sells heavy neopixel blades.
video starts at 3:40
What a heretic. Blasphemy. Lol. I just ordered my first custom saber with a np blade. For me, it’s cool. I don’t duel, don’t need long battery life. I’m too old lol. I remember standing in line to watch A New Hope when it first opened in theaters. You do make some great points and maybe my next saber will be more for dueling with a tri-Cree setup
scroll effect is huge for me, I might wait for tech to develop some more on battery efficiency tho :S fixing the weight balance is simple, add weight in the handle.
Thank you for the honest review. I was considering a neopixel but I've never owned a custom saber before. I have a Master Replica Darth Maul 1/1500 Limited Edition signed by Ray Park... but that was just before the FX sabers came out and it is just a display model.
I had many of the same thoughts you outlined about the neopixel, thank you for reaffirming my thoughts about saving the extra money on them.
wow, community on The Vault: custom lightsaber community is quite toxic. I wonder why there were so many negative reactions to someone stating HIS OWN opinion in the most civilised way imaginable. Good video, points with flow arts equipment are great too. Saber community is lagging behind when it comes to technical stuff.
Its not a “community” you fuck its the internet anyone and everyone can see or find this therefore people mad at the world will type shit grow the fuck up or log off soy boy.
Sorry "civilized" and for the most part, no one has a problem with him voicing his own personal opinion, only the trolls that have nothing better to do. lol
@@jakesullivan2944 geez what is wrong with you? Do you insult people like this all the time?? Why do people treat each other like this all over the internet over simply voicing ordinary opinions?!
Hardly toxic mate. Think you may be overreacting a bit. 😒
@@dodgeyhodgey5301 Not at all. There was a heavy shitstorm in regards to the above video, and let me tell you, if a lightsaber is an elegant weapon for a more civilised age, nobody would be using it back then.
You also didn't mention battery life. Neopixel's have shorter better run time's compared to standard tri-cri sabers
I have built 5 sabers. By far, the 7.4v Li-Ion stunt sabers (no sound) last the longest with continued brightness. I built them with a puck which regulates power. My last one I built was a NeoPixel with sound, FOC and cool random blaster blocks. Same battery set up, I get about 25% of battery life. I have also never had a blade take as much initial work AND upkeep. I may not be the best at soldering... my other 4 have kept up with a TON of sparring, exhibitions and just dinking around. They are nifty, but... meh... its not as awesome.
Never had any problems with mine.
Agreed that it does use more battery, basic electrical 101.
However the new CF-X is very efficient on both 3.7v and 7.4v and there are newer smaller strips that are also lighter and more efficient.
i appreciate your honest opinion, you made some very valid points. for someone like me (who simply just wants show pieces to show friends when they are over) neopixel is great...but from a performers perspective, i could see how np wouldnt be ideal.
Good video man.You got the things right.Rgb or tri led are good for starters,or maybe good to stay abit longer for practicing duel.But i just cant get my eyes off those pixels.I just to get 1.You really got those optimistic ideas like Han Solo,i really likes those things!
Btw,you really did a good jobs thinking otherwise.Nice video man,i'll give a thumb ups ":)
The even lamination, scroll effects, and brightness is what gets me. I don’t plan on purchasing many sabers so my first is a neopixel. I do appreciate your opinion and informative reasoning. We all have different likes but I think you help many of us make a more informed decision on what to purchase. Thank you for bringing this info to all of us out here. If I were to ever get into dueling then I will look at getting a tri-cree with a heavy wall dueling blade.
Keep up the great vids. May the force be with you. Always.
1 year later : "neopixel blade with bendu's armory saber"
the market changed quite a bit in a year. biggest change was an adapter. Neopixel does not lock you into a neopixel blade anymore.
Can’t believe you don’t have more subscribers. Your videos are very authentic and detailed. Thank you for the work you do. Thanks to you I’ll be buying my first lightsaber outside of master replicas and black series. Thanks again!
I agree some of the effects are kinda.... Wonky (flame for instance). Plus thebattery life suffers greatly. However, the brightness, scroll effect timed to power up/down sound, localized blaster blocks and tip drag effact of a neopixel combined with a smooth swing sound add a level of realism that distinguish it from a higher end toy. For instance, with a cheaper standard saber w/ no smooth swing my wife's comment was "congratulations you have an expensive toy flashlight". With a neopixel that has smooth swing it was "wow... Now that's not a toy". In the End it's subjective and the decision of the buyer and what they find appealing. For what it's worth.
Completely agree on the smooth swing. That one has changed the industry. The scroll on and off does not impress me much though. A lot of cannon sabers ignite instantly. The tip drag does nothing for me either and I prefer full FOC to localized, but again, to each their own.
I’m coming late to this discussion...and buying NP. I just purchased my first Neo from the Pach Store, as they seem to. Have some nice looking quality sabers and have built themselves up over the past year in the affordable saber market. From a guy who likes gadgets and tech (as well as lightsabers), I love the effects and the idea of expanding what might be done with the custom sabers market. The initial price was completely overblown for the technology involved and the electronic parts behind it. So I abstained.
I don’t duel, so I’m not afraid of banging the blade around too much, but it stood to reason this was going to become problematic since there are people who really go at it when dueling and electronics being part of the blade-which takes the most impact. And hey, we were just starting out and I didn’t have a thousand dollars to toss at this expedition into whether or not the electronics would hold up over long periods without giving it some time to see if saber enthusiasts were demanding refunds or replacements consistently.
After Christmas, I’ll do my own reviews and first thoughts. For now, I am enthusiastic to play with it, having waited this long...and knowing my own uses of the blade will not be overly brutal. What I don’t fully understand is why some of the better saber installers weren’t issuing a “proceed with caution” message earlier for heavy dueler because it doesn’t take an expert to understand tiny lights, wires, and pins, can easily get damaged-even inside a heavy piece of plastic. Because while the blade itself might be nigh-indestructible, the electronics inside (as well as the connector pins) are going to still be exposed to repeated vibrational impact. Thanks for the vid-sorry to hear you got some flack for it. I don’t think any of it was meant to discourage people from enjoying the technology, but rather to give folks some food for thought if the intended them for heavy use. I never expected they would totally replace a good beater saber, or were intended to be used as such.
I would buy from pach store but I don't like where he puts his switches.
The only downside to Neopixel Lightsabers is the battery life. Too short. It’s like one minute it’s fully charged and about 20 to 30 minutes or less, it starts making cracklings noises (meaning it needs to be charged). I have two Neo Saber’s and while I love them, it gets pretty annoying when it comes to the battery.
I plan to buy a Neopixel to modify to appear like a saber I use in SWTOR, but I respect your opinion and I will forward this to others who may want to buy or be educated, excellent video!
Good points. For me I have blades for fighting and blades for display. I definitely want one, but I think I'll wait until they're a little more "the standard", if it ever gets there, and the price comes down. I'm all about the lumens and scroll, lol. My first saber ever was a master replicas, didn't even know anyone else made one. Loved the scroll, hated the illumination, especially red. I get where you're coming from though. Thanks for mentioning different blades for me to check out.
I like the even brightness of Neopixel on my VV Ardent Elite and how the bright Flash on Clash really stands out but (and this is true for all Neopixel blades) I'm let down by the localized blaster deflect spots because all the hype and videos praising Neopixel made such a big deal about it. When I finally got to mess with it up close in person it was kind of neat but felt underwhelming because I was expecting those spots to have really bright flashes- it looked much better in youtube videos heh. I prefer the whole blade doing the bright Flash on Clash effect during blaster blocks like with my other Tri Cree VV/GCS sabers so ended up turning off the effect and having it go Legacy Flash on Clash mode. For a lot of people this localized blaster effect was a positive feature but for me it was an underwhelming gimmick.
Scrolling Effect was kinda neat at first too but I'm thinking of either turning it off or increasing speed to the max. Also, I can still see shadow spots which my eyes are sensitive to. Even though Tri/Quad Cree LEDs are not as bright as Neopixels at least they don't have shadow spots. I can't unsee them either.
Depending on how bright your other In Hilt LED sabers are the brightness will either be a huge upgrade that blows you away or it'll just be a marginally brighter saber in your collection. Compared to my other VV Suncrusher and GCS Tri Cree sabers which are plenty bright, the Neopixel stuff is cool but I'm not seeing In Hilt LEDs going away anytime soon.
Depending on the person his or her mileage will vary with Neopixel, the "fire" and "unstable" type color effects are sort of neat but I agree with you, it feels like something is wrong with the saber and it also hurts my eyes so I hardly use those features unless someone asks me to show them.
And I find it annoying that all the people praising Neopixels keep understating the battery drain & blade cost cons- for a lot of people that's pretty damn important. Good Quality 10-15 Amp High Drain Protected batteries 18650 or better are not cheap, you gotta change them often and don't let it drain too low or you'll kill your batteries prematurely & end up replacing them more often (and better bookmark those online vendors that actually sell you those batteries) and Neopixel blades will run you $150ish after shipping and handling/VAT taxes etc. Good luck replacing them or fretting over deep scratches and gashes.
High quality 10 15 Amp 18650 are not cheap... umm $10 to $12 is not inexpensive?
I only noticed shadow and corncobbing on my VV when the battery gets low.
You bring up good points. I first saw a Neopixel I thought the more accurate blade activation and deactivation was awesome but then I remembered that means essentially a string blade and when its THAT expensive for an increased risk of one or two going out, its just not worth it
Look closely at string blades, they are inexpensive to very expensive and flexible and very durable. But his points are valid, but I have yet to damage mine but I do not go mad man berserker with it either.
There are many drawbacks and caveats to a "neopixel" blade. There are many cool features that need to be seen first hand for them to be appreciated. Cree installs will still be around for a long time I think! When you factor in the lens and heatsink and holder and custom colors, it becomes comparable to a neopoxel blade.
Neopixel is cool for adjustability and stuff especially matched with a proffie but I’d only use it as a show piece for dueling tho rgb and tri cree all the way but for fun pieces I put up on my wall sure
Just buy a neopixel to tri cree adapter and change blades before dueling, best of both worlds.
True. Those didn't exist when I shot this video.
Neopixel looks more real, evenly lite blade and the other effects, while not realistic are just icing on the cake
I like your sword collection in the background, especially the odachi.
I feel this is good for those looking into buying a lightsaber to hear this perspective. It's really to each their own and based on what your perposes or desires of. I feel like you could buy one for dueling, and I'll buy a saber or two for that. But i want to buy one neopixel. I want an Anakin Skywalker revenge of the sith replica with all those features. It won't be for hitting things but rather display and at home fun. It again is what you want- if you like beating the crap out of things with your lightsaber than yeah probably don't buy a neopixel because that phatt expensive perchance just went down the drain.
So in my opinion Neopixel is more for the wow factor and the experiance, not for dueling. You seam like you care more for dueling or stunts then you do for the gimicks of lightsaber sound and light features. I'm the latter of the 2. I prefer the full experience when I'm dealing with a lightsaber and only stick to cannon hilts as well. This makes neopixel blades right for me as I never cared for in hilt LEDs due to no scroll and uneven blades, although I have a few in hilts. Its not what I see on screen. But that's me. Your preference is just fine as you prefer dueling over the gimicks. In hilts are much better for stunt work.
I agree the cost and weight can be a burden. While my Luke V2 neo pixel saber ran me a $100 less then my Tri Cree counter part of the same saber, replacement and other blades for it are much pricier. And it's a really heavy saber, like awow factor when I opened the shipping box. But the neopixel tech and the brightness is what I was after.
I think neopixel is amazing for collection and roleplay. Duel? Wouldn't risk it.
If you want the most realistic experience, buy a neopixel.
Hey man, to each their own. While I may like something, it doesn't mean that you have to. I'm only planning on getting a single neopixel saber, and the rest of my collection are probably going to be tri-cree.
Super glad others feel like this, I'm not a neopixle fan either
Fabulous video. Very informative & honest. Ive been pleased with my TriCree sabers and will probably stay with them for now. If the upcharge for NeoPixel comes down a good amount(like 50% less) I might try one but other than the brightness I dont care for the "gimmicky" features though. I wouldnt use them.
LOL - come on, why would you battle with a Neopixel, who cares if it says battle ready or duel worthy, pixel blades are for looks, cosmetic, for solo spinning. If you want to duel, use a hilt lit, like seriously why would you even risk damaging a neopixel.. because you wanna look cooler whilst dueling? Then you're not in it to be practicing your moves, because if you were focused enough in bettering your saber skills you wouldn't care about how it looks, as you're focusing on your moves. (I mean why else would you really duel, if you're not doing it to be better then you're just smashing your lightsaber for fun, great use of your money) Leave your neopixel at home to sit and look at when you get back from dueling, swing it in the garden etc. I just dont get it or even see the need for this video.. You shouldnt really buy a neo saber with dueling in mind, thats not what they were originally for. Companies have only tried to make them duel worthy cause you idiots wanna go and smash up sabers that were originally made to just look screen accurate. If you're gonna duel with a neo, and complain, you dont get to complain to anyone but yourself for not taking a second to just think, actually, yeah, maybe i wont potentially ruin my more expensive neopixel today and then post a video online about why you shouldnt buy a neopixel. come on.. or at least pop an emtpy dueling blade in place of the neo blade. Common sense. The ONLY reason not to buy a neo saber, is if you know you are gonna duel heavy. If you want a neopixel just to play with, on your own, theres every reason why you should get one. They are amazing. Way better vibrancy and brightness, and evenly lit from bottom to top. All things that you shouldnt be focused on if you're actually dueling. Just repeating myself now.
Valid points, but i think neo-pixel is clearly for a shelf/show piece, or some cos-play. Not safe enough for dueling yet. So personally i will probably get just one, just for the experience and features of it.
It's duel worthy and has been proven so.
@@Rashimotosan there have been some issues so i dont think everyone feels 100% relaxed with going full force with them yet. Maybe its a led issue that will go away quickly.
@@exesemas True. When I duel, I go full force and don't hold back. Tri-cree in-hilt LED and heavy grade blades for me. I am not a fan of the inflated price and the so-called fancy scrolling effect and the possibility of a single LED getting knocked out, even if it's in a heavy grade blade.
@@exesemas saber guild and TSL allow them. They hold up just fine in heavy combat.
@@Rashimotosan I respect your opinion, but who "allows" them, is a different issue. The issue is if they are completely heavy duel proof, so that people can spend 100$ on a blade and feel totally at ease smashing it against other blades.
i think neopixel is the best sabers i have 4 of them
I agree with you 100% bro. I USE my sabers. Hit with them, block, flip etc. as well. I know of 2 pixel owners now that have lost a single light on only one side of the pixel strip. The opinion is that they don't care. Personally, I would. Kinda looks stupid, to me, with a dead spot in your blade. I do installs myself, and I believe it's not all that much of an increase of work. Just a little bit time-consuming, with a bit of crafty thrown in. But each to his/her own, I say. Ty for the video, bro 😊
Actually the Neopixel hilt itself is very easy to do. I did one on a saberforge Disciple and basically instead of using a tri-cee inside of a LED/heatsink unit, you u a pcb (pin's pre-soldered from TCCS) with an adapter that locks on to the emitter section with the usual retention screw. I have yet to build a blade. I used a thin wall blade built by a reputable company and dueled with it. Under 3 hours, one section of the LEDs went dark. I definitely have reservations when it comes to dueling with Neopixel.
I'm not exactly for them, either. Yes, haven't heard a ton of people breaking individual led's in theirs while dueling or dropping their saber, but I have heard of it happening. Can't say the same for in-hilt. As long as in-hilt is installed/resistored correctly, you're good.
Reasonable and valid comments on the neopixel. As awesome as they are as far as brightness and power up/down effect, you can get something fairly comparable with a bright enough in-hilt light and trans-white blade. I also prefer that my hilt be able to light up without a blade.
* I had to laugh at the comment about the rainbow blade being wrong- it looks to me like ‘Star Wars goes gay pride’ lol.
I wonder 2 years later do you still feel the same way
nope. I still prefer base lit, but neopixel technology has come a long way and definitely has a place in my collection.
The battery life is why I don't have any neopixel sabers.
Fair points for sure but to me personally when a saber takes me back to being a kid again that's what it's all about. When I first witnessed the realistic effects and brightness of a neopixel in a VV wrath I lost all my s**t to say the least. It is for some people and other people not so much. As far as cost is concerned yes to buy one from VV is $150 and most installers offer them for less such as myself. The good thing about the blades is they are compatible with any neopixel setup on the market that uses the pancake connectors so it's more like a 1 time cost versus for every saber.
I'll also say that the blade effects for plecter and proffie are leaps and bounds different, i'm sure you've seen some proffie videos already but if you want to see some of my favs check out my video on the recent 89sabers qui gon I installed with proffie pixel setup. As far as neopixel blades being a pain, I would have to disagree from my perspective but that's just me, they do take quite a bit longer but the juice is definitely worth the squeeze on these. Battery life is an issue with these at the moment but if your hilt can get a 21700 in it then that'll largely increase run time and it's heading that way, i'm seeing goth chassis's becoming more and more friendly to 21700 batteries.
Tri-cree is the tried and true option and who knows if it'll ever fully die off but all in all good video bud and i'm sure this will help some people make informed decisions.
P.S. I really wish the companies offering neopixel would make the blade purchase on new sabers and option instead of mandatory on neopixel setups in case someone already has a blade
Oh and comparing the 5mm led string blades in a hasbro versus a duel strip of ws2812b neopixel leds is not a fair comparison at all. You do get the scrolling effect but its choppy and bulky where neopixel is a smooth gradual scroll up the blade
One word... Solid state batteries.
😎👍
Can not wait for those. lol
Also VV offers full choice on tri Cree or neopixel with or without blade.
My opinions about this are the same. But mainly the costs and especially the "heavier blade".
Good argumented video, I don't agree at all, but good video
This raised the fuck out of my eyebrows!
Spoken like the true professional you are. Love your videos! So informative and articulated!
Funny thing is I did buy one. I found one for super cheap. I still stand by these objections to the technology though. It is a lot more hype than actual progress.
I tend to agree with you...on the basis of cost alone.👍👍
I think I still want one just because I think they might look cool. Originally I thought no because it doesn't make sense to hit them, but I really don't fight with them it's more of a novelty thing for me. We all can agree that lightsabers are awesome eather way iam sure!✌️
I do disagree but there is no hate, to each their own, as long as the buyer is well informed any saber they go with is the best saber
After having several tri crees and one rgb, I realized that dueling really is secondary. I duel with my father sometimes, but I have enough lightsabers to do that. I now want a lightsaber with the scrolling effect and the different blade effects. To each their own I suppose but the things brought up here, save the added cost, really aren't reasons to NOT buy one.
Thank you Darth Syphilis, I will let my friend Darth Gonorrhea know the results of this review.
I’m looking for a more “plasma” style blade
And these “FLASHlights” just don’t do it
You seem to have forgotten the single most appealing thing about a neopixel blade, the authentic look of the blade extending out when activated, like a real lightsaber would, how could you forget this? It's the reason that like 90% of people get it.
I lumped that in with programmability. Blade retraction is not a new feature. All the black series sabers do it. My impression of things is that that is not what is leading people to switch to Neopixel as sabers have been doing it since the early 2000s. For me, that feature is a novelty. Unless most of what you do with your saber is turn it on and off, it is not a very additive effect.
What's brighter neo pixel or deep blue LED with photon blade?
Neopixel.
Neopixel, simply by sheer physics.
Neopixel photon blade is freaking bright.
😎
I like the even nature of the color, the scrolling effect, and most importantly the ability to change color without losing brightness. As far as cost comes n for a penny in fir a pound. I agree with you on point of balance though that's dead on.
It just comes to what you want out of a saber. Not right for me does not mean not right for everyone. This video was just in response to the fact that many people do not understand how anyone could not be jumping on this bus.
I think it's a matter of the right tool for the right job. The cheap single led cree are great for dropping repeatedly but not so impressive in display. The tri-cree had removable blades which was so much better for cosplay than a master replicas. I really enjoy your videos though. You've got a sincerity that I appreciate. Keep up the good work.
I think Neopixel is awesome for a dedicated toy, something your willing to spend ALOT of $ on for playing with. but I like to fight with my sabers so traditional tri-cree is my choice for most of my sabers. Honestly, a crossguard saber is the only thing I'd spend a tax return on to get Neopixel 😝
Heavy grade neopixel blades are pretty solid for dueling, as long as it's heavy blade on heavy blade they seem to hold up fine
You actually gained a new subscriber! Great videos man 👍🏿
I plan on making my own neo pixel blade when I get my money together.
I plan on making my own neo pixel when I get the money together.
Impressive, most impressive.. you expressed your unabashed opinion on the Internet! Need more of that. What saber store do you usually shop through?
most of them. depends on what I am after. Ultrasabers for cheap beaters. Pach store for costume sabers, Kybers for cheap spinniners, Bendu for durable high end. Electrum and Vader’s Vault are good to. really just look for a design and features that speak to you.
@@DarthCephalus thanks for the insight!
There is a smaller lighter strips available and it cuts down the weight.
But I understand your points and to each their own.
😎🍻
Look at the blades on the wall behind you. That represents how many neopixels? To each his own but reducing the argument as you have done is specious.
Tri for battle...Neo for ewwwsss and awwhhhsss ;)
I completely agree with you, I am fine with my Tri Cree Aeon V5 Ultrasaber!
Is it LE? I have the Dark Initiate LE V5
Not to mention, the battery duration is cut in half.
Half? Most of my sabers use 3200mAh batteries and they can run pretty much all day since deep sleep is utilized in the NBv4 sound boards.
Sound will start cutting out at certain colors around 35 minutes and after that I usually just mute the sound and run the rest of the battery out with the color. like even in Tri Cree LED hilts multiple colors with multiple dies will reduce battery life anyway. However if you plan on going to a convention all day on One battery then it's not an issue. I have the battery mine came with plus two additional ones that I bought from Custom saber shop 15 amp discharge but I do have these two / 3600 capacity 10 amp discharge batteries I use as backup to backup. Technically you are supposed to use a 15 amp discharge rate battery because it makes the colors right and the way they're supposed to be but I just use those to mess around
I have both and In Hilt not going away for me regarding Duelling, in the UK you're not allowed above 2mm blade wall thickness. So typical TCSS HG 1/8inc 3.1mm not allowed and Thin walled 1/16inc 1.5mm not worth the risk of breakage plus being heavier is a disadvantage, even it its only a little. I use 36inc 2mm walled SSL blade. As you mentioned you hadn't used one the below is simply my experience FYI. Starting with weight. My 36inc Thin walled blade weighs exactly the same the as my 34.5inc Thin Walled NP. I sometimes find the shorter standard blades a little light for spinning and therefore my thinking is the NP might actually be better. Colour wise (all IMO out of box CS3.0 VV Subcrusher vs GCS CS4.5 NP set ups) The lime green NP is nicer then the Tri and on par with Photon, Red is great on both, Cyan better on NP, Blue on Par, Purple I prefer VV Suncrusher. As for effects I don't like Flame, I like Rain in blue but agree its not particularly SW accurate. The unstable is nice with Red and I think you would actually like it. It can be set up in different ways, on my GCS Sabre it's no more then an exaggerated flicker it looks good in person and I feel a good representation of a cracked Kyber sith crystal. Regarding battery I did a test with GCS Creed, I always run Rob's power save mode, it might be slightly less bright, but still brighter then my Tri, and full. (I think its nicer then full brightness). From a battery perspective. Running for ten, turning off for 2, cycling through the 3 standard modes in different colours and the three effect modes. Trust Fire 2400, 1hr13mins, Trust Fire 3000 1hr 38Mins, Xtar 3500 1hr43mins. In summary, I like both, battery is better then many think, weight is about 1.5inc worth of blade to match, colour is great for one blade, ie. Photon type Green with a great Red, Cyan available. Scroll is fun, unstable is probably better then you imagine. CFX around the corner and I think that will improve the customisation. I also hope that they develop a NP core that screws into different outer blade shells, buy your NP set up once and swap out as needed for a cracked shell, clear brake still a problem but mostly it's a crake. Anyhow just for your digestion.
When is blade thickness regulated in UK?
I prefer non-Neopixel lightsabers , because they are more durable , more solid .
Yea if u think dead leds is more durable
@@Emolga6274 Neopixel can also be dead , did you think about it ?
I don't think its about every luminum, but rather that you can spend a chunk of money on buying a high quality hilt with high-end electronics just to have a blade that doesn't give the 'realism' that neopixel does that people look for in a saber i.e in-hilt LED's or less that doesn't fill out the blade and detracts from that realistic look. I mean after all, isn't that why one would buy a super quality hilt with a high price tag to have a neopixel setup? Look, I don't get the point of spending all that money on an expensive saber just to cut yourself short of the full package by not having a fuller brighter blade, isn't that what the industry is trying to do? to bring star wars realism to the product? Did we not all fantasise as kids what it would be like to have a lightsaber with the same or near-as-damn-it realism as the movie version save slicing your nemesis in two?
I think neopixel is a good example of how not all new tech is adoptable tech. I appreciate what it does, but I think it does not do it well enough to be worth the price tag or the drawbacks. I think future tech will do it much better. Neopixel is like Windows ME: Sure it is a step forward and maybe it is a stepping stone on the way to XP, but it has a cost and I don’t want to use it. I’m not going to use something unless I like it better than the previous version.
You cover a lot of the same reasons I won't go neopixel, either.
I think having all types of blades is an option - so unless one is short on funds, why limit?
the core of it is I think they are overhyped and overpriced. the price has come down a fair bit this last year though and there is a tri Cree adapter now, so my position on this has changed.
@@DarthCephalus you're living in the past.
I prefer the neopixels, but I respect your opinion. You clearly explain your reasons and you speak very well. Are you reading off of bullet points, or going freestyling? All of your videos are well thought out.
Mostly just winging it.
NOT the pile of nonsense I was expecting, so thank you. Each to his own, but I'll reserve judgement until I light up a np in my own hand. Lol
But I'm all about just playing around, so what you said makes sense.
Cool sword collection in the background. I have that top sword as well. It went to that movie that I cannot recall the name at this moment.
Thanks Darth Cephalus now I’m more informed and ready to make my purchase ... (tri Cree) great videos! Always
I cannot justify the price of an expensive saber setup, let alone a pricey blade. $350 to $600 on a saber is something I can never justify. But then also the rabbit hole can be an issue if you start buying 4 or so cheaper sabers, you could have bought one expensive one.
because you can't afford it?
that is not an argument against neopixel
I'm buying one once Luke's lightsaber is available again
@@voluntarism335 I was not saying anything bad about the tech. What each person can afford is different. Just stating for me it would be expensive.
So......you don’t get a lightsaber to pretend you’re in Star Wars?......why not just stick with the swords, literally the point of a lightsaber being invented at all is the extendable blade which neopixels demonstrate as close to reality as possible...
Neopixel tech seems really great
Love my dayblades have them in every color
A well articulated opinion. Neo pixel appeals to me but the added cost doesn’t. I’ve not had a tri-Cree so if that was bright enough I’d agree with your stance.
I own one and in my opinion, it’s not that much brighter than a standard in hilt led saber. To me it’s not much of a difference
You must not have a very good neopixel blade or it's using only one strip. My Neopixel drowns out my inhilt sabers to the to the point of seeing the white color of the blade's plastic. I can provide pictures.
Should be titled "why I used to think I would never buy a neopixel"! 40" flatscreen tv's use to cost $1000. NP has ~288 customizable led vs 3 so it makes sense that it cost more. That said, I'm still having a hard time spending the money.. at this time.
True I did buy one later when I found a good price. With a proffie board it is worth it, because you can control all those LEDs. Without one, it is still not in my opinion even if the cost comes down a lot from where it is. Neopixel is excellent if you want your saber to do the weird stuff like rainbows, sparkles, and candy corn. If you just want a single color solid or pulsing blade, base lit is the way to go.
@@DarthCephalus
All good points and to each their own.
Right now Proffie is the most robust on features but the CFX is also a good board and still new.
Technology keeps advancing and so does Saber land.
Only problem here is doing a review on something you dont own
Check the other videos
@@DarthCephalus already on it
You're 100% on the money here.
There are more than 40 effects now.
If you have a proffie, there are as many effects as you can figure out how to program. Effects depend on the board though. For a lot of neopixel sabers, there are still just a couple.
Very true the Proffie community is constantly developing new blade effects and working out all the coding and making it available to cut and paste and telling you step by step how to setup.
The Crystal Focus is still new and getting updates.
It is a matter of do you want simple or more complicated.
They are not for me eather
neopixel expensive ??? price starting at 5 - 7 usd for 10meter strip. That funny...
Neopixel blades are usually about $100 compared to $10 for a standard. Neopixel installs on the saber itself usually add more than that.
you throw them at a tree? cmon thats roleplaying overkill
I do contact moves and saber levitations. I don’t intend to throw them at a tree, but it does happen.
NP not just more expensive. I've heard that it eats battery fast. And if my workout will last couple of hours, then what? I would like to do my acrobatics and choreography with a lightasber. It is more fun and entertaining that way.
It does. I covered that in a later video but I was not aware of it when I shot this one. I have issues with battery drain anyways, which is why I often use a day blade. That is my biggest gripe about NP: that I can’t use my day blade.
@@DarthCephalus my saber is still in the process of construction.
Developer said that it has usb rechargeable accumulator 21700. It is not removable. It's capacity is 5000 mA. So, that should be enough for couple of hours, if i will use some power economy preset in preferences, what reduce illumination on 50-60%. It will be still brighter then tree-cree and with no limitation to all NP special effects.
All these point are from some one who clearly dules with sabers. Obviously you shouldn't wack a neo.
Problem is, too many people say you should, including a lot of saber makers.
True true .. definitely not suited for saber leagues in my opinion maybe okay for light duels if it's a heavy grade
That's the key there is to define duel.
Most people only lightly spar and medium to thick heavy is perfect for.
But for Saber league or going full mad man berserker on, you might damage your blade. You also have to match blades you duel with, a heavy neo blade will smash a light neo blade in half. lol
“Why you a bum”
Your all salty as you wasted yr money on old tech,just get with the times