Light output and size of fittings:
Fibre optic end-fittings do not have to increase in size to achieve a greater light output. With fibre optics the light output is determined by the remote lightsource and the size of the fibre optic cable, not the end-fitting. With LEDs the light output is determined, for the most part, by the number of LEDs in the cluster and the fitting must therefore increase in size as the required light output increases. Fibre optics are the ultimate discreet lighting tool.

Flexibility:
Fibre optic end -fittings are easier to focus than LEDs and achieve a more even and purer circle of light. The beam angle emitted from the end of a fibre optic cable is adjusted by winding the end-fitting on and off the ferrule, clockwise to diffuse the light and anti-clockwise to narrow the beam. No other lighting system offers an easier focusing

Colourchange:
Colourchange is far easier with fibre optics with the colourchange taking place in the remote lightsource by means of a rotating dichroic glass wheel in front of the lamp. LEDs do not change colour but colourchange in an LED fitting is achieved by having clusters of different colours of LEDs that are switched on and off or mixed to create a specific colour. Without complex and expensive colour mixing with an LED system, the colour choice is limited and once you have bought your chosen colour of fitting you are stuck with that. With fibre optics you can change the colours in the lightsource at will. The colours are achieved with dichroic glass of which there is a wide range of vibrant colours to choose from. See our new Varicolour colourwheel with interchangeable segements and choice of 15 colours. The dichroic glass produces very pure colours unlike the more digital looking colours produced by LEDs.

Installation:
Fibre optics only require one electrical supply to the lightsource which houses the lamp. Thereafter, the cables and fittings do not carry electricity or heat and it is a matter of routing the cables and drilling holes for the fittings. Each LED fitting requires an electricity supply and although there is no heat emitted from the visible part of the fitting, all the heat is being emitted through the back of the fitting and therefore LEDs cannot be installed in all of the places / materials that fibre optics can be installed in, such as potentially flammable material. Where there is electrical wiring there is potential for degredation and this can be accelerated by the heat emitted from an LED fitting, resulting in many of them not getting even close to their estimated life. Take a look at LED installations, there are fittings where all the LEDs have failed or a percentage have failed, resulting in an uneven cluster and uneven light output. With fibre optics, there is only the one lamp to fail and therefore only one lamp to change. The lightsource would be in an easily accessible location to aid maintenance.

Image:
We see LEDs in some form absolutely everywhere now, in hotels, leisure centres, airports, shopping malls, private homes, cars and public toilets. Since they have been made available in their very poorest form in the large DIY superstores and department stores, they are far from a luxury item that could be considered to add that edge to a home or commercial property. LEDs are mainstream while fibre optics remain a luxury item for those projects requiring that extra attention to detail. They are purer, softer and ultimately more special.