CategoryChicago, IL
Ellipsoidal reflector spotlights — lekos or profiles — are the precision instruments of a lighting plot: hard-edged, shutterable, gobo-capable fixtures for front light, key light, and pattern projection. Stocked and shipped from our Van Nuys warehouse, direct from Acue Express.
01 — The Chicago market
Ellipsoidal reflector spotlights — lekos or profiles — are the precision instruments of a lighting plot: hard-edged, shutterable, gobo-capable fixtures for front light, key light, and pattern projection. This page covers buying them specifically in Chicago — who buys here, what the local work demands, and how to get fixtures direct instead of through a distributor markup.
Chicago has a deep banquet and reception scene alongside one of the best-known theatre communities in the country, and a lot of it happens in older rooms with limited space and power. Compact, low-draw gear that does a lot from a small footprint sells well here.
For LED ellipsoidal lights, Chicago demand concentrates around weddings and banquet events and theatre and stage productions, with fixtures going into rooms ranging from Metro Chicago to the smaller stages and studios around Schaumburg. The buyers are mostly church and community venue teams and banquet hall and venue operators.
02 — Specification guide
Five decisions that determine whether a fixture fits the room.
Barrels are interchangeable and determine field angle. A 19-degree barrel is a long-throw front-light instrument; 26 and 36 degrees cover shorter throws and wider washes.
Warm white profiles around 3200K match traditional tungsten plots. High colour rendering matters enormously for skin tones under camera.
Four-way framing shutters let you cut light precisely off a proscenium, a set piece, or a screen. This is the defining capability of the fixture type.
A gobo slot turns the fixture into a pattern projector for texture, breakup, and logo projection.
If you already own conventional ellipsoidal bodies, retrofit engines let you convert to LED without replacing the whole inventory or rehanging the plot.
03 — Recommended
Acue LED Profile 300 WW$1,039LED ellipsoidal
Acue LED Profile 200 WW$709compact LED ellipsoidal
Studio FR2$999LED fresnel
COB 200 WW Package$1,679LED Ellipsoidal & Profile Lighting
Phoenix Tube$5,799LED Ellipsoidal & Profile Lighting
150W LED Follow Spot$1,199LED Ellipsoidal & Profile Lighting
400W LED Follow Spot$1,649LED Ellipsoidal & Profile Lighting
Mini Profile LED$429LED Ellipsoidal & Profile Lighting
Profile 200 Retrofit$429LED Ellipsoidal & Profile Lighting04 — Buy direct
Acue Express carries its own line and ships it from Van Nuys, California. For Chicago customers that means three concrete things: direct pricing with no distributor tier, consistent stock so a multi-unit order arrives matched, and warranty support handled by Acue rather than a third party.
Our compact fixtures and low-draw LED pars suit the older banquet rooms and converted spaces where both circuits and hanging positions are limited.
05 — Ready when you are
Room dimensions, throw distances, power availability and quantities — we work through all of it before you order.
06 — Questions
Still unsure? Call 818-646-7526 and talk to someone who has hung these fixtures.
They are the same fixture. Leko is an old trade name that stuck as generic shop slang; ellipsoidal reflector spotlight is the technical term. Profile is the common British and international usage.
Match the barrel to the throw distance. Long front-of-house throws from a balcony rail usually want 19 degrees. Mid-range throws work well at 26 degrees. Short throws from a close-hung electric want 36 degrees or wider.
No — LED fixtures need constant power and DMX control, not a dimmer. That said, converting to LED usually frees up dimmer capacity and reduces heat load substantially, which is a large part of why venues make the switch.
Our ellipsoidal barrels interchange with the major brands already common in North American plots, so you can expand an existing inventory rather than replace it.
Yes. We ship LED ellipsoidal lights to Chicago and throughout Chicagoland from our Van Nuys, California facility. Chicago is a reliable freight lane. For downtown and Loop venues we recommend confirming dock access and delivery windows when the order goes in.
Yes — call 818-646-7526. We will work through room dimensions, throw distances, power availability and quantities before you order. For Chicago projects that usually saves more money than any discount, because the most expensive mistake is buying the wrong fixture count.
07 — Index
