Ecotech Marine’s new QuietDrive is not just a new pump, or a new controller, but a completely new way to drive brushless DC motors which is going to revolutionize the way that users experience their Vortech pumps. The promise of QuietDrive means that the whole line of Vortech pumps from the newest to the oldest will all now be operating so silently that you won’t even believe they are running, even at full power or in pulse modes.
The main event for QuietDrive’s big splash is the new and improved Vortech MP40qd which was built from the ground up to be driven with the new controller. The new Vortech MP40qd is the same size as the original MP40 that started it all, but it has a redesigned styling to its dry side motor, and it is now paired up with a super reliable wetside that inherits the best features from the MP10 and MP60 propeller and wetsides.
But what’s a brand new pump worth if it doesn’t push the envelope in multiple ways? Well don’t worry because not only is the Vortech MP40qd ninja-quiet, and really really really good looking, it’s also coming with a substantial performance boost and a generous price break. The new Vortech MP40qd will push 40% more water volume for a total of 4,500 gallons per hour and it’s going to retail for a very fair $349.
A spanking new and impressive quiet, more powerful and cheaper Vortech pump is enough to make huge headlines on its own but Ecotech Marine has bigger plans for QuietDrive. Not only will the QuietDrive drivers be standard on all MP10 and MP60 pumps making them silent as well, but the new QD controller is also backwards compatible with all previous models of Vortech pumps.
The drivers for Vortech MP10, MP40 and MP60 won’t give you the crazy performance boost of the new MP40qd, but it will increase the motor efficiency as well as eliminate 90% of the noise on previous models and at very reasonable prices too. The path to upgrade to the QuietDrive controllers will be significantly less than $100 for each pump model and they are all EcoSmart Live compatible but there will be one non-wireless version of the QuietDrive for the MP10.
With the Vortech MP40 nearing the ten year mark since its first inception, we knew that the flagship pump that first put Ecotech Marine on the map was due for a refresh. We could have foreseen slight benchmarks improvements in the flow, efficiency and reliability department, but the level of engineering and manufacturing prowess that Ecotech brought to bear to create a a better, cheaper, quieter pump is really astounding.
Even as we write this, we must confess that we have already had a sneak peak at the QuietDrive technology in action and it is bordering on “impossibly” quiet. And even as you read this, we know that there’s lots of you who are simply incredulous that driver technology alone can account for such big improvements, especially when it comes to the familiar whirr that longtime Vortech users have come to love/hate.
We still have a lot of questions about the new Vortech MP40qd and how QuietDrive technology works, but we’ve got a lot of details on to chew on for now. The first public display of the whole new QueitDrive line from Ecotech Marine will be at ReefStock 2015 in Denver Colorado Feb. 21 & 22nd so be sure to come out and see it, and most of all hear it for yourself.
