Daikin 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split Air Conditioner (MTKM50U) vs Symphony Diet 12T 12-Litre Personal Tower Air Cooler

What separates them

These two differ on 11 recorded specifications. The Daikin 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split Air Conditioner (MTKM50U) is ₹39,700 dearer.

Daikin

Daikin 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split Air Conditioner (MTKM50U)

₹45,990

ISEER 4.7 and 840 kWh a year are the two figures worth carrying into a showroom, because the star rating alone is a band that has been rebased twice -- a 2016 five star is roughly a 2023 three star.

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Symphony

Symphony Diet 12T 12-Litre Personal Tower Air Cooler

₹6,290

Evaporative cooling costs about a tenth of what an air conditioner costs to run, and the reason is that it does not remove heat -- it converts sensible heat into humidity.

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Who the Daikin 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split Air Conditioner is for

Buy it if: Anyone running an air conditioner more than about 1000 hours a year, where the efficiency premium pays back quickly.

Avoid it if: Anyone using it a few weeks a year -- the premium will not return within the compressor warranty.

Who the Symphony Diet 12T 12-Litre Personal Tower Air Cooler is for

Buy it if: Anyone in dry inland heat wanting cooling at roughly a tenth of an air conditioner's running cost.

Avoid it if: Anyone in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata or any coastal humidity -- evaporative cooling does not work in damp air.

Specifications, side by side

11 of 21 rows differ. Differences first.

Specification	Daikin 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter Split Air Conditioner	Symphony Diet 12T 12-Litre Personal Tower Air Cooler
Price	₹45,990	₹6,290
Annual energy use	840 kWh a year at the BEE test pattern of 1600 hours, about Rs6,720 at Rs8 per unit -- against roughly Rs10,700 for a 3 star unit	Roughly 110 kWh a season at 8 hours a day for 90 days, about Rs880 -- against roughly Rs9,000 for a 1.5 ton air conditioner over the same period
BEE rating year	2023 rating year	Not applicable
BEE star rating	5 star	Not rated -- BEE does not cover evaporative coolers
Capacity	1.5 ton, rooms up to about 15 square metres	12 litre tank, rooms up to about 10 square metres
Dimensions	Indoor 90 x 30 x 20 cm; outdoor 77 x 55 x 30 cm	30 x 30 x 84 cm
Installation	Professional split installation, indoor and outdoor units, copper piping	Free standing, needs an open window
ISEER	4.7 -- the Indian seasonal efficiency figure, and the only number comparable across brands	Not applicable
Noise level	34 dB indoor on low, 49 dB outdoor	About 52 dB
Rated power	1450 W nominal, variable 300 to 1700 W	185 W
Refrigerant	R32 -- lower global warming potential than the R410A it replaces	None -- water evaporation
Weight	Indoor 9.5 kg, outdoor 34 kg	7.5 kg
Warranty	1 Year Official Brand Warranty	1 Year Official Brand Warranty
Air throw	not published	About 6 metres
Cooling method	not published	Evaporative -- water absorbs heat as it evaporates, which also adds humidity
Copper condenser	Yes	not published
Inverter	Compressor speed varies rather than cycling on and off, which is where the saving comes from	not published
Running cost difference	About Rs4,000 a year against a 3 star unit, so the premium returns in roughly two years	not published
Star band note	BEE rebased its bands in 2018 and again since; a 2016 five star is roughly a 2023 three star	not published
Ventilation	not published	Requires an open window; a sealed room becomes humid and uncomfortable
Where it does not	not published	Coastal humidity. In Mumbai or Chennai it adds moisture to already saturated air and provides little cooling
Where it works	not published	Dry heat. In Delhi or Jaipur in May it works well

Every row is a figure one or both products record. A blank is a figure the catalogue does not hold, not a zero.

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