Question: HID Bulb -> Price vs Quality

bigaltech · 01-13-2009, 09:24 PM

Let's say you search ebay for a $25/pair D1S replacement bulb in 8000K or your purchase one offline from a shop that sells them for $150/pair with the same 8000K...

Does or Has anyone seen a difference in the quality of color/light output?

I'm not talking about just because its 8000K that it loses lumens, that I know..
I had 6000K bulbs from an HID kit I purchased for my old car, GTO, that looked very Aqua like in color. A friend of mine has a GTI with 6K bulbs that look a bit whiter (GTI had factory HID (xenon?)) while GTO was originally halogen -if that matters. Also, My old G35 (original xenons) were replaced with 8K bulbs vs another one of my friends GTI's that were 8K (his looked bluer than mine), he also paid about $75 more than I did for a bulb..

So basically, is it the price which is quality, or could it be manufacturer.. The main reason I'm asking is that I am doing an HID setup for the halos, and I want to match the fogs/headlights with bulbs.. Is it worth spending the extra $$ or can I go ebay... Price isn't an issue, but as we all know, a dollar saved is a dollar earned in other mods

Thanks ahead of time for any input!

beskone · 01-13-2009, 09:25 PM

doesn't really matter for you

as using HID to power the halo's will result in a giant blob of light, instead of halo rings.

so just go cheap, it'll look terrible either way, HID has been tried on the e92 halo's already - the design allows too much light to bleed out, and you just get a big mess, instead of really bright rings.

bigaltech · 01-13-2009, 09:33 PM

Well... too late for the halo setup, should be here tomorrow... Some pics make it look great/other as you said, blob- guess I'll find out soon.. I really wanted daytime visibility... if it's that bad, oh well.. I'll make use of it on the fogs so I didn't really go wrong I suppose

SV Concepts III · 01-13-2009, 10:30 PM

We have found there is definitely a quality spectrum across bulb manufacturers. The main differences are in terms of the longevity of the bulb and color. Some manufacturer's 8000k is really a 6000k and vice versa so it is important to make sure the color temperature is measured accurately. Also check out the warranty behind the bulb as you may end up spending more in replacements than just purchasing a quality bulb outright. There is something to be said about purchasing from a vendor that you know and trust and has a reputation for quality and backing their products.

MediaHI · 01-13-2009, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beskone

doesn't really matter for you

as using HID to power the halo's will result in a giant blob of light, instead of halo rings.

so just go cheap, it'll look terrible either way, HID has been tried on the e92 halo's already - the design allows too much light to bleed out, and you just get a big mess, instead of really bright rings.

This is very true. It is also blinding to oncoming traffic because the top half of the ring actually shoots above the regular low beam limit. And it's a big blob which makes it unappealing..

bluespeed117 · 01-14-2009, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigaltech

Let's say you search ebay for a $25/pair D1S replacement bulb in 8000K or your purchase one offline from a shop that sells them for $150/pair with the same 8000K...

Does or Has anyone seen a difference in the quality of color/light output?

I'm not talking about just because its 8000K that it loses lumens, that I know..
I had 6000K bulbs from an HID kit I purchased for my old car, GTO, that looked very Aqua like in color. A friend of mine has a GTI with 6K bulbs that look a bit whiter (GTI had factory HID (xenon?)) while GTO was originally halogen -if that matters. Also, My old G35 (original xenons) were replaced with 8K bulbs vs another one of my friends GTI's that were 8K (his looked bluer than mine), he also paid about $75 more than I did for a bulb..

So basically, is it the price which is quality, or could it be manufacturer.. The main reason I'm asking is that I am doing an HID setup for the halos, and I want to match the fogs/headlights with bulbs.. Is it worth spending the extra $$ or can I go ebay... Price isn't an issue, but as we all know, a dollar saved is a dollar earned in other mods

Thanks ahead of time for any input!

Price isnt always quality. I bought my HIDs from ebay for 60 bucks shipped. The quality on these are good and i havent had any problems with them ever since I installed them. They are very bright and dont shoot any errors on my e90.

awei130 · 01-14-2009, 03:23 AM

honestly do some research around on the forums and see the setup most people are running that way you can find the general consensus of the community.

One vendor you can contact for more information is E92-Lighting I know he has D1S bulbs available.

01-13-2009, 09:24 PM	#1
bigaltech Private First Class 9 Rep 142 Posts Drives: 335i Coupe Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: South Florida iTrader: (2)	Question: HID Bulb -> Price vs Quality Let's say you search ebay for a $25/pair D1S replacement bulb in 8000K or your purchase one offline from a shop that sells them for $150/pair with the same 8000K... Does or Has anyone seen a difference in the quality of color/light output? I'm not talking about just because its 8000K that it loses lumens, that I know.. I had 6000K bulbs from an HID kit I purchased for my old car, GTO, that looked very Aqua like in color. A friend of mine has a GTI with 6K bulbs that look a bit whiter (GTI had factory HID (xenon?)) while GTO was originally halogen -if that matters. Also, My old G35 (original xenons) were replaced with 8K bulbs vs another one of my friends GTI's that were 8K (his looked bluer than mine), he also paid about $75 more than I did for a bulb.. So basically, is it the price which is quality, or could it be manufacturer.. The main reason I'm asking is that I am doing an HID setup for the halos, and I want to match the fogs/headlights with bulbs.. Is it worth spending the extra $$ or can I go ebay... Price isn't an issue, but as we all know, a dollar saved is a dollar earned in other mods Thanks ahead of time for any input!
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01-13-2009, 09:25 PM	#2
beskone Captain 73 Rep 921 Posts Drives: LeMans BLue e92 335i LCI Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (2) Garage List 2012 e92 335i LCI [0.00] 2009 e92 328i [10.00]	doesn't really matter for you as using HID to power the halo's will result in a giant blob of light, instead of halo rings. so just go cheap, it'll look terrible either way, HID has been tried on the e92 halo's already - the design allows too much light to bleed out, and you just get a big mess, instead of really bright rings. __________________ e92 LCI • LeMans Blue • Saddle Brown • Bamboo Anthracite • Performance Grilles • CF Performance Spoiler • CF Performance Diffuser • ACS Style Roof Spoiler • LED Interior Lighting • BMS Clutch Stop • BMS Intake • BMS CDV • BMW Performance Exhaust • ST V1 Coilovers • Miro 111 Staggered • More to come!
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01-13-2009, 09:33 PM	#3
bigaltech Private First Class 9 Rep 142 Posts Drives: 335i Coupe Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: South Florida iTrader: (2)	Well... too late for the halo setup, should be here tomorrow... Some pics make it look great/other as you said, blob- guess I'll find out soon.. I really wanted daytime visibility... if it's that bad, oh well.. I'll make use of it on the fogs so I didn't really go wrong I suppose
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01-13-2009, 10:30 PM	#4
SV Concepts III Lieutenant General 375 Rep 17,017 Posts Drives: BMW Duh Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Santa Clara iTrader: (13)	We have found there is definitely a quality spectrum across bulb manufacturers. The main differences are in terms of the longevity of the bulb and color. Some manufacturer's 8000k is really a 6000k and vice versa so it is important to make sure the color temperature is measured accurately. Also check out the warranty behind the bulb as you may end up spending more in replacements than just purchasing a quality bulb outright. There is something to be said about purchasing from a vendor that you know and trust and has a reputation for quality and backing their products.
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01-14-2009, 03:23 AM	#7
awei130 Banned 209 Rep 2,492 Posts Drives: E46, E92, 987 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: SOCAL iTrader: (19)	honestly do some research around on the forums and see the setup most people are running that way you can find the general consensus of the community. One vendor you can contact for more information is E92-Lighting I know he has D1S bulbs available.
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