H8 20 watt LEDS installed

[ManiacGT]

I have similar fitted to my car in the UK. Here's an example of my car (black with the LED halos) and a stock car at the recent Silverstone track event. This was mid morning, in sunlight.

My Car;



Another (stock) Car;

[jparnes1]

Originally Posted by BMWZ4RIDER

I have been selling high end commercial lighting for a living for 25 years and in Lighting ( like everything else) you get what you pay for and brightness is subjective. However here my opinion in comparing the $65 LEDs to the halogens these are a good deal, as long as they last as advertised.

Answers
1. No dimming. Full light output and instant on at start. No warm up time needed.

2. My opinion is that that these 20 watt (4 chips each x 5 watts each) = 20 watts. Each chip is located on each side of a square bezel.
I did not measure the light output with a digital light meter, which I am planning to doing, but in my subjective opinion the light out is perceived as being close to the halo light out put.

Perceived because it it a proven fact that the cooler the blue color like these 7000 degree Kelvin leds, the brighter the Application seems. In actuality in almost every case with LED, actual lumens (light output) is less to its incandescent/ halogen replacement.

3. LEDS do not show well in photographs. When taking these photos, the LEDs in the camera Lens actually strob. The halos look to me to have a solid ring. However if you look at them from different directions, hard side view for example, your eye may see what looks like a small dark spot in the halo. You have to be really looking for. No issue with me.

I am happy with the results for me.

So no flickering on fade out with these bulbs?

[BMWZ4RIDER]

No flickering that I have seen. Fade Out- I am going to have to take another look at shut down and see if there is any Fade out.

[jparnes1]

I installed the same set as BMWZ4Rider and I'm loving it. I can't see paying $250 where these look as good as they do. Very happy with this purchase.

[HerrK]

Originally Posted by jparnes1

I installed the same set as BMWZ4Rider and I'm loving it. I can't see paying $250 where these look as good as they do. Very happy with this purchase.

I know you had problems with your Alpine kit. Did you take the Xenon HID system off your car? If so how would you compare the LED's to the Xenon's. Seems like most people prefer the intensity of the Xenons. Alpine currently has them for $179.00.

[jparnes1]

Originally Posted by HerrK

I know you had problems with your Alpine kit. Did you take the Xenon HID system off your car? If so how would you compare the LED's to the Xenon's. Seems like most people prefer the intensity of the Xenons. Alpine currently has them for $179.00.

Yeah, my Alpine kit failed. I ordered new bulbs (I thought it was just the bulbs but it was actually the ballasts) and when I tried to contact Alex, he wouldn't respond. A few days later, the bulb charge was reversed on my credit card! So I'm thinking he's out of business.

I researched and found another lighting company - Distant Extremes - that seemed to have a quality product, but we couldn't get it to work with the E89. The xenons are really really bright day or night, maybe too bright, but at this point I feel it isn't worth the hassle. And I am concerned about long term durability. When I compared the connectors between the Alpine and DX kits, I saw that some of them were different. this can be a problem if you need a new bulb or ballast and your company is gone. Other companies' connectors may be different and your kit will be useless.

The LED's are nice and bright at night, less so in the day, but they look better in the day than any of the photos posted on this forum. Must be something about the way they photograph. I got 6000K bulbs which are white with no blue tint. Really like 'em.

[Lambobimmer]

Just bought these on ebay for $57 shipped. They work and look great.

These are shipped from an ebayer in the USA if you are interested. Offer $57 and you will win. http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-20W-H8-Cr...item1c333078f8

[BMWZ4RIDER]

Originally Posted by lamboworld

Just bought these on ebay for $57 shipped. They work and look great.

These are shipped from an ebayer in the USA if you are interested. Offer $57 and you will win. http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-20W-H8-Cr...item1c333078f8

Nice find. Good news.

[rking117]

Originally Posted by Moo

...

Where dd you get the splitter for the front bumper?

[InsanePineapple]

I had LUX v3 on my 335i ($235) and ebay LEDs similar to BMWZ4RIDER's ($60). And just going by memory, I don't think the LUX is that much brighter than the ebay LEDs (if at all). Maybe LUX V4 is brigthter than V3?

[LuxAngelEyes]

Originally Posted by morfinx

I had LUX v3 on my 335i ($235) and ebay LEDs similar to BMWZ4RIDER's ($60). And just going by memory, I don't think the LUX is that much brighter than the ebay LEDs (if at all). Maybe LUX V4 is brigthter than V3?

Here is a comparison shot of the LUX H8 V4 lights compared to a 20W brand. the difference in person was even more dramatic but as it was said earlier, its very difficult to capture these in camera



the main reason why the cheep brands are so dim dim is because they use badly designed electronics and they dim to about 1/3 brightness when the headlights are on. Even during normal operation they are only at about 2/3 brightness while the LUX H8 V4's are 100% brightness all the time

[jparnes1]

Mine don't dim when the headlights are on. Is the difference you show (if there really is one - because photos posted earlier in this thread look very similar to your bulbs - see Moo's "in direct sunlight shot") worth an extra $190? I don't think so, but that's me.

[ManiacGT]

Mine don't dim when I've turned on main beam. The fade on lock unlock, look better than stock and cost £59. Happy with that!

[LuxAngelEyes]

Originally Posted by ManiacGT

Mine don't dim when I've turned on main beam. The fade on lock unlock, look better than stock and cost £59. Happy with that!

They do, you might just not notice it since the headlights beams turn on at the same time. We have measured the output to the LED's and it drops to 1/3 output.

[ManiacGT]

OK so you say they dim, I don't notice that, but isn't all this about perception, so if it looks good to me and I can't see them dim then that's still all good

[jparnes1]

I agree Maniac. A lot of people on other forums have bought Lux and like them. I just don't see the value. As the Lux guy said, he has better electronics. Maybe he does, but he is surely taking advantage of what are admittedly an affluent group of car owners. $125 per bulb? Give me a break. Big time luxury tax. BMWZ4Rider said he's been in the lighting business a long time. I wonder what's his take on the value of Lux.

[Lambobimmer]

I am sure that the Lux bulbs are very good but I just can't see the value if I can get them off of ebay for $57. I had Alpine installed on my previous 135i and they were good as well but I just decided that I would save some money this time and spend it on something else.

[BMWZ4RIDER]

I sell commercial lighting, $40M per year, 95% is LED for interior and exterior applications. 100% of all jobs have a top of the line product offering from 1 brand and I also have a lower cost substitute offering less features and benefits but with the same expected quality within my product offering. I always prefer quality at a higher cost if the features and benefits justify the cost.

Lux $250 cost vs Cree 20 watt at $60.
For the led chips only, I do not know whose electronics are being used, but Cree is one of the best quality chip manufactures in the business and I trust the price to quality value equation on these fixtures.

All things being equal, meaning that both operate with instant on, both provide the life rating expected, both maintain color consistency at 7000k, both have heat sinks to draw the heat away to again achieve rated life and both provide the desired light out put under full load and heat conditions, then the value comes down to the value of the perceived Light out put. Yes in terms of Light output the Lux look like they provide more lumens then the $60 set. In these pictures you are comparing 2 different light output packages and the difference is noticeable.

Put 2 cars side by side, one with the OEM halogen and 1 with the $60, 20 watt Cree and all will state that the Cree LEDs are brighter and preferred, IF YOU LIKE THE COOL BLUE COLOR. Some will always like the warm halogen yellow color. Color choice is subjective.

Next Put he Lux car and Cree car side by side and all will say the Lux is brighter.
If you are doing this comparison on a regular basis buy the Lux to beat the other guy.

For my value proposition for merely an aesthetic purpose and not a driving night time light output event, my money in on the middle ground choice.
1. Stay with yellow OEM.
2. Move to Cree very nice upgrade for reasonable dollars and get the AESTHETIC LOOK FOR $60.
3. Move to the top of the line Lux at$250.
At the top of the line cost, No will ever say those are Lux unless you are sitting next to the Cree led car.

My 2 cents.

[jparnes1]

Thank you for your input. It confirms my choice and I'm happy with it.

[redhot]

Has anyone done any research to find if there are OEM bulb choices from LCI refresh that can be used for a reasonable price? This would end the discussions between any of the non-OEM brands...

[HerrK]

Originally Posted by redhot

Has anyone done any research to find if there are OEM bulb choices from LCI refresh that can be used for a reasonable price? This would end the discussions between any of the non-OEM brands...

I had the same thought. No infor yet on the LCI halo lighting. Sold in pairs only, about $100, but not showing up in parts stock yet. Will probaby be another month or two. From the diagram they don't apear compatible to pre LCI, time will tell.

[LuxAngelEyes]

Originally Posted by redhot

Has anyone done any research to find if there are OEM bulb choices from LCI refresh that can be used for a reasonable price? This would end the discussions between any of the non-OEM brands...

the light source and headlights are completely different so there would be no way to retrofit them.