LED Headlights: Which Would You Choose?

[alamo76]

Hi guys,

With so many brands and prices out there for LED headlights, which would you use? For example, there's XenonDepot is on the high end (>$120), and sets from eBay/Amazon, like Auxbeam or Sirius (<$60).

Is it really worth the premium for XDs or Morimotos over the much cheaper counterparts? Is there really a performance difference if you pay more, apart from the small DIY to fit the cheaper sets in?

What's your take?

 

[SoyFiesta]

I have the XenonDepot and love them

 

[LedRobster]

Used Xenon Depot Xtremes for my low beams and Morimito XB LED projectors with yellow lamin-x for the fogs. The setup seems to work pretty well.

 

[zanethan]

I'm happy with my Auxbeams, but I have noticed a very slight and faint flicker sometimes when I'm behind someone at a red light. It seams to be more prevalent when the turn signals are on. For $40 I've learned to live with it.

 

[OCS12]

I decided to give the Xenon Depot Xtreme's a shot purely because they can be rotated. I'm hoping that if the LED's are either oriented perfectly vertical or perfectly horizontal inside the headlight, it'll minimize the hotspots that plague LED retrofits. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait til the weekend to find out. Installing them during a blizzard last night, made it a bit tough to fine tune anything.

 

[OguNinja]

I decided to give the Xenon Depot Xtreme's a shot purely because they can be rotated. I'm hoping that if the LED's are either oriented perfectly vertical or perfectly horizontal inside the headlight, it'll minimize the hotspots that plague LED retrofits. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait til the weekend to find out. Installing them during a blizzard last night, made it a bit tough to fine tune anything.

I have the XD Xtremes in my car, but the light output was a bit disappointing. I tried to adjust the focal point to match the halogen bulb's filament, but that didn't work out.
Does anyone have great output from the XD Xtremes and can tell me the best way to orient them and how far I should adjust them? Thanks in advance!

 

[StuttersC]

I have the XD Xtremes in my car, but the light output was a bit disappointing. I tried to adjust the focal point to match the halogen bulb's filament, but that didn't work out.
Does anyone have great output from the XD Xtremes and can tell me the best way to orient them and how far I should adjust them? Thanks in advance!

The problem is the "hot spot" of the LED versus on a halogen bulb. Halogen reflectors are specifically designed to reflect that hot spot where it needs to be on the road. An LED bulb doesn't have the hot spot in the exact location needed for a halogen reflector, so it can't throw the light exactly where it needs to be. Yes, the light is "brighter", but it isn't reflected where it needs to be so it appears to be not as effective.

Daniel Sterns Lighting used to have a pretty good explanation on his site about the issue related to xenon gas discharge bulbs because it is the same principle, but I don't see it now, and I'm sure there are other places out there that can tell you the same thing.

 

[thePete]

^ Presumably there's at least one on the market that is supposed to actually have the LED in the correct spot, optically speaking. I'm interested in the real-world results.

In for info.

As it stands I'd like something as an in-between until I find an extra set of headlight housings to retrofit.

 

[jfdana]

XenonDepot low beams for over a year now and remain very pleased with the performance. I did need to aim them down, but that took a few minutes at most.

Also running Diode Dynamics Luxeon fogs & switchbacks which work great as drls.

 

[StuttersC]

^ Presumably there's at least one on the market that is supposed to actually have the LED in the correct spot, optically speaking. I'm interested in the real-world results.

In for info.

As it stands I'd like something as an in-between until I find an extra set of headlight housings to retrofit.

No, there isn't a kit on the market that has the LED bulb placed like that specifically for the FiST. Much like the xenon bulb "kits" you buy the bulb that plugs into the socket, that's all the manufacturers care about.

Chances are, somewhere on the box it will say "for off road use only" or something along those lines to get around the issue.

 

[DloST]

With any of these leds mentioned do you have to do any modifications to the housing of the headlights for them to fit? I made the mistake of buying the piaa led h11 bulbs(very expensive) and I had to modify the housing because they were too big. Now moisture has gotten in the headlights and pretty much are ruined now. I wanna run leds again but I don't wanna make any modifications to the headlights again.

 

[thePete]

No, there isn't a kit on the market that has the LED bulb placed like that specifically for the FiST. Much like the xenon bulb "kits" you buy the bulb that plugs into the socket, that's all the manufacturers care about.

Chances are, somewhere on the box it will say "for off road use only" or something along those lines to get around the issue.

You didn't read what I said. And I didn't say anything about specifically fitting the Fiesta.

Thanks for your valuable contribution to the conversation.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[StuttersC]

You didn't read what I said. And I didn't say anything about specifically fitting the Fiesta.

Thanks for your valuable contribution to the conversation.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

You are welcome. Glad I could help you out in this endeavor....

Or were you being passive aggressive? Because I did read what you typed. I guess I didn't get the same message you intended.

But, by all means, go be the expert and report back...

 

[thePete]

There is at least one bulb out there right now claiming to have placed the diode in the "optically correct" spot, if you will. It is supposed to be producing the light at the same point as the filament in a traditional bulb. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with this type of bulb in our particular car.

But please, carry on with your own sad attempts at sarcasm, or whatever. You've yet to provide any information of use regarding current generation led bulbs. If you have nothing useful to say, go crawl back under your bridge.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[StuttersC]

There is at least one bulb out there right now claiming to have placed the diode in the "optically correct" spot, if you will. It is supposed to be producing the light at the same point as the filament in a traditional bulb. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with this type of bulb in our particular car.

I see what you mean now. That sounds like it would be an interesting product and a good way to get more light where it is needed without changing out the entire headlight housing.

It is cool when someone explains what they mean without the passive aggressive baloney in an attempt to bully someone away from contributing to the community. Or god forbid, chase someone off who is trying to learn or offer their experience.

I'm guessing you provide the company that makes this unicorn LED bulb that you speak of so that people who are looking for this type of replacement would be able to try it out and verify that it works. I'll keep reading to find out, because I would hate to miss some important information that you are passing on for the betterment of the community.

But please, carry on with your own sad attempts at sarcasm, or whatever. You've yet to provide any information of use regarding current generation led bulbs. If you have nothing useful to say, go crawl back under your bridge.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

Oh, I guess I spoke too soon...Go troll yourself elsewhere. You have "yet to provide any information of use regarding current generation led bulbs".

You might want to head your own advice. Thanks for your help in telling me what I should do, but I'll pass.

 

[thePete]

I was pretty clear about it in my first post, but you were too busy trying to be clever. All you've contributed is some link to an article explaining reflector optics, which I understand. It's why I won't use an HID kit in my car, and haven't pulled the trigger on LED bulbs yet, regardless of how inadequate the factory lighting is.

You know what else is cool? When someone doesn't come in trying to be pious , giving people unneeded lessons on reflector optics when that's not what the topic at hand is. I replied to your comment directly in the first place to bring up the fact that there are apparently bulbs out there now in the LED category that are supposed to have fixed the issues with them in the past. You couldn't be bothered to do any leg work yourself and instead tried to be clever and made an ignorant attack towards me. Now we're here.

I do not provide any company, I'm just a well-educated Ford technician. Heavens forbid you try and do any sort of work yourself, but here, since you're too damn lazy; off hand the one I can think of is Philips and they have their LumiLEDs line which is claiming what I described. I have no personal experience with these bulbs and I'm reluctant to drop a couple hundred bucks on them if they do not provide an adequate beam pattern. My thinking is that if they do in fact provide a point of light that is in the exact spot a filament is placed in a traditional bulb, the only real draw back would be the unavoidable shadows from the bulb body. But if the bulb is also indexable as many seem to be now, that may be something you could mitigate.

You are lazy and passive aggressive and have contributed nothing of merit so far. Sorry I couldn't be bothered to write you an essay on my phone. I'm at home now and congratulations, you've inspired me to actually crack open my laptop and respond to you.

Now, get back under your bridge. Your post had no substance and was simply a passive-aggressive, pansy ass attempt to goad me into replying again. I guess you win the internet for the day, go tell your mom. By the way, it's "heed" not "head", but at least I understood what you were going for.

 

[Intuit]

.................off hand the one I can think of is Philips and they have their LumiLEDs line ......... I have no personal experience with these bulbs .......... couple hundred bucks ...... only real draw back would be the unavoidable shadows from the bulb body. But if the bulb is also indexable as many seem to be now, that may be something you could mitigate. ............

With the below in mind, prices on the product seem to be reasonable.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=/?url=search-alias&field-keywords=philips+lumileds+h11
http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...,electrical-bulb+&+socket,headlamp+bulb,11701 (base reference)

Wonder what the life span and failure modes for these are?

Did a brief search. It appears Phillips tried to sell off their lighting division to China. Democrat(s) and the Committee on Foreign Investments put the quash on it. Phillips said they're still determined to pawn it off; perhaps not to that specific Chinese organization. Article was published this time last year. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...s-lumileds-sale-to-go-scale-on-u-s-opposition

 

[Intuit]

Oh, it is often very difficult to photograph the lighting results, but it might be helpful to photograph the beam pattern being reflected off the walls of a narrow driveway and/or garage door ranging from a few feet to ten or twenty feet away. That might help people here gauge what to expect. Fitment issues are also a concern in that regard as well.

 

[thePete]

^ beam cut off and hotspotting are the two big issues, both of which are very evident when lined up against a wall about 20-30' back, as if aiming the headlights. Ideally with before and after on the same camera if possible.

I know very little about those leds other than that there are a handful of companies using them and their supposed claim about the ability to place them properly within the housing. That's why I'm so curious. I'll probably end up having to pony up and find out first hand.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[StuttersC]

I was pretty clear about it in my first post, but you were too busy trying to be clever. All you've contributed is some link to an article explaining reflector optics, which I understand. It's why I won't use an HID kit in my car, and haven't pulled the trigger on LED bulbs yet, regardless of how inadequate the factory lighting is.

You know what else is cool? When someone doesn't come in trying to be pious , giving people unneeded lessons on reflector optics when that's not what the topic at hand is. I replied to your comment directly in the first place to bring up the fact that there are apparently bulbs out there now in the LED category that are supposed to have fixed the issues with them in the past. You couldn't be bothered to do any leg work yourself and instead tried to be clever and made an ignorant attack towards me. Now we're here.

I do not provide any company, I'm just a well-educated Ford technician. Heavens forbid you try and do any sort of work yourself, but here, since you're too damn lazy; off hand the one I can think of is Philips and they have their LumiLEDs line which is claiming what I described. I have no personal experience with these bulbs and I'm reluctant to drop a couple hundred bucks on them if they do not provide an adequate beam pattern. My thinking is that if they do in fact provide a point of light that is in the exact spot a filament is placed in a traditional bulb, the only real draw back would be the unavoidable shadows from the bulb body. But if the bulb is also indexable as many seem to be now, that may be something you could mitigate.

You are lazy and passive aggressive and have contributed nothing of merit so far. Sorry I couldn't be bothered to write you an essay on my phone. I'm at home now and congratulations, you've inspired me to actually crack open my laptop and respond to you.

Now, get back under your bridge. Your post had no substance and was simply a passive-aggressive, pansy ass attempt to goad me into replying again. I guess you win the internet for the day, go tell your mom. By the way, it's "heed" not "head", but at least I understood what you were going for.

Wow...are you done throwing your tantrum?

If you didn't want the conversation to go this way, maybe you shouldn't have started the BS with your snide comment.

Someone asked a question, I thought my explanation would help. I apparently didn't understand what you meant in response, and you flame out. I suppose I could have asked clarifying questions in an effort to better understand what you were getting at, but I thought I understood your meaning. Your follow up post helped me see what you were getting at. But, because you can't be appropriate, you decided to try to bully me away with you angry talk rather than have an actual discussion. That doesn't work.

Get over yourself. Keep acting like a child, that is obviously working for you.