Philips CrystalVision vs Silverstar Bulbs
ultraviolet
12-13-2004, 10:44 AM
I have a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe and have been using the Silverstar bulbs which I like quite a bit better than the standard yellow looking ones. However, they burn out *very* quickly.
I finally went back to the standard bulbs for the fog lamps - the Silverstars were lasting about 2 months, with a few hours of use. Now one of the low beam Silverstars is out after about 4 months of use. We're extremely careful not to touch the bulb with bare hands to avoid getting oils on it and when regular bulbs are in,we have no problem with burning out.
Needless to say, at $20 each, I'm sick of replacing them. I like the increased visibility with the Silverstars, so I'd like to avoid going back to regular bulbs if possible.
Has anyone tried the Philips CrystalVision bulbs? From the website (http://www.nam.lighting.philips.com/us/automotive/products/crystalvision.php) it looks like they are about the same as the Silverstars.
Any experiences with the Philips bulbs as to how long they last and they way they look would be greatly appreciated.
ETA: I'm a total idiot and just realized this forum was a subforum of Hondas. I'd done a search, just saw that the forum name including lights, and failed to notice it was a subforum. :slap: If a mod could move this to the appropriate place, it would be appreciated.
I finally went back to the standard bulbs for the fog lamps - the Silverstars were lasting about 2 months, with a few hours of use. Now one of the low beam Silverstars is out after about 4 months of use. We're extremely careful not to touch the bulb with bare hands to avoid getting oils on it and when regular bulbs are in,we have no problem with burning out.
Needless to say, at $20 each, I'm sick of replacing them. I like the increased visibility with the Silverstars, so I'd like to avoid going back to regular bulbs if possible.
Has anyone tried the Philips CrystalVision bulbs? From the website (http://www.nam.lighting.philips.com/us/automotive/products/crystalvision.php) it looks like they are about the same as the Silverstars.
Any experiences with the Philips bulbs as to how long they last and they way they look would be greatly appreciated.
ETA: I'm a total idiot and just realized this forum was a subforum of Hondas. I'd done a search, just saw that the forum name including lights, and failed to notice it was a subforum. :slap: If a mod could move this to the appropriate place, it would be appreciated.
alfonso2501
12-13-2004, 06:54 PM
I’ve had PIAA super plasma GT-X for about 3 months now. Best head lamps I’ve ever had. Kind of purplish/blue. Lights up the road really well, and DOT approved. My girlfriend even noticed them when I first put them in, and asked if they made them for her car! I think they come with some kind of warranty too.
ultraviolet
12-13-2004, 07:16 PM
Thanks for the reply. I'd seen the PIAA bulbs but for the size I need (9006), the Super Plasma GT-X ones are only available as a Japanese import with no warranty. At ~$85 each, I'm not willing to find out they only last a few months.
I also wondered about the Xtreme White Plus ones, but even with the warranty, it's a bit more than I want to spend on all new lights without going HID. (I'm a prissy girl, all the lights MUST match :biggrin: )
I also wondered about the Xtreme White Plus ones, but even with the warranty, it's a bit more than I want to spend on all new lights without going HID. (I'm a prissy girl, all the lights MUST match :biggrin: )
alfonso2501
12-13-2004, 07:26 PM
Hehe, gotcha! Philips is one of the best names in bulbs. Anything from them is good. If longevity is your main goal, then I’d choose them over silver stars any day. I just perfer the look of the PIAAs, that's all.
Silverbolt
12-18-2004, 05:53 AM
I could move this for you, but I'll leave it here for a little while. Eckoman knows ALOT about bulbs, and when he comes around he'll fill you in. In the sticky threads above, we went over some bulb info that you should look into. Also towards the end of the thread, I posted up some links to articles that should prove interesting. Also, are you going off roading? Silverstars should last alot longer than just a few months. Also, PIAA makes the regular Super Plasmas in 9006. They may not be as bright as the GTX, but they are still very bright compared to other aftermarket bulbs. I've gone through so many bulbs that its ridiculous. I've realized that all the money I have spent on replacing bulbs, that I could have already gotten HIDs... so thats what I did. I just recently bought HIDs and could not be happier with it. Sure its alot of money, but when you drive around with it... its more than worth it! Its so bright, that I see it over power the car headlights next to me! When I look at the cars next to me.. I dont see their lights shine on the floor... my lights spread on their lanes and completely over power their lights!!! And if you ever go off roading.. then you should get HIDs... thats what they're made for. For rally cars that fly over all terain, and make the road in front look like its day. Now that I'm an HID owner.. I'd only recomend HIDs, or GTX bulbs.
eckoman_pdx
12-20-2004, 02:11 AM
The only bulbs I will recommend are PIAA's and Silverstars, though in the case of phillips, I have no experince with Phillps "CrystalVision" bulbs. Unless they are true HID's, I personally will run nothing less than PIAA Super Plasmas or Super Plasma GT-X's. If you cannot afford PIAA money, Silverstars are a pretty decent bulb. I don't know how they compare to the Phillips version, though if I dig anything up I'll let you know.
PIAA bulbs DO have a warrenty. All PIAA bulbs have a 1 year warrenty, so save the reciept when you buy them. I perosnally think PIAA is worth the extra $$. PIAA now makes Super Plasma GT-X 9000 series (HB series) bulbs. The bulb type is called an "HB" bulb. It will fit both 9005 and 9006 housings, so this is the bulb you'll need for your housing if you are looking at Super Plasma GT-X's. The "HB" bulb is a 55 watt bulb with the luman output of 110watts. The sticky thread examples this some, as well as other lighting concepts. The lumans are increased to lumans eqaul to wattage 110watt bulb while only using a 55 watt draw). Basically, the PIAA "Xtra Technology" as they call it, increases the lumans output to create more light. Instead of increases the wattage to an unsafe 110 watts to create more lumans, they create more lumans without raising the wattage. Much like high output house lightbulbs though, this typically costs more than a high wattage bulb. However, it is a safe way to increase the light output some instrad of increasing the wattage past the maximum the lamp can handle.
An HB4 (9006) low beam bulb uses a 51-55 watt draw usually. A HB3 (9005) high beam bulb uses a 60 watt draw. The "HB" type Super Plasma GT-X is ment to be able to replace both. The type HB Super Plasma is not yet listed on PIAA's website, so here is the info. The Twin Pack product code is 15296 and the single pack product code is 15916.
PIAA bulbs DO have a warrenty. All PIAA bulbs have a 1 year warrenty, so save the reciept when you buy them. I perosnally think PIAA is worth the extra $$. PIAA now makes Super Plasma GT-X 9000 series (HB series) bulbs. The bulb type is called an "HB" bulb. It will fit both 9005 and 9006 housings, so this is the bulb you'll need for your housing if you are looking at Super Plasma GT-X's. The "HB" bulb is a 55 watt bulb with the luman output of 110watts. The sticky thread examples this some, as well as other lighting concepts. The lumans are increased to lumans eqaul to wattage 110watt bulb while only using a 55 watt draw). Basically, the PIAA "Xtra Technology" as they call it, increases the lumans output to create more light. Instead of increases the wattage to an unsafe 110 watts to create more lumans, they create more lumans without raising the wattage. Much like high output house lightbulbs though, this typically costs more than a high wattage bulb. However, it is a safe way to increase the light output some instrad of increasing the wattage past the maximum the lamp can handle.
An HB4 (9006) low beam bulb uses a 51-55 watt draw usually. A HB3 (9005) high beam bulb uses a 60 watt draw. The "HB" type Super Plasma GT-X is ment to be able to replace both. The type HB Super Plasma is not yet listed on PIAA's website, so here is the info. The Twin Pack product code is 15296 and the single pack product code is 15916.
EA-15
01-19-2005, 07:02 AM
The only bulbs I will recommend are PIAA's and Silverstars, though in the case of phillips, I have no experince with Phillps "CrystalVision" bulbs. Unless they are true HID's, I personally will run nothing less than PIAA Super Plasmas or Super Plasma GT-X's. If you cannot afford PIAA money, Silverstars are a pretty decent bulb. I don't know how they compare to the Phillips version, though if I dig anything up I'll let you know.
PIAA bulbs DO have a warrenty. All PIAA bulbs have a 1 year warrenty, so save the reciept when you buy them. I perosnally think PIAA is worth the extra $$. PIAA now makes Super Plasma GT-X 9000 series (HB series) bulbs. The bulb type is called an "HB" bulb. It will fit both 9005 and 9006 housings, so this is the bulb you'll need for your housing if you are looking at Super Plasma GT-X's. The "HB" bulb is a 55 watt bulb with the luman output of 110watts. The sticky thread examples this some, as well as other lighting concepts. The lumans are increased to lumans eqaul to wattage 110watt bulb while only using a 55 watt draw). Basically, the PIAA "Xtra Technology" as they call it, increases the lumans output to create more light. Instead of increases the wattage to an unsafe 110 watts to create more lumans, they create more lumans without raising the wattage. Much like high output house lightbulbs though, this typically costs more than a high wattage bulb. However, it is a safe way to increase the light output some instrad of increasing the wattage past the maximum the lamp can handle.
An HB4 (9006) low beam bulb uses a 51-55 watt draw usually. A HB3 (9005) high beam bulb uses a 60 watt draw. The "HB" type Super Plasma GT-X is ment to be able to replace both. The type HB Super Plasma is not yet listed on PIAA's website, so here is the info. The Twin Pack product code is 15296 and the single pack product code is 15916.
You sound just like the PIAA brochure. XTRA Technology is just marketing hype.
PIAA bulbs DO have a warrenty. All PIAA bulbs have a 1 year warrenty, so save the reciept when you buy them. I perosnally think PIAA is worth the extra $$. PIAA now makes Super Plasma GT-X 9000 series (HB series) bulbs. The bulb type is called an "HB" bulb. It will fit both 9005 and 9006 housings, so this is the bulb you'll need for your housing if you are looking at Super Plasma GT-X's. The "HB" bulb is a 55 watt bulb with the luman output of 110watts. The sticky thread examples this some, as well as other lighting concepts. The lumans are increased to lumans eqaul to wattage 110watt bulb while only using a 55 watt draw). Basically, the PIAA "Xtra Technology" as they call it, increases the lumans output to create more light. Instead of increases the wattage to an unsafe 110 watts to create more lumans, they create more lumans without raising the wattage. Much like high output house lightbulbs though, this typically costs more than a high wattage bulb. However, it is a safe way to increase the light output some instrad of increasing the wattage past the maximum the lamp can handle.
An HB4 (9006) low beam bulb uses a 51-55 watt draw usually. A HB3 (9005) high beam bulb uses a 60 watt draw. The "HB" type Super Plasma GT-X is ment to be able to replace both. The type HB Super Plasma is not yet listed on PIAA's website, so here is the info. The Twin Pack product code is 15296 and the single pack product code is 15916.
You sound just like the PIAA brochure. XTRA Technology is just marketing hype.
eckoman_pdx
01-23-2005, 08:32 AM
You sound just like the PIAA brochure. XTRA Technology is just marketing hype.
PIAA bulbs are brighter, plain and simple. So are Silverstars. "Xtra" is PIAA's marketing name for the technolgy that creates a high power bulb...meaning more lumans from the same wattage. House lights bulb can have the same basic technolgy in there high luman output bubls....they just don't "hype" it like that, they just call it a "high output" bulbs. "Xtra" is PIAA's marketing way of making sure you KNOW it's a high output bulb (More Lumans) and not a High Wattage bulb. Basically, 55=85 watts means that it's a 55 watt bulb with the luman output of a standard 85 watt bulb. It's a high output bulb. All "Xtra" means is they are high output bulbs, much like silverstar. It's all just knowlegde of electrical and lighting really. As I said above..."Xtra Technogly as they call it." Walk into albertsons and find a bulb with a high luman output...they call it "high output"...same technolgy creates a high output in the bulbs. Now look at the price of those GE 60 watt house bulbs vs the High Output 60 wat ones. The H.O. ones have more lumans from the same wattage...but cost more. Same with Car bulbs.
Now why does this matter? Because with any lamp, if you put in a bulb rated at a higher wattage than the lamp is rated for, it can and often will lead to an electrical fire. Your car headlamp wiring is designed for stock wattage, typically55/60 watts (low/high beams). Now, If you go plunk it 100 watt bulbs to get more light output...it will create light output and cost less. It will also fire the wiring ruining the headlamps and can cause an electrical fire, something y9ou don't want needless to say. How do you get more light output then? The same way you get it if you have a lamp in your bedroom that can only handle a 60 watt bulb max...a high output bulb, one with more LUMANS and not more wattage. It will cost more, but it won't run the risk or electrical fires like running too high a wattage bulb. Same thing with cars. You buy a HIGH OUTPUT bulb, one with more Lumans...like PIAA or Sylvania Silverstars. Sure they cost more, but they retain stock wattage and won't run the risk of electrical fires...all white creating more light output. Lumans are the measure of a bulbs light output. The greater the Lumans, the greater the light output. Now PIAA has decided to market the fact they bulbs are high output bulbs versus high wattage bulbs...bulbs that increase the Lumans without increasing the wattage. They decided to market this by naming the technogly used to create more lumans from a bulb without raising the wattage. Are they the only people in all of lighting, home and car bulbs...doing this? No...they are just the ones that market it so. They do make darn good bulbs though, don't kid yourself. Silverstars are good too, just not as good as the Super Plasmas.The Super Plasma's are better than Silverstars. Now the Extreme Whites...those are morte similer to the Silverstars...so saving $25-30 by getting Silverstars versus the Extreme Whites might appeal to some. Now I'll pay the extra $ for PIAA...why...they offer the Warrenty!!! No other bulb manufacturer offers a warrenty on their lightbulbs...let alone a 1 year warrenty. That warrnett comes in handy if your nice bright high output bulb suddenly goes out in 7 months for some odd reason. They'll replace it...you just have to save the receipt. The reason I mention this to people is simple...no other lighting company offers a warrenty. Why? Too many variable...for example...if you touch the bubl with your figure while installing it, it'll blow quickly. This isn't there fault so most companies won't run the risk and warrenty a product that car be ruins easily like that. PIAA has chosen to, and I know they will honor the warrenty. If the lights burn out at all for any reason in that yuear they replace it, period. Just make sure you have the reciept. If the shop you bought it at gives you crap...no worry becuase PIAA will handle the warrenty claim themselves if you'd like. You don't have to go through the place of purchase. Most companies, like Tokcio for example, make you go through the place of purchase to warrenty a product instead of directly dealing with you. It's always a good idea to let someone know if a product has a warrenty or not. The only reason it might "look bad" to some is I only mention PIAA has a warrenty. Why?? Because No Other Manufacturer offers a warrenty on bulbs, so there is literally none others to name in that regard.
Also, have you ever used a set of PIAA Super Plasma GT-X's? I'm not the only person that won't run anything else. SilverY2KCivic alsio runs these. They ARE brighter, light output IS better, and the color temp /look is the closest to real HID's you'll find...all while being legel. Silverstars are better and brigher too...the cheap ass PIAA "Platinum White bulbs ($40) as worthless IMO, but their Extreme White and Super Plasma's are worth it...abit $70. If you won't spend $70, then go for the Silvestars for $40, they are better than the PIAA platuim white. Still, with either PIAA's Super Plasma GT-X, their Extreme Whites or the Sylvania Silverstars you can't go wrong. Sure a good number of people feel the Super Plasma's are the best of them all. However, they are also the most expensive and that's not for everyone. The fact remains you won't go wrong with any of those 3 bulbs...whichever you choose. Now you might ask why I didn't mention the Phillips crystalvison bulbs he asked about in this post? As I said in my previous post...I don't have experince with those bulbs first hand, so I won't recommned them one way or the other. I won't comment on bulbs or a product I am unfamiler with. If your unfamiler with something, it's all just heresay...and heresay does not do anyone any good.
PIAA bulbs are brighter, plain and simple. So are Silverstars. "Xtra" is PIAA's marketing name for the technolgy that creates a high power bulb...meaning more lumans from the same wattage. House lights bulb can have the same basic technolgy in there high luman output bubls....they just don't "hype" it like that, they just call it a "high output" bulbs. "Xtra" is PIAA's marketing way of making sure you KNOW it's a high output bulb (More Lumans) and not a High Wattage bulb. Basically, 55=85 watts means that it's a 55 watt bulb with the luman output of a standard 85 watt bulb. It's a high output bulb. All "Xtra" means is they are high output bulbs, much like silverstar. It's all just knowlegde of electrical and lighting really. As I said above..."Xtra Technogly as they call it." Walk into albertsons and find a bulb with a high luman output...they call it "high output"...same technolgy creates a high output in the bulbs. Now look at the price of those GE 60 watt house bulbs vs the High Output 60 wat ones. The H.O. ones have more lumans from the same wattage...but cost more. Same with Car bulbs.
Now why does this matter? Because with any lamp, if you put in a bulb rated at a higher wattage than the lamp is rated for, it can and often will lead to an electrical fire. Your car headlamp wiring is designed for stock wattage, typically55/60 watts (low/high beams). Now, If you go plunk it 100 watt bulbs to get more light output...it will create light output and cost less. It will also fire the wiring ruining the headlamps and can cause an electrical fire, something y9ou don't want needless to say. How do you get more light output then? The same way you get it if you have a lamp in your bedroom that can only handle a 60 watt bulb max...a high output bulb, one with more LUMANS and not more wattage. It will cost more, but it won't run the risk or electrical fires like running too high a wattage bulb. Same thing with cars. You buy a HIGH OUTPUT bulb, one with more Lumans...like PIAA or Sylvania Silverstars. Sure they cost more, but they retain stock wattage and won't run the risk of electrical fires...all white creating more light output. Lumans are the measure of a bulbs light output. The greater the Lumans, the greater the light output. Now PIAA has decided to market the fact they bulbs are high output bulbs versus high wattage bulbs...bulbs that increase the Lumans without increasing the wattage. They decided to market this by naming the technogly used to create more lumans from a bulb without raising the wattage. Are they the only people in all of lighting, home and car bulbs...doing this? No...they are just the ones that market it so. They do make darn good bulbs though, don't kid yourself. Silverstars are good too, just not as good as the Super Plasmas.The Super Plasma's are better than Silverstars. Now the Extreme Whites...those are morte similer to the Silverstars...so saving $25-30 by getting Silverstars versus the Extreme Whites might appeal to some. Now I'll pay the extra $ for PIAA...why...they offer the Warrenty!!! No other bulb manufacturer offers a warrenty on their lightbulbs...let alone a 1 year warrenty. That warrnett comes in handy if your nice bright high output bulb suddenly goes out in 7 months for some odd reason. They'll replace it...you just have to save the receipt. The reason I mention this to people is simple...no other lighting company offers a warrenty. Why? Too many variable...for example...if you touch the bubl with your figure while installing it, it'll blow quickly. This isn't there fault so most companies won't run the risk and warrenty a product that car be ruins easily like that. PIAA has chosen to, and I know they will honor the warrenty. If the lights burn out at all for any reason in that yuear they replace it, period. Just make sure you have the reciept. If the shop you bought it at gives you crap...no worry becuase PIAA will handle the warrenty claim themselves if you'd like. You don't have to go through the place of purchase. Most companies, like Tokcio for example, make you go through the place of purchase to warrenty a product instead of directly dealing with you. It's always a good idea to let someone know if a product has a warrenty or not. The only reason it might "look bad" to some is I only mention PIAA has a warrenty. Why?? Because No Other Manufacturer offers a warrenty on bulbs, so there is literally none others to name in that regard.
Also, have you ever used a set of PIAA Super Plasma GT-X's? I'm not the only person that won't run anything else. SilverY2KCivic alsio runs these. They ARE brighter, light output IS better, and the color temp /look is the closest to real HID's you'll find...all while being legel. Silverstars are better and brigher too...the cheap ass PIAA "Platinum White bulbs ($40) as worthless IMO, but their Extreme White and Super Plasma's are worth it...abit $70. If you won't spend $70, then go for the Silvestars for $40, they are better than the PIAA platuim white. Still, with either PIAA's Super Plasma GT-X, their Extreme Whites or the Sylvania Silverstars you can't go wrong. Sure a good number of people feel the Super Plasma's are the best of them all. However, they are also the most expensive and that's not for everyone. The fact remains you won't go wrong with any of those 3 bulbs...whichever you choose. Now you might ask why I didn't mention the Phillips crystalvison bulbs he asked about in this post? As I said in my previous post...I don't have experince with those bulbs first hand, so I won't recommned them one way or the other. I won't comment on bulbs or a product I am unfamiler with. If your unfamiler with something, it's all just heresay...and heresay does not do anyone any good.
EA-15
01-24-2005, 02:52 AM
I've used different variations of the Super Plasma H4, including GT and GTX and was really disappointed by the performance, especially the standard Super Plasma. The things were horrible in the rain, especially on state routes (black asphalt). The emitted light looks very bright, and I think it's just the subjective part of my brain equating "whiteness" with "brightness". But the reflected light is horrible from my experience.
My previous set was PIAA Xtreme White H4 and I was actually happy with those, though the reflected light output seemed less than a standard clear capsule 9003.
My previous set was PIAA Xtreme White H4 and I was actually happy with those, though the reflected light output seemed less than a standard clear capsule 9003.
eckoman_pdx
01-24-2005, 06:30 PM
I've used different variations of the Super Plasma H4, including GT and GTX and was really disappointed by the performance, especially the standard Super Plasma. The things were horrible in the rain, especially on state routes (black asphalt). The emitted light looks very bright, and I think it's just the subjective part of my brain equating "whiteness" with "brightness". But the reflected light is horrible from my experience.
My previous set was PIAA Xtreme White H4 and I was actually happy with those, though the reflected light output seemed less than a standard clear capsule 9003.
To each there own I guess. As I said, their not for everyone...especially at that price. I know that's one reason the silverstars appeal to a lot of people, the price is good.
I've ran both the Super Plasma and GTX, most of the time in H3's in projectors, and the light output is far and above anything else, espcially used in the projectors. I won't run anything else in projectors. Silver2YKCivic on here also only runs GT-X's. The regular Super Plasma's were discontuined. The GT-X's replaced them. I still have a full set of each though, in H3. I put on regular in and one GT-X in and compared. It was definatly noticable. I have family that has a big 1/2 acre property with woodsin the back. It's a good way to test how well bulbs lights up the area, since their is no other light source shinning there @ night. They also lowered the color temp of the GT-X a little bit...5100K down to 5000K.
In rains an awful lot here in oregon also. At night most whitish lights tend to blend into wet blacktop, regarldess of PIAA, HID or otherwsie...even in my buddies car that came stock with HIDs, the blacktop still looked pretty darn dark and not well lit...then we looked at the trees and wow...it was lighting alright, though on the wet road is just didn't seem that way. Wet blacktop just tends to look....black...and whitish light tends to blend in more so to speak. Still, the surrounding areas are light up well, and I'll take the trade off. You're the first person I've heard complain about either set of those 2 PIAA's. As I said, I know many people in many areas who sware by them. Nothings for everyone though.
My previous set was PIAA Xtreme White H4 and I was actually happy with those, though the reflected light output seemed less than a standard clear capsule 9003.
To each there own I guess. As I said, their not for everyone...especially at that price. I know that's one reason the silverstars appeal to a lot of people, the price is good.
I've ran both the Super Plasma and GTX, most of the time in H3's in projectors, and the light output is far and above anything else, espcially used in the projectors. I won't run anything else in projectors. Silver2YKCivic on here also only runs GT-X's. The regular Super Plasma's were discontuined. The GT-X's replaced them. I still have a full set of each though, in H3. I put on regular in and one GT-X in and compared. It was definatly noticable. I have family that has a big 1/2 acre property with woodsin the back. It's a good way to test how well bulbs lights up the area, since their is no other light source shinning there @ night. They also lowered the color temp of the GT-X a little bit...5100K down to 5000K.
In rains an awful lot here in oregon also. At night most whitish lights tend to blend into wet blacktop, regarldess of PIAA, HID or otherwsie...even in my buddies car that came stock with HIDs, the blacktop still looked pretty darn dark and not well lit...then we looked at the trees and wow...it was lighting alright, though on the wet road is just didn't seem that way. Wet blacktop just tends to look....black...and whitish light tends to blend in more so to speak. Still, the surrounding areas are light up well, and I'll take the trade off. You're the first person I've heard complain about either set of those 2 PIAA's. As I said, I know many people in many areas who sware by them. Nothings for everyone though.
CornerCarverKoni
06-28-2005, 04:19 AM
Wow. I cannot believe the level of ignorance on this thread.
Hi, I'm new on THIS fourm... I was googling some bulb info, and landed on this pure garbage.
PIAA's are good bulbs? They are OKAY bulbs, nothing GREAT about them. It's funny that all major top car companies, industrial lighting companies, etc all use either Phillips, Sylvania or Hella. NOT PIAA. Ever wonder why? Because their products aren't that great. (and no, it's not becuase of the price, that's just PIAA ripping off stupid & uninformed consumers such as yourselves)
Especially your SuperPlasma, and the GTX BullS.hit bulbs. Get real. I've had them myself. Yeah, I got suckered into the believing in "55W=110W" like everyone else. But guess what? IT'S ALL A LIE.
You see, what they are actually talking about is the COLOUR. That is right. When a source of light is putting down more lumens (the actual light output, not the power being used), it gets whiter. Hence, what PIAA really means is, that if for example, a 55W bulb were to burn at 110W rate, it would produce a certain colour.
Think about it. You CANNOT get 110W out of 55W. That is common sense. 200% efficiency? Give it a rest.
That paint s.hit they put on the bulb it look whit/blue/purple? IT SAPS THE LIGHT AWAY.
So while PIAA advertises, sometimes even 55W=135W, the light is getting more "purple/blue". That means the bulb has more colour dye. And that means--yep, you guessed it. LESS LIGHT. You idiots.
Let me also inform you on how XTRA crap and Sylvannia's Silverstar's work. By D.O.T.'s standards, a certain type of bulb, has to have a certain level of light output (measured in LUMENS). For example, a 9006 bulb is supposed to have 1000 lumens. Now, it's impossible for all manufacturers to get right on 1000 lumens, since each manufacturer uses different grade of materials. So they legally allow + or - 15%. So a 55W 9006 bulb can vary from 850 lumens to 1150 lumens.
Silverstars run close to 1150 lumens. Clear PIAAs (without your SuperPlasma purple idiot colour), *may* run slightly higher also. But either way, if you slap that colour on, you are sapping the light away.
Then you ask.. why doesn't everybody make bulbs to run at +15%? Well, for one thing, it runs hotter. And life of the bulb is dependent on heat. So as you might have guessed, it will burn out quicker.
Another negative about your blue bulbs... what do you think human eyes respond better to? Blue or Yellow? The answer is YELLOW. Our eyes respond better to LOWER colour temperature. RED is lower than YELLOW. So guess what? Stop signs, stop lights, and our tail lamps are in red. And we respond to them quick. Warning lights, etc are in Yellow. There's a reason for it.
Sure, the real HIDs have blueish hue, but they make up for it by putting down 3 times more light. You dimminish your light output, then make it worse by putting down a colour that your eyes do not respond to. In foul weather, like rain or snow, you are FU*KED.
If you don't know jack s.hit about lightbulbs, you shouldn't mis-inform other users about your bulls.hit. Just becuase you were dumb enough to spend $100 on a set of coloured lightbulbs that are actually dimmer, doesn't mean you should LIE to other user members.
If you TRULY want to be informed about automotive lighting, I suggest you to visit Philips's homepage, and check out their automotive section. They have legit light professionals taking part in discussion, and well tell you which products really put down more lights--and which are the bogus bullsh.it ones. Like the PIAA SuperPlasma HyperKyper Mega GTXSRRGTI $300 lightbulbs.
:loser:
Hi, I'm new on THIS fourm... I was googling some bulb info, and landed on this pure garbage.
PIAA's are good bulbs? They are OKAY bulbs, nothing GREAT about them. It's funny that all major top car companies, industrial lighting companies, etc all use either Phillips, Sylvania or Hella. NOT PIAA. Ever wonder why? Because their products aren't that great. (and no, it's not becuase of the price, that's just PIAA ripping off stupid & uninformed consumers such as yourselves)
Especially your SuperPlasma, and the GTX BullS.hit bulbs. Get real. I've had them myself. Yeah, I got suckered into the believing in "55W=110W" like everyone else. But guess what? IT'S ALL A LIE.
You see, what they are actually talking about is the COLOUR. That is right. When a source of light is putting down more lumens (the actual light output, not the power being used), it gets whiter. Hence, what PIAA really means is, that if for example, a 55W bulb were to burn at 110W rate, it would produce a certain colour.
Think about it. You CANNOT get 110W out of 55W. That is common sense. 200% efficiency? Give it a rest.
That paint s.hit they put on the bulb it look whit/blue/purple? IT SAPS THE LIGHT AWAY.
So while PIAA advertises, sometimes even 55W=135W, the light is getting more "purple/blue". That means the bulb has more colour dye. And that means--yep, you guessed it. LESS LIGHT. You idiots.
Let me also inform you on how XTRA crap and Sylvannia's Silverstar's work. By D.O.T.'s standards, a certain type of bulb, has to have a certain level of light output (measured in LUMENS). For example, a 9006 bulb is supposed to have 1000 lumens. Now, it's impossible for all manufacturers to get right on 1000 lumens, since each manufacturer uses different grade of materials. So they legally allow + or - 15%. So a 55W 9006 bulb can vary from 850 lumens to 1150 lumens.
Silverstars run close to 1150 lumens. Clear PIAAs (without your SuperPlasma purple idiot colour), *may* run slightly higher also. But either way, if you slap that colour on, you are sapping the light away.
Then you ask.. why doesn't everybody make bulbs to run at +15%? Well, for one thing, it runs hotter. And life of the bulb is dependent on heat. So as you might have guessed, it will burn out quicker.
Another negative about your blue bulbs... what do you think human eyes respond better to? Blue or Yellow? The answer is YELLOW. Our eyes respond better to LOWER colour temperature. RED is lower than YELLOW. So guess what? Stop signs, stop lights, and our tail lamps are in red. And we respond to them quick. Warning lights, etc are in Yellow. There's a reason for it.
Sure, the real HIDs have blueish hue, but they make up for it by putting down 3 times more light. You dimminish your light output, then make it worse by putting down a colour that your eyes do not respond to. In foul weather, like rain or snow, you are FU*KED.
If you don't know jack s.hit about lightbulbs, you shouldn't mis-inform other users about your bulls.hit. Just becuase you were dumb enough to spend $100 on a set of coloured lightbulbs that are actually dimmer, doesn't mean you should LIE to other user members.
If you TRULY want to be informed about automotive lighting, I suggest you to visit Philips's homepage, and check out their automotive section. They have legit light professionals taking part in discussion, and well tell you which products really put down more lights--and which are the bogus bullsh.it ones. Like the PIAA SuperPlasma HyperKyper Mega GTXSRRGTI $300 lightbulbs.
:loser:
eckoman_pdx
06-29-2005, 02:07 AM
Wow. I cannot believe the level of ignorance on this thread.
Hi, I'm new on THIS fourm... I was googling some bulb info, and landed on this pure garbage.
PIAA's are good bulbs? They are OKAY bulbs, nothing GREAT about them. It's funny that all major top car companies, industrial lighting companies, etc all use either Phillips, Sylvania or Hella. NOT PIAA. Ever wonder why? Because their products aren't that great. (and no, it's not becuase of the price, that's just PIAA ripping off stupid & uninformed consumers such as yourselves)
Especially your SuperPlasma, and the GTX BullS.hit bulbs. Get real. I've had them myself. Yeah, I got suckered into the believing in "55W=110W" like everyone else. But guess what? IT'S ALL A LIE.
You see, what they are actually talking about is the COLOUR. That is right. When a source of light is putting down more lumens (the actual light output, not the power being used), it gets whiter. Hence, what PIAA really means is, that if for example, a 55W bulb were to burn at 110W rate, it would produce a certain colour.
Think about it. You CANNOT get 110W out of 55W. That is common sense. 200% efficiency? Give it a rest.
That paint s.hit they put on the bulb it look whit/blue/purple? IT SAPS THE LIGHT AWAY.
So while PIAA advertises, sometimes even 55W=135W, the light is getting more "purple/blue". That means the bulb has more colour dye. And that means--yep, you guessed it. LESS LIGHT. You idiots.
Let me also inform you on how XTRA crap and Sylvannia's Silverstar's work. By D.O.T.'s standards, a certain type of bulb, has to have a certain level of light output (measured in LUMENS). For example, a 9006 bulb is supposed to have 1000 lumens. Now, it's impossible for all manufacturers to get right on 1000 lumens, since each manufacturer uses different grade of materials. So they legally allow + or - 15%. So a 55W 9006 bulb can vary from 850 lumens to 1150 lumens.
Silverstars run close to 1150 lumens. Clear PIAAs (without your SuperPlasma purple idiot colour), *may* run slightly higher also. But either way, if you slap that colour on, you are sapping the light away.
Then you ask.. why doesn't everybody make bulbs to run at +15%? Well, for one thing, it runs hotter. And life of the bulb is dependent on heat. So as you might have guessed, it will burn out quicker.
Another negative about your blue bulbs... what do you think human eyes respond better to? Blue or Yellow? The answer is YELLOW. Our eyes respond better to LOWER colour temperature. RED is lower than YELLOW. So guess what? Stop signs, stop lights, and our tail lamps are in red. And we respond to them quick. Warning lights, etc are in Yellow. There's a reason for it.
Sure, the real HIDs have blueish hue, but they make up for it by putting down 3 times more light. You dimminish your light output, then make it worse by putting down a colour that your eyes do not respond to. In foul weather, like rain or snow, you are FU*KED.
If you don't know jack s.hit about lightbulbs, you shouldn't mis-inform other users about your bulls.hit. Just becuase you were dumb enough to spend $100 on a set of coloured lightbulbs that are actually dimmer, doesn't mean you should LIE to other user members.
If you TRULY want to be informed about automotive lighting, I suggest you to visit Philips's homepage, and check out their automotive section. They have legit light professionals taking part in discussion, and well tell you which products really put down more lights--and which are the bogus bullsh.it ones. Like the PIAA SuperPlasma HyperKyper Mega GTXSRRGTI $300 lightbulbs.
:loser:
First off, DO NOT come in here and call people dumb, stupid, and other names. Flaming IS NOT tolerated...PERIOD!!!
Now to correct some of your "righteous BS."
First off, RESPONDING better to red light? The human eye responds better to BLUE light at night, one reason many police cruisers are switching from RED to ALL BLUE LIGHTS. That's one reason the military found it a good idea NOT to line airports or buildings with BLUE lights during wartime and in warzones!!! The enemy could see the blue lights more clearly than red lights. This made it easier to find a target and drop their bombs (research World War II). Also, this is the reason our airports currently USE blue lights for nightime landing and illumination. Also, you are further misinformed with red. The human eye is more likely to notice the color yellow than the color red, as our eyes have the most photoreceptors in that color range.
Secondly, RESPONDING better to a color/color of light and a light ILLUMINATING the room/area better are two COMPLETLY DIFFERENT THINGS!!!
The eye responding better to a color/light color means simply that if you see that color/light color, your eye tends to go to that color/light color first. THAT DOES NOT mean that it Illuminates the dark better!!! Illumination and the human eye noticing a light color first are too different things. Pigeons notice Orange colors very well, that doesn't mean orange illuminates a dark room or road better.
Illuminating a dark room or road is completely different than the color of light your eye is most likely to notice at first glance. Natural full spectrum white light (the color of sunlight) is the best for Illumination. The color temp of sunlight is approximately 5250K at noon. You're not going to light up a room very well with a red light bulb. If you'd ever had a red light bulb in the room light socket you'd know. If you haven’t, try it. A good, bright natural white light is the BEST for Illumination. Sure, it's not the color your eye goes to first in a line-up, but you're not trying to get noticed like a police cruiser. You are trying to ILLUMINATE a dark road. If red was so great, street lamps would use it. Notice street lamps use a natural bright WHITE light to illuminate the road normally, and the few that us yellow don't illuminate the road NEARLY as well.
You need to learn to separate the color your eye RESPONDS To best (meaning the color you notice soonest) from the light that ILLUMINATES best. You talk of “B*llshit” and “bad info”??? You're flaming post is FULL OF IT.
Furthermore it's not possible to get more lumens from the same wattage??? Have you EVER looked at home light bulbs??? You'd notice high efficiency bulbs with lower wattage can have significantly GREATER lumens than some lower end bulbs with higher wattage. LUMENS are the measure of LIGHT OUTPUT...wattage is the measure of the bulbs POWER DRAW. That power draw, wattage, can be put into either HEAT or LUMENS (light output). Learn Lumens and Wattage are two VERY different things, and not all bulbs use them the same!!!. For example, take housing lights. There are some 40-watt bulbs that have a higher lumen output than some 60-watt bulbs. Those 40-watt bulbs cost more. Despite having less power draw, they put out GREATER lumens, meaning greater light output. What does this mean? The 40-watt is more efficient. It puts a greater amount of the power it draws, the wattage, into light output (LUMANS) than the 60-watt bulb we are comparing it to. The cheaper 60-watt bulb used creates more heat from the wattage and less lumens. Why? It has greater resistance than the high efficiency 40-watt bulb!!! Lower resistance equals less heat.
Like the high efficiency 40-watt housing bulb produces a greater lumen output than the 60-watt bulb from less wattage, All 55w= 85w means is that their 55 watt bulb would have the same LUMEN output as a cheaper less efficient 85 watt bulb. It does NOT mean it produces 85 watts from 55 watts. That’s just a bad marketing usage of the wrong terms. It should really say our 55 watt bulb has the same lumen output as brand X's 85 watt Bulb, much like the High Efficiency Housing bulb puts out more lumens than the cheaper 60-watt bulb. Why? Again, more efficient...less resistance!!! Less resistance means less heat, this means more power (wattage) can be turned into output (lumens) and less turns into heat.
Not all companies and lights claiming they produce greater lumens from the same output (i.e. our 55w lumen output = their 85w lumen output) are honest about it. Nokya, for example, puts out FAR less. But to say ALL of the bulbs are crap is PURE B*LLSHIT. The fact is High efficiency bulbs that produce more lumens from the same wattage DO exist, for both housing bulbs and automotive. However, you will typically pay out the A** for them on both occasions. Why do some companies choose to say 55w=75w, etc? Because most people have NO CONCEPT of electrical, and don't understand wattage, heat, resistance, lumens, and how the interrelate.
Saying "our high efficiency 55 watt bulb has a lumen output that would be equal to our competitors lower end 75 watt bulb. This is do to the fact our bulbs have a lower resistance, so more of the wattage (power drawn) goes into lumens (light output) and less is lost as heat" is a lot more confusing to most people than 55 watts = 75 watts. On the surface, 55watts = 75watts can't be true, for 55 watts CAN NOT physically equal 75 watts.
It can be thought of as lazy marketing jargon for “our high efficiency 55-watt bulb has a lumen output that would be equal to our competitors lower end 75-watt bulb. This is do to the fact our bulbs have a lower resistance, so more of the wattage (power drawn) goes into lumens (light output) and less is lost as heat."
When a fluorescent bulb say 7watts =65 watts, it is to this they are referring. Their florescent 7-watt bulb puts out the same lumens as an average a 65-watt incandescent bulb.
SO ALWAYS look for the lumen output of a light bulb. It is Far more beneficial and a much more true measure of how well the light will illuminate an area than wattage is.
Furthermore, if you have 3 lights all of the same wattage and lumens, one red, one yellow and one the color temp of natural white light, the light source that is the color of natural white light will ILLUMINATE the room the best, even if your eye goes to that light source last. Think of it this way, if you are looking at the light source, you are failing to look at the area it is illuminating. As I said earlier, Illumination of an area and what you notice best at first glance are 2 different things.
Before you come into this forum as a new member and start breaking rules and guidelines, insulting people, flaming people, accusing them of things and passing on bad information, make sure you actually do research and get your facts correct.
Hi, I'm new on THIS fourm... I was googling some bulb info, and landed on this pure garbage.
PIAA's are good bulbs? They are OKAY bulbs, nothing GREAT about them. It's funny that all major top car companies, industrial lighting companies, etc all use either Phillips, Sylvania or Hella. NOT PIAA. Ever wonder why? Because their products aren't that great. (and no, it's not becuase of the price, that's just PIAA ripping off stupid & uninformed consumers such as yourselves)
Especially your SuperPlasma, and the GTX BullS.hit bulbs. Get real. I've had them myself. Yeah, I got suckered into the believing in "55W=110W" like everyone else. But guess what? IT'S ALL A LIE.
You see, what they are actually talking about is the COLOUR. That is right. When a source of light is putting down more lumens (the actual light output, not the power being used), it gets whiter. Hence, what PIAA really means is, that if for example, a 55W bulb were to burn at 110W rate, it would produce a certain colour.
Think about it. You CANNOT get 110W out of 55W. That is common sense. 200% efficiency? Give it a rest.
That paint s.hit they put on the bulb it look whit/blue/purple? IT SAPS THE LIGHT AWAY.
So while PIAA advertises, sometimes even 55W=135W, the light is getting more "purple/blue". That means the bulb has more colour dye. And that means--yep, you guessed it. LESS LIGHT. You idiots.
Let me also inform you on how XTRA crap and Sylvannia's Silverstar's work. By D.O.T.'s standards, a certain type of bulb, has to have a certain level of light output (measured in LUMENS). For example, a 9006 bulb is supposed to have 1000 lumens. Now, it's impossible for all manufacturers to get right on 1000 lumens, since each manufacturer uses different grade of materials. So they legally allow + or - 15%. So a 55W 9006 bulb can vary from 850 lumens to 1150 lumens.
Silverstars run close to 1150 lumens. Clear PIAAs (without your SuperPlasma purple idiot colour), *may* run slightly higher also. But either way, if you slap that colour on, you are sapping the light away.
Then you ask.. why doesn't everybody make bulbs to run at +15%? Well, for one thing, it runs hotter. And life of the bulb is dependent on heat. So as you might have guessed, it will burn out quicker.
Another negative about your blue bulbs... what do you think human eyes respond better to? Blue or Yellow? The answer is YELLOW. Our eyes respond better to LOWER colour temperature. RED is lower than YELLOW. So guess what? Stop signs, stop lights, and our tail lamps are in red. And we respond to them quick. Warning lights, etc are in Yellow. There's a reason for it.
Sure, the real HIDs have blueish hue, but they make up for it by putting down 3 times more light. You dimminish your light output, then make it worse by putting down a colour that your eyes do not respond to. In foul weather, like rain or snow, you are FU*KED.
If you don't know jack s.hit about lightbulbs, you shouldn't mis-inform other users about your bulls.hit. Just becuase you were dumb enough to spend $100 on a set of coloured lightbulbs that are actually dimmer, doesn't mean you should LIE to other user members.
If you TRULY want to be informed about automotive lighting, I suggest you to visit Philips's homepage, and check out their automotive section. They have legit light professionals taking part in discussion, and well tell you which products really put down more lights--and which are the bogus bullsh.it ones. Like the PIAA SuperPlasma HyperKyper Mega GTXSRRGTI $300 lightbulbs.
:loser:
First off, DO NOT come in here and call people dumb, stupid, and other names. Flaming IS NOT tolerated...PERIOD!!!
Now to correct some of your "righteous BS."
First off, RESPONDING better to red light? The human eye responds better to BLUE light at night, one reason many police cruisers are switching from RED to ALL BLUE LIGHTS. That's one reason the military found it a good idea NOT to line airports or buildings with BLUE lights during wartime and in warzones!!! The enemy could see the blue lights more clearly than red lights. This made it easier to find a target and drop their bombs (research World War II). Also, this is the reason our airports currently USE blue lights for nightime landing and illumination. Also, you are further misinformed with red. The human eye is more likely to notice the color yellow than the color red, as our eyes have the most photoreceptors in that color range.
Secondly, RESPONDING better to a color/color of light and a light ILLUMINATING the room/area better are two COMPLETLY DIFFERENT THINGS!!!
The eye responding better to a color/light color means simply that if you see that color/light color, your eye tends to go to that color/light color first. THAT DOES NOT mean that it Illuminates the dark better!!! Illumination and the human eye noticing a light color first are too different things. Pigeons notice Orange colors very well, that doesn't mean orange illuminates a dark room or road better.
Illuminating a dark room or road is completely different than the color of light your eye is most likely to notice at first glance. Natural full spectrum white light (the color of sunlight) is the best for Illumination. The color temp of sunlight is approximately 5250K at noon. You're not going to light up a room very well with a red light bulb. If you'd ever had a red light bulb in the room light socket you'd know. If you haven’t, try it. A good, bright natural white light is the BEST for Illumination. Sure, it's not the color your eye goes to first in a line-up, but you're not trying to get noticed like a police cruiser. You are trying to ILLUMINATE a dark road. If red was so great, street lamps would use it. Notice street lamps use a natural bright WHITE light to illuminate the road normally, and the few that us yellow don't illuminate the road NEARLY as well.
You need to learn to separate the color your eye RESPONDS To best (meaning the color you notice soonest) from the light that ILLUMINATES best. You talk of “B*llshit” and “bad info”??? You're flaming post is FULL OF IT.
Furthermore it's not possible to get more lumens from the same wattage??? Have you EVER looked at home light bulbs??? You'd notice high efficiency bulbs with lower wattage can have significantly GREATER lumens than some lower end bulbs with higher wattage. LUMENS are the measure of LIGHT OUTPUT...wattage is the measure of the bulbs POWER DRAW. That power draw, wattage, can be put into either HEAT or LUMENS (light output). Learn Lumens and Wattage are two VERY different things, and not all bulbs use them the same!!!. For example, take housing lights. There are some 40-watt bulbs that have a higher lumen output than some 60-watt bulbs. Those 40-watt bulbs cost more. Despite having less power draw, they put out GREATER lumens, meaning greater light output. What does this mean? The 40-watt is more efficient. It puts a greater amount of the power it draws, the wattage, into light output (LUMANS) than the 60-watt bulb we are comparing it to. The cheaper 60-watt bulb used creates more heat from the wattage and less lumens. Why? It has greater resistance than the high efficiency 40-watt bulb!!! Lower resistance equals less heat.
Like the high efficiency 40-watt housing bulb produces a greater lumen output than the 60-watt bulb from less wattage, All 55w= 85w means is that their 55 watt bulb would have the same LUMEN output as a cheaper less efficient 85 watt bulb. It does NOT mean it produces 85 watts from 55 watts. That’s just a bad marketing usage of the wrong terms. It should really say our 55 watt bulb has the same lumen output as brand X's 85 watt Bulb, much like the High Efficiency Housing bulb puts out more lumens than the cheaper 60-watt bulb. Why? Again, more efficient...less resistance!!! Less resistance means less heat, this means more power (wattage) can be turned into output (lumens) and less turns into heat.
Not all companies and lights claiming they produce greater lumens from the same output (i.e. our 55w lumen output = their 85w lumen output) are honest about it. Nokya, for example, puts out FAR less. But to say ALL of the bulbs are crap is PURE B*LLSHIT. The fact is High efficiency bulbs that produce more lumens from the same wattage DO exist, for both housing bulbs and automotive. However, you will typically pay out the A** for them on both occasions. Why do some companies choose to say 55w=75w, etc? Because most people have NO CONCEPT of electrical, and don't understand wattage, heat, resistance, lumens, and how the interrelate.
Saying "our high efficiency 55 watt bulb has a lumen output that would be equal to our competitors lower end 75 watt bulb. This is do to the fact our bulbs have a lower resistance, so more of the wattage (power drawn) goes into lumens (light output) and less is lost as heat" is a lot more confusing to most people than 55 watts = 75 watts. On the surface, 55watts = 75watts can't be true, for 55 watts CAN NOT physically equal 75 watts.
It can be thought of as lazy marketing jargon for “our high efficiency 55-watt bulb has a lumen output that would be equal to our competitors lower end 75-watt bulb. This is do to the fact our bulbs have a lower resistance, so more of the wattage (power drawn) goes into lumens (light output) and less is lost as heat."
When a fluorescent bulb say 7watts =65 watts, it is to this they are referring. Their florescent 7-watt bulb puts out the same lumens as an average a 65-watt incandescent bulb.
SO ALWAYS look for the lumen output of a light bulb. It is Far more beneficial and a much more true measure of how well the light will illuminate an area than wattage is.
Furthermore, if you have 3 lights all of the same wattage and lumens, one red, one yellow and one the color temp of natural white light, the light source that is the color of natural white light will ILLUMINATE the room the best, even if your eye goes to that light source last. Think of it this way, if you are looking at the light source, you are failing to look at the area it is illuminating. As I said earlier, Illumination of an area and what you notice best at first glance are 2 different things.
Before you come into this forum as a new member and start breaking rules and guidelines, insulting people, flaming people, accusing them of things and passing on bad information, make sure you actually do research and get your facts correct.
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