I have never been able to get a picture to come out completly true to the look of a bulb in real life. Even the pictures on the manufactors websites that compare their look to stock arn't enitrly true to real life (though some do a decent job keeping it close). If I am ever able to get true to life picture of the Super Plasma, I will post it. Unlilke Cheap high outpout bulbs that operate at a higher wattage, PIAA's actually operate at stock wattage too (like Silverstars). PIAA uses what it calls "XTRA Technology" to raise the equivently output of the bulbs to that of the cheaper "high output bulbs" without actually runnig high wattage. Silverstar is Sylvania's HID simulated bulbs. They are not "high output" like some, or "high output eqivelent" like PIAA, but the color temperature is low, around 4000K. They operate at stock watts, like PIAA does. The added brightness with the PIAA's and the Silverstars has to do with increases lummans (light output) and not increased wattage. This is why they say "55watts= 85 watts brightness, for example. Silverstars actually do increase wattage a bit to increase lumens. For example, the stock 9007 uses 55watt low and 60 watt high beams. The Silverstars are 60watt low and 70watt high. PIAA doesn't increase the wattage at all, but uses it's patented "XTRA technolgy to increase the lumans and output without raiuseing wattage. PIAA was around long before Sylvania released the Silverstar. The PIAA's light the road a little better, IMO. The Silverstars light the road well too, I pefer PIAA's myself. Still, I find Silverstar has a lot of hype. A lot of people read up and assume that ALL lights operate non-street legel, burn at a higher wattage, etc. This is just not true. PIAA's lights, similer to the silverstars, have been out for years. Another example of this is their new "turn signal bulb." In Oregon, for exampe, a white turn signal bulb is clear. Automotive Vehcile code states a front turn signal must be white, yellow, or amber. The SIlverstar signal bulb claims "get the bulb look off of a white bulb, but when it turns on. it shines a brillent, amber light. Get the look of a white bulb with a legel amber light." To me, that's hype, since white front turn signals are legel in both oregon and washington (rear turn signals must be red or amber, however). The Silverstars arn't easy to find at most stores in an H3, for those of us with projectors. They website lists them as made in an H3 pattern, though I have never seen it. If you have stock bulbs or they make bulbs for your application, they are a good choice. Decent color temperature, nice look. Like I said though, whereas a PIAA Extreme white 9007 my be "55watts low, 65high" watt out put evialalent to "110-120" or simaler, the Sylavnia is not "high output equalient per say, in this regard." The wattage in general is raised a bit to get more lumens, though not as much as cheap bulbs raise it get achive this. Another example of this is the H3 bulb. Stock wattage is 55 watts. The PIAA Super Plasma runs at 55watts, but the light output (light output is meseasured in lumens) is equivlent to what a started 85 watt bulb would rpoduce. PIAA achives the lumen output of a started 85 watt bulb with 55 watts. SIlverstar does this to a certain extent too, but the Silverstar website states the "max wattage" an H3 will have is 68 watts. The wattage is raised a bit to achive the higher lumens (though as I stated above, less than cheap bulbs). This is why I say I find the silverstars a bit hyped, since most people claim their is NO increased wattage produced. Look at the chart of lumans and max wattage on the silverstar website, and compare it to the equivilent stock bulb. The stock bulb has less lumans (meaning less light output) and a bit less watts than the silverstar equivlent. As I said, PIAA is able to achive the increaed luman output from the same stock wattage. Either way, this will cause both bulbs to burn a little hotter than stock. PIAA and Silverstar have 2 different ways to achive a similer result. I perfer PIAA. What each person perfers is up to them. The SIlverstars are a low color temp though (4000K), and look decent. For people like me with H3 low beams, they arn't possible. PIAA is a very good alternative. Also, with the H3's, the high output helps, since a lot of H3 housing's used for projectors are the cheaper fog light housing, versus the more expensive driving light housing. H3 is generally a bulb used with driving lights and fog lights. What this means is the beam pattern thrown is wider and not as far as a driving light beam pattern. This is where the higher output bulb and aiming a little high helps, since a fog light pattern in general won't light the road the way we generally expect. The stock color temperature is usually around 3000K, give or take a few hunderd degree's Kelvin. Sylvania Silverstars good, and well below the legel color temp limit. Also, the PIAA Extreme White's are as well. The Silverstars may last longer, due to standard output. However, of the Xenon High Output bulbs, PIAA tends to last the longest, and have the best slection of color temps. If you are really worried though, Silverstars work. I would sitck with these 2. PIAA is the only high output bulb I would recommend. It's hard to show the true color temp look of a bulb in pics. I have several pics of the Super Plasma's, and NONE do it justice. Same goes with the Silverstars. MY best advise is to look for a store that has displays up where you hit the button and it shines the light so you can see it. The Silversat HID aux. lighting kit burns at around 5000K, real close to the Super Plasma's.
As fot Popluar bulb brands.
APC: the APC street legel "extreme white" bulbs burn at 4100K. They are a "high output bulb." They usually outlast the bulbs that burn at a high color temp. I have found 1 year commen with these bulbs. I have not seen an H3 readlily availbe at most places for this bulb (if you have H3 low beam projectors).
PIAA: Has a great color temperature selection. All PIAA bulbs are "high output." Extreme White is their highest color temp bulb available in the most wide selcetion of bulb types. H3 is available in this for people with H3 projecotr low beams. The color temp is a little higher than the APC, 4300K. It lasts a white too. PIAA also has a 1 year warrenty on their bulbs, and is the only manufactorer to offer this. This is very helpful since cheaper high output bulbs are known to blow in sometimes a matter of months. If you buy it, install it and the bulbs blow. Take it back to place to purchase along with the reciept, and exchange it for a new pair (make sure the place you buy it from honors this warrenty). PIAA's Super Plasma bulbs actually have a Color temperature and look closest to HID's. The are around 5000K or so. It is very close to the legel color limit, which in a lot of states is 5200K or so. Still, this means they are usually legel, and look very good. It has more of a whitist /purple bluish tint like High end HID's on Audi and BMW. However, the bulb selction at MOST stores is not very great. H3's are made. You CAN get these in other bulb types, but it may have to be imported from PIAA japan. Check to made sure the warrney is still honored if you have to do that. I know a store around here will honor it with that as well. Of the "high output" bulbs, PIAA tends to have the highest qaulity and last the longest. The color temperatures are nice looking, but generally street legel (low enough they light the road well). PIAA's "high output bulbs provide a higher output light while running at the normal 55watt or 60 watts. The exact output eqivualence depends on the appication, but can range from 55 watts with 85 watts eqivaulent output (Super Plasma H3) to 55/60watts with 125/135watts equilvent output (Extreme White H4).
Sylvania SilverStars: Color temperature is around 4000K or so. Standard Output. These are commenly advertised as "Street-Legel" s all 50-startes. While this IS TRUE, they are not the only brand street legel. The PIAA Extreme Whites are as well, and Super Plasma's are in a majority ot the states (as well as the APC's). However, if you DON'T WANT the "xenon high output" bulbs. This is the one that will have the highest color temperature at standard output. The Silverstar HID drving lights are street legel when run in conjunction with your high beams, and burn are around 5000K. Like PIAA, these bulbs are also reputable. There is no warrenty on them like you typically find with PIAA's, but not being high output, they will almost always last more than a year, so this is not an issue really. For those who want a little whiter light and don't really want high output, these are a good choice. These are harder to find in an H3 bulb type(for people with H3 projectors), but are made.
Nokia (now known a SPW) Bulbs: These bulbs are the typical high output bulb. Low cost, high color temp. This high color temperature, sometimes exceeding 8000K, results in very poor lighting of the road while driving. Also, these bulbs blow VERY quickly. Usually, I have know of these blowing in a matter of weeks.They are not street legel, due to the excessivly high color temperature, and blow out quickly. Even the "high output" doesn't help much with usable light output. JUst lights the road poorly, plain and simple. I won't recommend these bulbs (or similer) under any circumstance. The qaulity is just not good.
I would recommend the following aftermarket bulbs. Depending on the bulb type you need, you amy or may not be able to obtain certian bulbs for your application.
The PIAA Extreme White (4000K in 9000 series bulb, 4150 for H3 & H4 bulbs,high output), Platium Super White (3800K for 9000 series bulbs, high output), and Sylvania Silverstars (4000K, standard output) are ALL SAE and DOT complient. Also, the "Super Extreme White" H4 PIAA has a 4150K low beam and 3950K high beam. The Super Plasma H4 is 5000K low beam, 3800K high beam. The Super Plasma GT-X has a 5000K low beam and 4150K high beam. This has the highest color temp high beam of the complient bulbs. These are sites to the two manufactors I would recommend. The color of daylight is around 5200K to 5400K. Most HID's are somewhere between 4300K and this (the color of daylight).
This site explains color temperature and shows a scale explaining it and bulbs a bit.
http://www.piaa.com/Bulbs/BulbsAbout.html
PIAA's web side, the index for the information on the bulbs
http://www.piaa.com/Bulbs/Bulbs.html
This is the Sylvania Silverstar website
http://www.sylvania.com/auto/silverstar.htm
I'll wrap all this up by trying to explain lumans and watts in something a little simpler, house light bulbs. We have all seen a 40 watt light bulb that throws out more light than a cheap off brand 40 watt bulb. This is due to Lumans, the light output the bulb prodives. The higher qaulity bulb produces more light output (lumans) from the same wattage. Now, with the standard bulb, cheaper bulb, you can also get this increased amount to Lumans, but you must raise the wattage (power) the bulb draws to achive this. PIAA is the high qaulity house bulb, increasing lumans at the standard wattage. This achives a luman output (light output) eqaul to what the standard would only achive at a higher wattage. This is where the 55watts=85 watts output comes from. The Silverstars are in between the two. They DO increase lumans without drastically increasing wattage. However, the wattage is increased a bit to achive the lumans. These might be like a 68watt house bulb. It produces more lumans than a cheaper bulb would, though it has to ran at a slightly higher wattage to achive this. Now the reason you want a bulb like this, or the PIAA's, is simple. If your lamp socket is designed for only 60 watts or so, you can't install a 100 watt lamp to increaswe brightness, it will burn out or worse. You must install a bulb that increases the lumans ouput with out drastically increasing the wattage of the bulb (like the Silverstar or PIAA). Also, just like a house bulb, not all bulbs have the same expected hours they will work producing light. The higher qaulity bulbs, like PIAA and Silverstar, will last much longer than a cheaper bulb, where bulb life isn't as much of an issue to the manufactorer. The way these two manufactors go about increasing light output is similer, increase the lumans while trying to aviod having to raise wattage too much.