Philips offers several + bulbs, ranging from +30 to +60 to +100. Two questions: 1) is there a life span difference between them? and 2) do any or all of them actually produce the advertised degree of increase in lumen output from stock bulbs? Also, assuming there are extra lumens in these bulbs, would you see a difference on the road? All responses will be much appreciated. Have tried to research this and have seen many conflicting reviews on Amazon and other sites. Am assuming Philips is better than Sylvania Silver Star but am willing to be corrected by real world experience. Thanks again in advance for the input.
which Philips halogen "extra" bulb is best?
- Thread starter Jasper8146
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Expensive bulbs are about marketing and taking more of your hard earned money from you.
Distance is determined by the shape and size of the reflector or lens in the lamp, not the bulb.
If you just like the stronger white light and don't care about better visibility, premium bulbs are for you.
Bulbs dim over time. Replacing old bulbs with new ones will provide better performance.
Someone who says bulb blah blah is better than the previous ones in my car don't realize they are comparing used dim bulbs to new ones.
Side note:The best headlight in a vehicle I've driven is the currant gen Corolla with the LED headlamps.
always get them from amazon. Parts store list them at crazy prices.
Before spending $$$ on +bulbs, it would be wise to first verify your HDLT reflectors are clean & shiny.
I tried GE Nighthawks and Sylvania Ultra’s. Wasn’t impressed with the amount of light. All four bulbs lasted about one year (from December to December). I’m back to regular bulbs; the ones they give you two stars for instead of 5. The other bulbs get 5 stars for taking your money.
SF
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I have also noticed that the silver star dont last very long, often just go back to plain osram or hella bulbs for their long life.
Unless you are looking for the very white light look, I would personally recommend Philips X-treme Vision. I have a set of these on one of my cars right now, and I'm quite happy with them. I can's speak as to how long they will last, as I've only had them for a few months. But I have never seen negative reviews for them like I have for Sylvania bulbs.
The two best sources for good pricing on Philips bulbs is Candlepower.com and Amazon. I like Candlepower.com because they specialized in only carrying bulbs that they have actually tested and feel good about recommending.
http://store.candlepower.com/phxtpobuhe.html
If you are into the super white light, then I guess the Crystal Vision may be for you. I've never used them, as that isn't my thing.
Yumseen LED's from amazon. Best thing Ive done. Brighter light, not expensive and last long. They are bright white 5000k. All halogens ive tried are dull or dont last. Silverstars will give you 1, maybe 2 years of service if you're lucky.
Also, as someone else mentionned, if your headlight lenses are dulled get a headlight polishing kit as well.
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I used a photometer to measure the hot spot intensity of a standard Phillips H7, the X-TremeVision, and the Racing vision.
Stock bulb claims 1000 hour life.
X-TremeVision +130 was 6.7 % brighter, with claimed 400 hour life.
RacingVision +150 was 17% brighter with claimed 200 hour life.
You will notice a difference, especially compared to stock bulbs that are a few years old. A worn out stock bulb measured 25% dimmer than a new one. Compared to a new stock bulb you may not see much difference unless you go for the RacingVision, with the short life.
It is very difficult to get high output while keeping the same power consumption and same raw lumens, both of which are specified for a bulb to be street legal.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
HIR retrofit.
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
Expensive bulbs are about marketing and taking more of your hard earned money from you.
Distance is determined by the shape and size of the reflector or lens in the lamp, not the bulb.
If you just like the stronger white light and don't care about better visibility, premium bulbs are for you.
Bulbs dim over time. Replacing old bulbs with new ones will provide better performance.
Someone who says bulb blah blah is better than the previous ones in my car don't realize they are comparing used dim bulbs to new ones.
Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
Yes, the brighter bulbs do have a shorter lifespan.
See http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/good/good.html for more information
1) There is no free lunch.
The filaments on "plus" bulbs are more tightly wound, burn hotter, and lifespan suffers. They also achieve better performance through more precise focus, and a better gas mixture.
2) Beware the marketing
The +XXX% figures don't actually refer to a increase in luminosity, and never have. To remain street legal and meet type approval, such bulbs still have to remain with the tolerances (+/- 15%) as specified by ECE R37.
The metrics used to make such claims in the marketing are vague at best, and have no uniform definition. "130% more light on the road" is essentially meaningless with context, as is "45m farther beam."
That said, do such bulbs perform better, albeit at the cost of lifespan? Yes, they do, and have been proven to in objective testing. No one wants to feel gypped by a bulb or tire that wears only quickly, but that's part of the tradeoff for better performance, if that's what you truly seek.
Lumen maintenance is a characteristic of every lighting source, even solid state sources like LEDs. Bulbs cannot be relied upon to forever maintain optimum performance any more than motor oil can; both are consumables that need to be periodically replaced, and not just because they fail.
What is "best" depends on the type and application involved.
Personally, I've had good experiences with the P-XTV +130, and O-SS +60 in the past. The early versions of the O-NB did not fare well in terms of durability, but the O-NBU and O-NBL have addressed that issue.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted By: mclasser
What bulb type is this for? If you have a 9006, do the Philips 9012 mod for improved lumens and longer life.
I had Silverstar Ultras that were still going strong after 2 yrs. I liked the white light but it became noticeably dimmer as the bulbs aged.
I tried the Philips Crystal Vision Ultra and really like them. They’re 4000k, not yellowish or bluish. They have a very slight blue tint to the glass, but nowhere near Silverstar. I’ve noticed a big increase in visibility, especially on the sides. They’re inexpensive on eBay, especially if you can find open box versions.
Thanks to everyone for their input. Really appreciate it.
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