BlownV8

Nah, you don't say. A 100 watt bulb will produce more light than a standard generic halogen 55 watt bulb. Duh! Stock wattage to stock wattage with stock bulbs vs the PIAA's and the PIAA's are a clear cut winner. That's all anyone was saying. They are not bling at all and do not produce a blue bling light at all. The light is very white with no blue tint what so ever and does not give any warning indicator that it is pulling too many watts or too few.

Yeah, we can put 100 watt bulbs and risk frying our wiring harness or melting our reflectors but I'm sure no one wants that. We could also put in 55 watt HID's and produce some serious light that would blind oncoming motorists but I don't think anyone wants that either. I've melted a few wiring harnesses and headlight connectors using higher wattage bulbs and do not want to do that on a $65,000+ car.

Kaumajet

You really need to learn how to read. Seriously.

LEOSOPHIE

I am not suggesting the Piaa's are 100 watts, I am saying Piaa rates one bulb 10% higher than their other bulb.

Kaumajet

PIAA says these bulbs produce the same amount of light as a 100- or 110-watt halogen bulb. This is so far from the truth as to be silly.

AsianML

I would suggest you all calm down and refrain from posting personal attacks before an actual moderator has to give you a tonque lashing.

BlownV8

The output of these is extremely bright. They are by far the brightest 55 watt halogen bulbs I've used to date and give off a very similar amount of light to a good HID bulb.

If you don't agree with what the manufacturer is saying, report them for false advertising or buy the bulbs and test for yourself. Without trying these bulbs you are really just giving an opinion and you know what they say about opinions.

BlownV8

There is an ML forum calling your name.

AsianML

Wow, you're really mature.

BlownV8

Lighten-up Francis. Get a sense of humor.

Kaumajet

Again, try reading what's written. I DO own all of these bulbs, and I HAVE tried them side by side, in headlights and in aftermarket performance lamps. I HAVE used all of these bulbs FOR A LONG TIME. Are you doing this on purpose?

BlownV8

OK, have you tried the PIAA's vs the stock bulbs in your GL? If so, you would know the PIAA's are much much better than the stock ones. Like I said so so many times, I can actually see the road and objects on the side of the road where I could not do so with the stock bulbs. How can this be refuted. Others have witnessed the same with their upgrades. I guess they are completely wrong and are not seeing any real improvement either.

I digress, you are the lighting god and own all bulbs of all makes and have done tests on them all. We all bow to your infinate wisdom. Please have mercy on our ignorance because we know not what we see. Sorry our results are different from your own and the difference really stems from the fact that we are all just too ignorant to know there is really no difference at all.

BlownV8

Here is a comparison test of different bulbs and compare them to the PIAA extreme white bulbs:
http://users.skynet.be/fa491791/headlight%20test.htm

Models tested:
1) Sylvania standard bulb (factory installed)
2) Philips Blue Vision
3) PIAA Super White Premium (55/110W) model H82E
4) PIAA Xtreme White (55/110W)

Description of test:

- 3 series of observations :
- test A :looking at the car, from the front. First from about 5m away and then really close to the headlamp unit for details.
- test B :looking at beam projected on the wall, sitting inside the car and standing next to it. Car is at about 2 meters from the wall (white wall, clean, no marks/posters, and colors on it). Marked the standard bulb area limits on the wall for comparison with the others
- test C :looking at the illumination from the inside of the car (test performed in a forest path (very dark; almost scary..). the street is closed to traffic at night and has trees on each side, parallel to each other. The car is positioned exactly at the same spot each time (tape on the road for tyres positioning)
- During the whole test, Main beam & front foglight were off to avoid biasing the tests.

RESULTS
Comparison always in terms of replacement option versus standard equipment:

1) BLUE Vision by Philips :
These bulbs are one of the most distributed bulbs and are available at most car stores ; they cost about a fraction of the PIAA.
Test A : ok, to be honest I don't see the big deal of the bulbs. Looked long at the bulb and so no difference from the std bulb. If you look REALLY close, you can see that the wall of the headlight is slightly bluish with a very light veil of celestial blue. Friend has installed them in a normal squared headlamp (fitted with HB4 bulbs) and the effect is slightly better, maybe because the illuminated space is bigger (5x10 cms square shape vs our small circular holes for ellipsoidal lamps)
Test B : The beam is exactly the same as the standard bulb. Only difference for the picky people is the slightly more noticed "rainbow" effect at the hedge of the beam
Test C : Again, no real difference. The beam really close to the car is slightly brighter ; Depth of illumination is the same and the same amount of trees on the side of the path are illuminated. 4 rows of trees illuminated

Conclusion : a cheap and ineffective attempt to create HID look . Popular among kids with small budgets.
Scores : HID effect : 4/10. Illumination (6/10 ; same as standard bulb).
For people seeking a powerful bulb from Philips, maybe try the "premium"; with Philips claims has 30% more light output. Don't know if they make it in the GTV size tough (HB3/9005)

2) PIAA Super White :
First thing you notice is that the bulb is slightly longer than the standard and the Philips bulb. It's a bit more tricky to slide it in the hole but still doable. Compared to the Philips, the PIAA S-W has a slighter more purple coating compared to the truly blue Philips. The PIAA is using a patented technology whereby the 55W bulbs emit the power of a 110W (rally) bulb.

Test A : Again, the HID effect is not there. No sights of "cold blue"; effect ; the bulb looks REALLY white and almost blinding to look at. Reminds me of lights used in stadiums for evening matches.

Test B : Must say a big improvement from the standard bulb. The beam on the wall is wider and taller and the area with 100% light is about twice as large as the standard bulb and extends more on the side. Big improvement, for a fraction of a second I thought I had the main beams on

Test C : Probably due to the 110W technology, but the beam illuminates an extra row of trees and a second on behind them (though not perfectly). 6 rows of trees visible. The illumination right in front of the car is very bright and the side of the road is very visible. White marking on the road are illuminated as if they had a fluorescent paint.

Conclusion : By PIAA own admittance, the super white technology is not really aiming at reproducing the HID look, but rather to deliver a professional and more powerful illumination. I must say they are quite excelled in their effort.
Scores : HID effect : 5/10 (though not the result aimed for). Illumination : 8.5/10. Strong improvement from standard bulbs. I noticed cars in front of me pulling aside as I come behind with the S-W on ; maybe it's the look of a red GTV coming towards you, or maybe it's the bulbs that perform like high beam lights.
Nobody's perfect though : the PIAA S_W are quite expensive (almost 3x the Philips) and are quite fragile. If you buy them, remember to switch them on AFTER the engine and off BEFORE you shut down the engine.

3) PIAA Extreme White
Based on and using the "superwhite" (TM) technology, PIAA developed a professional bulb to attack the market of HID looking bulbs. Compared to the normal S-W , the X-W bulb has the tip of the bulb cover with a silver coating (the S-W is glass all round) and the color of the glass itself is much bluer (even a fraction more than the Philips blue vision). The X-W emits a beam at a temperature of 4150° Kelvin or about the same as the Xenon 1 bulbs (new bi-Xenon bulbs are at about 4500° K).Like most PIAA bulbs, the X-W uses patented technology to produce a 110W beam from a 55W bulb . The same defects of the S-W apply here : it is expensive and fragile.
Test A : OK, pinch me and tell me I'm awake. My car has Xenon lights ! ! ! ! ! ! I must say I was skeptical. Turned the engine on, lights on, walk in front of the car and look at my little baby. She is radiant. No need to get closer. The look even from the distance is quite impressive. The immediate impression is that of a a very powerfull bulb, with a total beam of Xenon light. Like the say you need to see it to believe it.
Test B : The wall test. The beam is about the same as the S-W, maybe a fraction less towards the side. Still, much better that the Sylvania and the Philips. Theirs is a strong rainbow effect on the hedge of the beam, something which the S-W did not have (they had a purely white homogeneous snow-white area).
Test C : Again, the 110W technology pays here too. The rows of trees are as the S-W (i.e. more than the standard bulbs). The beam is slightly more present and there're a strange atmosphere out there. Seems like I'm in the new Harry Potter movie. The air out there is like "magic"
Conclusion : Was optimistic with a pinch of salt, but the Xtreme whites meet their goal. While projecting a powerful beam like the S-W sister, they add a touch of special color to the headlight making people wonder what it is and probably go for HID lamps conclusions . Professionals will still identify that they are not Xenon systems, but normal people will say those are definitely not standard lights, probably Xenon.
Score : HID effect : 8/10. Illumination : 8.0/10. Gave it ½ point less than the sister as I have the opinion that the tinted glass of the X-W slightly blocks the powerful beam.

OVERALL :
Forget the Philips, throw them away, they look cheap (and are cheap). If you are not in the business, just stick to the standard bulbs. The only gain you'll have is having to get your hands dirty and being humiliated at any attempt of"bar chat"; Your beam will not hold the comparison.

If you don't care about HID, but want more light and a more professional installation, go for the Superwhites. Remember that they are expensive (about 80GBP/100EUR for a pair) and they will last about 1.5/2 years, IF you follow the light-engine on/off rule.

If you want a True HID look, coupled with a quality illumination, then the Xtreme whites are the ones for you. Again here too, they are expensive (about 85GBP for 2 single units) and they will probably last less than normal bulbs (no experience with these, but I expect to have the same as with the S-W's).

GL Troll

Blown V8, he was referring to the Platnum not the xtreme White bulbs.

Sastrugi, just because Mr B V8 didn't catch the difference doesn't mean he or the rest of us aren't paying attention. You keep saying we should read, but in fact you are dismissing what we say out of hand while accusing us of the same. I don't think any of us are trying to defend the "55W=110W" marketing gimmick. But, that doesn't prove the bulbs aren't better.

I can tell you for certain that I now find myself not squinting down the highway too long looking for obstacles at the expense of not being as aware of where the other cars around me are. That's real progress.

Now, I read the referenced article - and more. One thing that confirms what I already know is that Stern tells us that different bulbs of the same wattage have different lumen outputs. So, why can't you consider that the OEM and PIAA bulbs are simply at opposite ends of the normal H7 output range?

This lighting issue deals with not only the technical aspect of hardware, but also with the much more uncertain human end. As such I already have some disagreement with Stern. I think he and everybody else still has much left to discover.

One obvious problem is that he basically accuses anyone with photographs of Photoshopping it. So we must accuse 'Love my GL' of deliberately doctoring his photo in post #55. Yeah, I don't believe that either.

Despite all the drama, thanks for bringing the subject up, Sastrugi. It is actually quite interesting and I've learned some things.

LEOSOPHIE

For me the subject is closed, I am installing my new PIAA's. Now my fog's, highbeams, and hid's will be in harmony

Suffwan

Been reading the Forums and checking up internet sites and read that the PIAA's dont last very long. They are much more difficult to get a hold of here in the UK but still obtainable.

The one recommended here is the PHILIPS X-TREME POWER H7
http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=81

Or for a more Xenon like look, the PHILIPS BLUEVISION
http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=25

What are your thoughts on these two. A UK based well-respected Automotive mag rated the X-TREME POWER as its product of the year for 2007.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product...eme_power.html

Still get the feeling that the PIAA's will look better though. Just worried about having to replace them pretty often. Anyone know if my dealer would install them for me?

fmr

I have purchased both of the philips -- x-treme and crystal vision ultra (xenon like halogen, newer and supposedly better than the bluevision)--but have not yet had an opportunity to install either. I might install both to compare but am leaning toward the x-treme as my objective is solely at getting an improvement over the very poor oem halogen lights vs the xenon/white light. If your criteria also includes the xenon/white light effect than you can probably not go wrong with either the PIAA or Philips versions.

Suffwan

Thats the dilemma, I was thinking of installing the PHILIPS CRYSTAL VISION for my Dipped Beam that is used all the time and then for my night-time countryside driving on dark sides install the POWER X-TREME for my full beam. But i will have to see.

Im leaning towards PHILIPS because the reports indicate they last much longer.

Could you tell me how white the CRYSTAL VISIONS are if you decide to install.

Thanks man!

avant

This week I hired a company to install true HID bulbs, ballasts, and MB relays on low beam and fog. The difference is night and day. I drive every weekend in the mountains and believe I have increased safety and decreased driver fatigue. I could not be happier, $600 well spent.

Suffwan

Did you do this on your GL my friend. What do you mean by true HID bulbs? Curious as to what you did.

avant

My understanding is that true HID require additional ballasts. I have tried a few "xenon" bulbs before; they are whiter than stock however they are not really brighter. The kit I had installed is like the factory HID, the difference is extraordinary.

Suffwan

Did you get Mercedes to do it for you or what it a custom job? Will it affect your warranty?

MBspdfrk

From Daniel Stern . . .

>
>> I just bought another new car, a Mercedes GL320 CDI with halogen
> lights.
>> Is there anything we can do to improve them?
>
> Looks like probably H7 for low and high beam.
>
> Any of the blue-glass "extra white" bulbs are an absolute nonstarter
> as far as seeing better is concerned. Sylvania Silverstar/Ultra, PIAA,
> Hoen, BlueVision, CrystalVision, TruView, Nokya, Polarg, etc. -- all a
> scam.
> Such bulbs produce significantly less light than even a standard bulb,
> so we'll start our comparison with standard bulbs.
>
> Osram Silverstar, Narva Rangepower+50, and Philips VisionPlus are all
> "Plus+50" H7 bulbs. Philips Xtreme Power and Osram Night Breaker are
> both "Plus+80"/"Plus+90" bulbs. They are, as a class, the best 55w H7s
> you can buy. But, Osram offers (and I stock) an even better option
> with higher output and longer life. Here is the comparison (figures at
> 13.2 volts):
>
> Standard H7:
> 55w, 1500 lumens, 500 hours
>
> H7 ultra "Plus+50" (any brand):
> 55w, 1580 lumens, 225 hours
>
> H7 Xtreme "Plus+80" (Philips) or "Plus+90" (Osram):
> 55w, 1620 lumens, 200 hours
>
> H7 rallye+65 (Osram only):
> 65w, 2100 lumens, 500 hours, obvious choice.
>
> The extra 10w is of no consequence as far as electrical power or heat
> -- those 80w to 100w bulbs are a different story, and they produce
> less light and have a shorter lifespan than the Osram 65w item. Direct
> order link is http://store.candlepower.com/osraulhiouh7.html
>
> Reversing (back-up) lamps can be made nearly 100% brighter (useful
> with tinted glass) with these:
> http://store.candlepower.com/reli.html
>
> And the front parking lamps can be made 60% brighter and whiter for
> better conspicuity with these:
> http://store.candlepower.com/2886x.html

avant

I hired a company to do it in Calgary. Warranty on what?

Love my GL

Both of my PIAA bulbs went out this week, 6 days apart. So they lasted a good 11 months before burning out....that's more than I could have expected.

Off to buy a new pair.

BlownV8

They have a one year warranty. I had one go out and they swapped them for no charge.