Sealed beam vs. halogen vs. HID vs. LED headlamps

[280Z Turbo]

Sealed beam, because they were good enuff for my granddad and they're good enuff for me!:


Halogen:


HID:


LED:


I hear a lot of people bitch about plastic headlamps on cars because the hardcoat can wear out and they start to lose optical clarity, but does anyone really want to go back to sealed beam? I doubt it.

I really don't see much point in HIDs. There's only so much light you can emit before the oncoming car can't see anymore and they crash into you. Projector type halogen lamps are getting more popular so you can have the HID look without the HID price. I guess if blue light is your thing, HIDs are the way to go.  Also, the high beams are still halogen on all the HID lamps I've seen, so what's the point?

Most of the LED lamps I've seen so far look terrible. The RLX just looks strange to me, but I think we'll see more and more cars going to LEDs in the future.

[12,000 RPM]

I like HIDs projectors. There are halogen projectors and then there are HID projectors. HID projectors are good because they are very efficient. A good HID headlight looks like daytime for 180 degrees of coverage. LEDs are a close second.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Euro spec sealed beam replacement's! All the sealed beam style, but with the awesomenes's of a replaceable halogen bulb!

[Soup DeVille]

I've realized lately that good lighting has spoiled me. I'm going to convert my present sealed beam lights to halogens. I'd go for HIDs, but I'm too cheap.

[Soup DeVille]

However, I am going to say the whole "line of LEDs at the bottom of the headlamp that look like eyeliner" thing is as annoying as fuck. It was cool when Audi did it: because ti was new.

Now, it sucks.

[280Z Turbo]

However, I am going to say the whole "line of LEDs at the bottom of the headlamp that look like eyeliner" thing is as annoying as fuck. It was cool when Audi did it: because ti was new.

Now, it sucks.

What about light pipes?

[Soup DeVille]

What about light pipes?

Not sure what you mean.

[S204STi]

HIDs, because I want to see further than ten fucking feet down the road.

[280Z Turbo]

LEDs shining into a clear plastic tube which makes it look like a glowing tube.

[Soup DeVille]

Those aren't quite as bad.

[cawimmer430]

After experiencing HIDs, I can never go back to Halogen! To bad that my car has Halogen lamps and you can totally feel the difference at night between them and HIDs.

[MX793]

IMO, the sealed beams in my old 240SX (which were halogen sealed beam lamps) were better than the halogen projectors in my Mazda (and as good as the halogens in the Mustang).  And that's when the cloudy lenses on the Mazda are buffed clear.

Oh, and when one burned out I could change it in about 5 minutes instead of busting my knuckles fumbling blindly with the bulb clips as I have to with the Mazda.

[Rupert]

Any of these categories are going to have good and bad examples, even sealed beams. If we're talking about the best of each, then that would probably be overwattage halogen projectors for me. Projectors seem to offer the best beam control, and halogens offer the best color. Blue is a terrible color for headlights. Overwattage, because the standard 55W halogen low beams are usually too dim, and since projectors can have a very sharp cutoff, glare problems are minimal for most cars (as opposed to most/all SUVs, vans, trucks, etc.).

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

All my vehicles/bikes have 6K HIDs (AC Kits,pure white) installed! Halogens just don't cut it after driving with HIDs!

[giant_mtb]

I like projector halogens.

Halogen bulbs are cheaper, and with a proper reflector/projector, just as good as an HID in the same fixture. HIDs just use like, what, 10-15 fewer watts for well over double the price?  No thanks.

I'm okay with LED headlights. Just waiting for them to trickle down into everything.

I do like HIDs, though. I don't really dislike any of the lighting options, but there are good and bad examples for all, as usual.

[CALL_911]

I love my projector HIDs, I've liked them on every single car I've driven with them. If it could happen, all of my future cars would have them.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I really don't see much point in HIDs. There's only so much light you can emit before the oncoming car can't see anymore and they crash into you. Projector type halogen lamps are getting more popular so you can have the HID look without the HID price. I guess if blue light is your thing, HIDs are the way to go.  Also, the high beams are still halogen on all the HID lamps I've seen, so what's the point?

Most of the LED lamps I've seen so far look terrible. The RLX just looks strange to me, but I think we'll see more and more cars going to LEDs in the future.

Projectors solve the problem of blinding on coming traffic as far as HIDs go. And Gov regulations are the reason high beams had to be Halogen here in the US. But I think thats coming to and end! The C7 uses HID for high and low beams and there's another vehicle as well but I can't think of it rite now.

[giant_mtb]

I think one of the big Cadillac sedans uses HID for both. Could be wrong though.

[Rupert]

The problem with HIDs is that they are usually pretty blue.

All my vehicles/bikes have 6K HIDs (AC Kits,pure white) installed! Halogens just don't cut it after driving with HIDs!

As far as I can tell, 6K is pretty blue. IMO, you really want/need 5K or lower. The reason I like halogens is that they're ~4K.

The Alfa has some bluer than blue HIDs. I'm not really a fan.

[Laconian]

Can't go back to HIDs. After I grew accustomed to the TSX's lights, when I went back to the Accord it felt like the headlights were stuck in parking lights mode. The cutoff was sharp and around waist level, so it is incapable of blinding anybody except perhaps Lotus Elises.

[280Z Turbo]

I need to ask some of the design guys at work about this stuff.

[MrH]

HID projectors only for me pretty much. Once you get used to them, you can't go back. The BRZ uses a single projector setup for the high beams too. No halogens here.

When I get an Element, I'm probably going to do an HID projector retrofit.

[12,000 RPM]

Go with The Retrofit Source. They have some pretty easy kits. I have one in my bike, works really well and took about an hour to install (not counting taking the headlight off the bike).

[SVT_Power]

I've been meaning to put a HID kit into the halogen projectors for the Sorento for a while. One of these days...

[Eye of the Tiger]

I've been meaning to put a HID kit into the halogen projectors for the Sorento for a while. One of these days...

Why do you even that thing.

[Laconian]

+1, isn't your mom in Korea now?

[MrH]

Go with The Retrofit Source. They have some pretty easy kits. I have one in my bike, works really well and took about an hour to install (not counting taking the headlight off the bike).

Yeah, my buddy is doing a retrofit on his r32.  He recommended the same place.

[S204STi]

Yeah, my buddy is doing a retrofit on his r32.  He recommended the same place.

+1 for retrofit source. I have a 4300k kit from them, zero problems after 18+ months.

[12,000 RPM]

I've been meaning to put a HID kit into the halogen projectors for the Sorento for a while. One of these days...

Do it. DDMTuning.com has cheap but decent kits. Just make sure you get a relay and can bus adapter.

I just bought some upgraded headlights for the Z... the 03-05 headlights are terrible, but the 06+ are pretty good. However I have bootleg $20 bulbs which I think are affecting the output. Gotta get some OEM Philips.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

The problem with HIDs is that they are usually pretty blue.

As far as I can tell, 6K is pretty blue. IMO, you really want/need 5K or lower. The reason I like halogens is that they're ~4K.

The Alfa has some bluer than blue HIDs. I'm not really a fan.

DC kits have a blue tint. AC kits are pure white. I have them in the fogs also in the G8 and there's no blue at all. I had 4K bulbs in the C6 and I didn't care for the light output. From inside the car they weren't much brighter than Halogens!